How do we care for this dog's coat?

September 27, 2020 12:33 PM

If all goes well with checking our references, this sweet boy will be coming to live with us soon! We are experienced dog owners so we're set on all things except neither of us have had a dog with a coat like this. How do we care for it? It's quite long! The rescue didn't have much of an idea.

Things we'd like to know:

- Can/should we trim his hair?
- How often does he need baths (more or less often than a typical dog)?
- What kind of brush is best? Wire brush, soft brush, comb?
- How often should we brush him? Typical amount? Several times a week?

We want this pupper feeling his best. In an ideal situation, we'd bring him to a groomer for their expert opinion, but we're trying to avoid unnecessary trips right now. Any other thoughts or info you have would be stellar. Thanks so much!

posted by ancient star to Pets & Animals (7 answers total)

Yes you can trim his hair. I'd suggest keeping the hair around his butt & penis short for hygiene at the very least, you can easily do this with a pair of blunt ended human grooming scissors or at least that's what I do. Also around eyes, though they naturally seem to be short there, & also the ends of ears as they can get in food or get tangled in things when they sniff, but again it looks like your dog is naturally shorter haired there.

I would suggest regular brushing several times a week, hair like that, looks very much like a thinner version of what is on my silky terrier & it can dread if you're not careful which can pull the skin. If you keep the trouble areas trimmed a quick brush every couple of days should keep you trouble free. I make it a fun time with lots of treats & pats when done. If the dog isn't used to it, just start slowly, with a soft brush & work your way up.

I have had great luck with this brush.. It's not a dog brush, I ended up using one of my brushes on my dog one day when it was hating being brushed because of tangles & it works great.
posted by wwax at 1:38 PM on September 27, 2020

He is so cute! I love him!

You could schedule an appointment with mobile groomer who would come to you and groom him in their grooming van/motorhome.
posted by ilovewinter at 2:58 PM on September 27, 2020

When my sister had a dog with long hair like that, she used to give him weekly baths and then he endured really painful combing to get out knots. But then I gave him a pick (for humans) and he stopped yelping.
posted by pinochiette at 3:24 PM on September 27, 2020

Is he silky or coarse? His coat looks a little like my dog's when he's at his scruffiest, and my dog (a border terrier) should be hand stripped. If he's got coarse hair, pinch a couple of the longest strands and give them a gentle tug. If they come away easily he's got the kind of coat that should be stripped. (And if that's the kind of coat he's got, you can trim him but it'll really mess up his coat.)

Hand stripping is kind of a pain in the ass, but the good news is that you can really just leave them alone and they'll be fine. And honestly I think my dog is cuter when he's scruffy. I only really strip him in the hot months and he looks weird and naked.

My dog gets showers/baths when he's stinky or dirty, which varies. At least once a month, lots more often if it's goose poop season.

I brush him maaaybe once a week. He gets scruffy but his kind of coat really doesn't tangle.

BIG IF this is the kind of fur this boy has, then congratulations, you have an incredibly low maintenance dog. If he doesn't have this kind of coat then please do not listen to anything I've said.
posted by phunniemee at 4:02 PM on September 27, 2020 [2 favorites]

Aaah, so cute! I had a terrier mutt that had longish hair, it was very wirey and just needed the occasional brushing. I bathe my dogs about every other month or so, when they get stinky. The length of hair doesn't really seem to change that all too much.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 5:42 PM on September 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

Congrats on the new addition to your family! I have a Jack Russel Yorkie mix with hair that looks similar to your pup. We get him trimmed up short (1 inch or so) to minimize maintenance. I brush him once a week and he gets a bath as needed (smelly, etc.). In between groomer visits, I also keep his hair and sensitive areas (groin) trimmed so he can see. The biggest issue we have is mats if I let him hair get long and don't brush it for a bit. If he does get mats, I try and untangle them with my hands. Else they get cut out with a pair of scissors, but I try to avoid that. Keeping our doggo cut short helps immensely with the mats and time required for maintenance, so that's my preference and what works for him.
posted by snowysoul at 8:16 AM on September 28, 2020

Response by poster: Thank you everyone! He is coming home to us on Tuesday and we are exciting to get him all cleaned up and looking excellent!!
posted by ancient star at 4:31 PM on October 2, 2020 [1 favorite]