Curly-Coated DogsPoodles and Bicho Frise are the best known curly-coated dogs. Curly Coated Retrievers, Portuguese Water Dogs, and American Water Spaniel are just a few of the others. The curly coat is curled, as the name says, but the amount and tightness of the curl can vary depending on the breed or the individual dog.Curly coats are attractive and considered low-shedding, but are not necessarily easy to care for. Dirt and debris can get caught in the coat and rather than falling out as it might do in some other coat types, it will remain in the curly coat until brushed or washed out. Using a slicker brush, the coat should be brushed from the skin out, making sure there are no tangles, mats, or debris in the coat. Finish by going through the coat with a comb to get any loose hair or small tangles. Work some hair conditioner into any stubborn mats or tangles.Curly coats can be trimmed regularly to keep the coat at a length you are willing to care for. Although you can learn how to do this yourself, most owners take the dog to a professional groomer for trims.
Long-Coated DogsThe first time I saw an Afghan run, with his coat flowing like silk, I was awestruck. The combination of a fast, athletic dog with such as elegant long coat was amazing. There are a tremendous variety of dog breeds with a long coat, from the Afghan, Bearded Collie, and Bernese Mountain Dog, to the smaller Shih Tzu, Havanese, Yorkshire Terrier, and Maltese.No matter the breed or length of the coat, all long-haired dogs need regular coat care. A long coat is more apt to tangle and mat than many other coat types, especially in places where the coat moves (such as between and behind the legs) as well as the softer coat behind the ears. One Bearded Collie owner says she brushes and combs her dogs daily, without fail, and sometimes even a second time after her dogs have been active.A long coat should be brushed or combed from the skin to the ends of the hair. If the coat is especially thick or long, you may need to do each length in sections before you can do the entire length. If you find a tangle or mat, do not ignore it; it will never go away on its own and in fact, may grow incredibly fast as other hairs get tangled into it. Try to comb it out, but if that doesn’t undo the mat, work some hair conditioner into it. Then try to comb it out. Never cut a mat out with scissors. The skin can get pulled into mat if the hairs are tight, and you will cut your dog’s skin.Depending on which long-coated breed you have, your grooming tools may vary but to start, you will need a pin brush that can reach through the coat to the skin and a comb. You may need other tools, too, and a professional groomer can explain the tools and their use.
Understanding your dogs coat type will help you when it comes to grooming and knowing what products are best to use…The World Kennel Club recognise 140 pure-bred dogs, however, The World Canine Organisation best known as Federation Cynologique Internationale is the largest internationally accepted registry of dog breeds, recognising 339 breeds made up of ten groups based on dogs purpose. Groups include:
They have a harsh outer guard coat and a soft undercoat that is thick and dense to protect them in extreme weather conditions. Seasonal shedding occurs year round with these breeds and can be profuse when blowing coat. Natural body oils can create ‘doggie odour’ in some breeds with this coat type.
Longer guard coat can form mats, knots and tangles and should be brushed/combed, hand-plucked or hand stripped every four to eight weeks. If necessary you can use our Anti-Static Detangler to assist. Any of our Cologne Coat Glosses can be used to keep coat smelling fresh in between washes and shiny.
Airedale Terrier, Australian Terrier, Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Dandie Dinmont, Fox Terrier – wire, Irish Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Parsons Russel, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Welsh Terrier, West Highland White, Affenpinscher, Brussels Griffon, German Wirehaired Pointer, Spinone Italiano, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Dachshund- wire haired, Ibizan – wire haired, Irish Wolfhound, Otterhound, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Scottish Deerhound, Giant Schnauzer, Standard Schnauzer.
On areas where coat is limp including legs and top knot you should use our Volumising Shampoo or Coarse Coat Shampoo as it will add body and texture to coat. Conditioner will soften and flatten limp coat, so avoid conditioning these areas. Any of our Cologne Coat Glosses can be used to keep coat smelling fresh in between washes and shiny.
Top 10 Dog Breeds That Don’t shed or smell | Small Dog Breeds That Don’t Shed
Very few of you can deny that you’d easily spend hours and hours just petting and cuddling your dog. And there’s a good reason for this! Scientific study has recently shown that running your fingers through your dog’s hair has a calming and anti-depressant effect. A dog’s coat is one of its most distinctive traits, and canines boast a wide variety. Are you familiar with the different hair types?
It is very difficult to properly classify canine coats, the range is huge. There are, however, clearly identifiable differences and many dog parlours make use of this particular categorisation method:
1) LONG HAIR. This category includes the Shih-Tzu, Maltese and Golden Retriever, just to name a few. Long-haired dogs need to be brushed every day to keep their good looks and prevent the formation of painful knots. Dogs belonging to this category also have a very thick undercoat. Although this may seems strange, these dogs lose a lot less hair than smooth or short-haired dogs. You can use a St. John’s Wort shampoo when it’s time to give them a bath!
2) SMOOTH COAT. Flat, very dense and close to the skin hair characterizes dogs like the Doberman and Dachshund. Dogs with this type of coat shed and grow hair all year round, although in summer they likely shed a bit more. This means that a good weekly grooming session with a special glove is a must.
3) SHORT-HAIR. This type of coat features slightly longer hair than the shorter smooth coat, and there is often also an undercoat. If you have a short-haired dog at home, your vacuum cleaner is probably the appliance you use the most, seeing as the thick undercoat tends to shed constantly! Your dog will need to be brushed with greater frequency, especially when shedding time rolls around. An example of this category includes Labradors and Beagles.
4) SEMI-LONG HAIR. German Shepherds, Border Collies and Huskies are prime examples of this coat type. The upper coat is more or less long and water-resistant, the undercoat is shorter but thick and woolly. Knots form easily in these coats so you need to dedicate plenty of TLC to your dog a couple of times a week with a wire-pin brush followed by a softer bristle brush.
5) FEATHERED COAT. Dogs with this type of coat have fringes on their ears, legs and tummy. The hair on the rest of their body is usually short and more or less wiry, like the Setter or Cocker Spaniel. You need to brush the fringes out every day using a pin brush and bristle brush.
6) WIRE COAT. This type of hair is especially hard and you need to use a stripping comb instead of a normal comb or brush to prevent mats and tangles. Stripping means manually thinning the coat, something your dog groomer usually does best. Terriers and Schnauzers belong to this particular category. Mint shampoo is ideally suited to this type of hair.
7) CORDED COAT. These coats are very long, with lovely characteristic curls or flat matting. Like human dreadlocks, their grooming should be restricted to regular shampooing, they should not be brushed or combed. If the curls or matting gets too thick, use your fingers to carefully open them up and create separate smaller cords. Examples of dogs with corded coats: Komondor and Corded Poodle.
7) CURLY HAIR. Poodles and Lagotto Romagnolos belong to this nice and woolly category of dog. Their undercoat does not shed but knots into the overcoat and becomes a bit like felt. They need to be periodically shorn. Dogs with curly hair should be groomed every week with a brush and comb to maintain their good looks. The best type of shampoo to keep them clean is a mallow-based shampoo.
Coming soon on the blog, our other social networks and on YouTube: keep your eyes open for the videos we made featuring Luca, our expert groomer. He’ll give you all kinds of great tips on how to best take care of your dog’s coat. Keep on following us! Share the love