Stiff Coat

[HappyCamper]

So george's (thats what we named him some might know his history from the rescue forums) coat is not soft its more stiff and rough. We have no idea what he was eating before but has been on the all good food stuff (the grain free from coles) for about a week before getting here. I am wondering if its a diet thing or a lack of grooming thing. If its diet I am sure it will sort itself out with good food but if its grooming can I please get some good suggestions on how to groom him what products I should be using and type of brush would work well on his thick coat. He seems to have a huge amount of under coat.

Edited April 9, 2014 by HappyCamper

[Loving my Oldies]

Really, there can be only one answer . . . . . .

Drum Roll . . . . . . . .

Steve's Calendar Tea :laugh: :laugh:

I rinsed Bunter (he has the longest hair of my tribe) with it and he glistened.

[Dogsfevr]

Diet is what best suits the dog some do bad on grain free others do fine .

There is more to diet than just feeding grain free & personally i found my dogs where worse on it .

If the dog hasn't been brushed out fully regularly chances are its full of dead coat & its coat changing time & often whilst blowing coat they felt & mat .

A good under coat rake will work wonders, a soft slicker brush for the pants,behind the ears , a good comb .

What you wash it in can also make a coat good or bad .

What to use again varies my showdogs are done in human shampoo/cons & have been for nearly 30 yrs now

[HappyCamper]

Do conditioners work? Or are they not worth the time. I am thinking he needs a ton more brushing as his undercoat is very thick and kinda makes his coat stand up if that makes sense. Ill grab a undercoat rake is there somewhere online we can order them I am about 2 and half hours away from any decent shops that would carry that stuff

[trifecta]

In Tervs the guard hairs should be of medium harshness, not silky or soft nor wiry. The undercoat is usually woolly & very dense, providing a protective barrier. In desexed individuals the coat is often more wavy.

HC, you should have a look at the breed standard & may I also recommend 'Belgians From Start to Finished' by Sallyann Comstock? It is available from Alpine Publications in the US.

http://www.alpinepub.com/belgians-from-start-to-finished.html

I use a pin brush to get out tangles & mats, then follow up with a Mason & Pearson hairbrush, which are expensive, but well worth the cost if you look after them. Some people use slickers, but personally, I am not keen on them. A rake is a good idea to get that dead undercoat out. I do not use conditioner..... & shampoo only once a year, following up with an apple cider vinegar rinse. Like a lot of working dogs, I find the coat repels dirt quite easily once they have dried out & washing makes the coat too fluffy.

As for diet, I feed raw & have done for 26 years; but with time you will get to know your boy & find out what he thrives on.

Edited April 9, 2014 by trifecta

[HappyCamper]

Thanks for that maybe his coat is just fine then. Is the under coat suppose to be thick and almost wooly like? Ill grab that book too.

[trifecta]

I would call the undercoat dense, if that helps? Although.... there is quite a variation between individuals. My girl, for instance, is a little too soft in the coat.

Has he been wormed? I usually worm new rescue dogs upon arrival & then again in 2 weeks. I find worming really cleans out the coat.

[HappyCamper]

Yeah i wormed him a few days ago

[JulesP]

I know quite a lot of Belgians and their coats are pretty boofy. The hair sort of sticks out rather than laying down flat and slick. They swish when they run! I know the males are supposed to have a big lions type rough. So it sounds like your boy's coat is fine.