Best Grooming Tools For Japanese Spitz

[majella60]

Hello,

i have a 10 month old js and would appreciate some suggestions from learned js owners on the best grooming tools to keep his coat healthy and matt freee. we have been using a small slicker brush which is what my daughter was told she needed but it is clearly not sufficient. i have recently brought a rake but feel he also needs a good pin brush and comb. i have read that the madan brushes are good. so can someone confirm this or recommend something else and suppliers in melbourne. he is not a show dog just a much loved pet. I really look forward to receiving responses and thank you in advance.

[Dogsfevr]

Slicker & comb is all you need.

The biggest issue is how people use the tools,how often they use them &,how thoroughly they brush to the skin & whether they bath the dog with knots.

You can use a rake but if there are knots you will still need to slicker/comb out first ,some knots can be removed with the rake but a bit of an over kill for a JS coat.

Do you layer brush aswell.

Where are the knots the worst ??

[stonecutter]

I have a JS and I really don't like using a slicker - only when she is dropping coat.

My preference is for a Chris Christensen Brass Fusion brush. I bought mine from Peperone online - expensive but definitely worth it.

The other thing that I like to use is a Greyhound Comb (available from Groomers Paradise online).

I've found the most important thing is grooming technique - only try and groom a small section of coat at a time - combing just a bit each time. Long strokes (imagine a girl with long hair!) aren't really effective for getting out knots and tangles. Use one hand to hold the hair back and brush a little bit at a time.

How often are you grooming? Ziva gets a brush all over each day - takes about 5-10 min.

[dancinbcs]

I use a Mason Pearson Bristle and Nylon brush the same as I use on my Border Collies. After misting the coat with a detangler, I line brush then run a wide toothed collie comb through and give a final brush up. The slicker is useful when they are dropping coat and some people prefer them all the time but I prefer the Bristle/Nylon. It is important to keep removing the hair from the brush as you go as well.

With the line brushing, part the hair and brush from the skin out on the body. With the tail and pants start at the tips and work your way back towards the dog in small increments. My boy had a enormous puppy coat and I managed with about 20 min brushing twice a week with him. Brushing out the puppy coat took about 6 weeks with several grooms a week, when it dropped at just under 12 months, so he has needed minimal grooming for a few weeks and is now starting to coat up again.

How hard they are to groom also depends on the coat quality which can vary a lot from dog to dog and I assume like BCs, that once you desex them the coat will tangle a lot more and not shed as cleanly.

[stonecutter]

great advice from dancinbcs :)

She's right that coats can be vastly different because of different breeding lines - can you tell us a little more about where you pup came from and his/her parents?

It took me a few different purchases to figure out exactly what worked for us :)

[Guest Arcane]

At 10 months you are right in the middle of that icky transition from puppy fluff to adult coat and this will possibly the one most challenging period for grooming you will face,

I completely agree with whoever said that technique is paramount. And whoever mentioned that a double coat on a desexed dog will usually become more profuse and doesn't usually shed out in cycles like an entire coat, in short generally a slightly more difficult coat to manage.

I would recommend having top quality tools, they will make a difference. A fine/medium greyhound comb, a brass pin brush & a T-Brush from Chris Christensen , and a good slicker brush (I use Les Poochs)

Personally I would not use a tool that has a blade or cutting edge like bladed rakes & furminators. they will cut hairs so you will end up with shorter cut off hairs in amongst the longer hair and over time this will make the coat more difficult to groom because the shorter hairs will tangle with the undercoat, and cutting/blade tools will also make micro abrasions on the hair shafts....tiny bits of damaged hair sticking out along the hair shafts. These will promote tangles too. I will try to explain it this way..... If you put you hands together palm to palm with all your fingers pointing out and smoothly together so everything is smooth, even and going in one direction. Now move you fingers over to each side so they are all crossed together....... that is how your damaged coat will look and you can now imagine how much easier that would tangle & how much harder that will be to untangle, than if you have all smooth undamaged hair.

I would also invest in a grooming spray. A conditioning & anti static spray to mist each section of coat with just before you brush/comb. This will assist grooming and ensure even less damage to the hair shafts during grooming. There are quite a few commercially available or you can just add a dollop of good quality dog conditioner into a spray bottle and fill with warm water & shake, to achieve a similar outcome. Just mist (not soak) as you brush/comb through the coat so you are never grooming dry hairs.

You need to be very routine with your grooming, as in work out your own routine to groom around the entire dog & stick to it every time. Don't just pick at this bit & that bit or you will miss vast amounts of coat.

I would recommend having a professional bath, blow dry & groom out so you can start fresh. Make sure to find a groomer who is happy to blow dry & groom out the coat properly & thoroughly and not use blades or rakes or cut or trim the coat at all.

And well done for recognising that you need to do something more before you have a complete disaster on your hands

Edited September 22, 2012 by Arcane

[espinay2]

Agreed with what said here - technique is the key.

I too don't like using anything with a blade, and rarely use a rake. Slicker, pin brush and comb are your main tools.

I too love the Les Poochs Brush and use it now instead of my Laurence Slicker which I used for many years. It did make a difference!

Here is an article which may help: http://www.espinay.com/grooming.cfm

It includes info on how to 'line brush' so you brush right down to the skin.

While you are grooming on a smaller scale, the technique is similar for other double coated breeds

[Guest Arcane]

Agreed with what said here - technique is the key.

I too don't like using anything with a blade, and rarely use a rake. Slicker, pin brush and comb are your main tools.

I too love the Les Poochs Brush and use it now instead of my Laurence Slicker which I used for many years. It did make a difference!

Here is an article which may help: http://www.espinay.com/grooming.cfm

It includes info on how to 'line brush' so you brush right down to the skin.

While you are grooming on a smaller scale, the technique is similar for other double coated breeds

OMG Espinay I just had a quick glance through that article & 'snap'! Very good

[stonecutter]

Excellent article Espinay!!

[ellz]

And another for the Les Pooches slickers.

Just as an anecdotal sidenote. I have a very bad ganglion on my right wrist joint which has been removed twice but keeps coming back. It gets larger and more painful with prolonged activity such as sewing, typing and of course grooming dogs. Since I have been using the Les Pooches slickers on my dogs, I have had NO major pain episodes with the ganglion and it hasn't reached its usual large, intrusive size either.

[dancinbcs]

One extra point about combs. Don't expect to get anything other than a very wide toothed comb through a JS coat. The undercoat is very different to many other double coated breeds, being more like dense cotton wool. There is no need to get a fine comb through it, just to make sure there are no tangles or matted areas.

[becks]

they are a lovely breed to sink your fingers into, we have a couple at ringcraft I get to go over as one of the trainers!

[dancinbcs]

Another handy hint, when bathing, is to squeeze the shampoo through a wet coat, rinse then apply conditioner and carefully comb it right through the coat with a very wide toothed comb. If showing you need the make the conditioner something like Volumiser or the coat may sit a bit flat but for pets this is less important. Then rinse, squeeze through with a towel but never rub the coat. Finally dry with a proper dog dryer with high speed and low heat, holding the nozzle close to the skin and blowing the coat straight out away from the body. Blowing towards the body can cause tangles.