Must Have Grooming Products For Long Haired Dogs

[Guest donatella]

Ok I think I need to up the anti here. I bathed Lucy at 10am this morning and I'm still grooming, brushing and sorting her out (breaks in between of course) and it's now 4pm.

I went into the pet store this morning and the lady recommended this oatmeal shampoo and conditioner set saying it was their best seller and the best they have. I feel like it's knotted her up and I've spent all day on and off trying to get her knot free. This never happened with the last shampoo and conditioner we used and that was just supermarket crap so I'm convinced it's from this new shampoo. The bottle says for sensitive and itchy skin even when I said to the lady lucy has neither of these. Or maybe its my own fault for lathering and tangling her more. Her last bath was only 2 weeks ago so so can't have gotten that feral in 2 weeks considering I brush her everyday, SO.

I need product recommendation for double coated breeds along with grooming tool recommendations. I have a brush, comb and deshedding brush but once again just cheap pet shop ones, i really think I need the proper gear if I continue to home groom (still scarred from my professional grooming experience).

Thanking you in advance I'm getting RSI from brushing today ;)

Edited March 20, 2012 by donatella

[❤LovesPoodles❤]

I've just started using plush puppy on my sibe's and poodle and love it can't believe the difference compared to the supermarket crap I used

[Guest donatella]

Actually plush puppy have just come up on my google search results, might have to buy some tomorrow. I can't believe how crap this stuff is today, I'm sure it's good on short haired dogs, I should have been warned when the lady selling it to me told me she loves it on her staffies arghh

[Kavik]

Is it Aloveen? It is oatmeal based. That is what I use on my guys (except for the one with skin problems). I really like it but my guys have short hair :)

[wuffles]

If it's Aloveen, I've used it on both my dogs (both double coated) with no issues.

TBH I just use Fido's varieties for both my dogs and neither of them get knotty. And I don't even use conditioner!

Edited March 20, 2012 by wuffles

[Guest donatella]

Yeah that's the one. Don't get me wrong she smells gorgeous and clean but the knots omg. Could be user error though, I gave her a good lather up as she had been playing in the mud this morning.

[Clyde]

I'd say user error. I've used Aloveen in my salon for over a decade and it's never caused knots.

[Guest donatella]

She might have had a lot of dead coat in there and my lathering just knotted it all up, as I said my brushes are pretty standard.

Might look at investing in better brushes if we're all confident on the aloveen

[dancinbcs]

For a Spitz coat or any long double coat, you need a soft slicker brush, a good quality bristle and nylon brush and a very wide toothed comb (Collie comb). Most good show dog shampoos like Plush Puppy are fine and get an anti tangle conditioner if the coat tangles. Aloveen would not be my choice for a dog without skin problems because it tends to make the coat heavy.

Always line brush before bathing. If the dog isn't dropping coat the bristle/nylon brush is best and expect to pay anything from $20-$150 for a good brush. The more you pay the longer it should last. My first Mason Pearson brush is still going strong after grooming show dogs for 27 years so well worth the money. If the coat is shedding use the slicker. Work from the the back foot up and forward each side, parting the coat and brushing from the skin in layers about a cm wide until the whole dog is done. Then run the collie comb through lightly at right angles to the dog, to check for any tangles. If you find any brush them out from the tip of the hair back to the body.

When bathing lather the dog and squeeze the shanpoo through, do not rub. Rinse and use the conditioner and comb it through with the collie comb before rinsing. Towel dry without too much rubbing and them blow dry in layers using the brush to lift the coat. Repeat the line brushing.

[Guest donatella]

For a Spitz coat or any long double coat, you need a soft slicker brush, a good quality bristle and nylon brush and a very wide toothed comb (Collie comb). Most good show dog shampoos like Plush Puppy are fine and get an anti tangle conditioner if the coat tangles. Aloveen would not be my choice for a dog without skin problems because it tends to make the coat heavy.

Always line brush before bathing. If the dog isn't dropping coat the bristle/nylon brush is best and expect to pay anything from $20-$150 for a good brush. The more you pay the longer it should last. My first Mason Pearson brush is still going strong after grooming show dogs for 27 years so well worth the money. If the coat is shedding use the slicker. Work from the the back foot up and forward each side, parting the coat and brushing from the skin in layers about a cm wide until the whole dog is done. Then run the collie comb through lightly at right angles to the dog, to check for any tangles. If you find any brush them out from the tip of the hair back to the body.

When bathing lather the dog and squeeze the shanpoo through, do not rub. Rinse and use the conditioner and comb it through with the collie comb before rinsing. Towel dry without too much rubbing and them blow dry in layers using the brush to lift the coat. Repeat the line brushing.

You are a bloody legend, this is very helpful, thank you very much!

[Guest donatella]

I'm reading about the dog furminator, promises to remove dead undercoat without damaging top coat and is priced at $60, gets good reviews, something I'd find useful?

[Guest donatella]

Oh just found a groomers website with products might buy there

[Bjelkier]

It's not a good idea to use furminators on a spitz coat, it will rip the top coat.

As side before, wide tooth comb, slicker, pin brush.

Always comb the dog before a bath to minimise knots and matting.

I may have missed this but are you using a dryer on the coat or towel drying?

[Guest donatella]

Ok skip the furminator. I think I have the right 3 tools now, I just need better versions.

I have a microfibre towel at first to soak up most of the wet then we hairdryer on cool until dry.

[Salukifan]

Donatella, the ONLY people I'd be listening to about grooming products for your Pom are Pom folk.

Or maybe some of the Spitz folk but even spitz coat varies between breeds.

I have never been a fan of Aloveen. I think its over priced and damned ordinary - but folk love it. To each their own.

You could do a lot worse than Plush Puppy - they should have recommendations for Poms on their website.

[oakway]

It has nothing to do with the shampoo.

The dog may have been dropping coat and by bathing without getting out all the dead coat first, it has just let go and matted.

You will need to get the matted coat out before you do anything else.

You may need a force dryer to help remove the coat by blowing it all out.

You will still have to groom but the dryer will make it a lot easier to see where the coat is matted.

What you may need is a stitch un picker from a sewing shop the one with the little bead on the point.

Use this to split the mat into many little mats, starting at the skin and working up, using the dryer and the comb to get rid of it all.

If the dog is a solid mat you may have to clip it off and start again.

[Vehs]

I reckon you should go somewhere with a HV dryer - just makes getting the coat out sooo much quicker

If D starts to get spiderwebby coat - I don't even bother brushing, just take him into the shop and use the blow dryer on him

[Guest donatella]

I reckon you should go somewhere with a HV dryer - just makes getting the coat out sooo much quicker

If D starts to get spiderwebby coat - I don't even bother brushing, just take him into the shop and use the blow dryer on him

You just described it well spiderwebby coat ohhhh that would mean facing my big fear of groomers ;)

[Kirty]

Yep a good dryer is the best thing thing you'll buy/use for a coated dog. :)

[Jumabaar]

I am going to agree about the dryer- my Lappies (spitz breed) get a pre wash blow out to get rid of any loose coat. They then get bathed- sometimes in fancy Isle of dogs, other times fidos oatmeal. I agree about aloveen being heavy but I have never found it to make the coat knotty.

I am actually also thinking her coat was not truly dry. I often think I have finally finished drying with a force dryer only to find that my girl is still a little damp- and a Poms coat is thicker than my girls so damp coat would be making it harder to brush or comb through. The thickness of the Pom coat would tempt me to pre brush before a bath as well as blow dry- I use a pin brush to go through my girls pants before washing.