brea Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 Hi everyone. My parents own a 2 year old maltese x sheltie dog, and her coat is just getting out of control. It is really thick and wooly underneath, but longer at the ends. She gets bathed every second week, and brushed once or twice a week. i have tried telling them they probably need to brush her more regularly, but it is such a big job, and this is the first long haired dog they have owned. She isnt covered in matted hair or anything, but she has a lot of hair! The main problem is that its not even summer yet and she is just so hot. Mum took her to the groomers last summer, but they basically shaved her, and she looked pretty aweful, and now they are scared to take her back to the groomers again. I had a go at cutting her myself, and she was a bit cooler for a while, but im not a professional by any means and her coat seemed to go back even thicker than before! It is at the stage where we walk her on the beach and after about 20 minutes she is panting like crazy and lagging behind because she is so hot and wants to go home. I have read about getting a type of brush/comb that has like razors in it and it kind of thins out the coat a bit, does anyone know if this would work for her and where i can get one? Any other tips on how to manage her coat would be greatly appreciated, as summer is fast approaching and i cant imagine how hot she is going to be. Also if anyone knows any good groomers in the Bunbury/ Busselton area or close by (in WA) that could thin her coat out but not shave her? Thanks in advance, hope someone can help her, Brea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 What a coat combination By your description she has thrown the sheltie coat which has an undercoat which you need to get out. One of the most important things with grooming is having the correct tools, no amount of brushing by your parents will get the coat out unless you have those. I think the one you are describing is possibly a de-matting rake which has razor-like teeth?. Would suggest that you look at getting an undercoat rake, pinbrush and a fine comb for behind the ears, all of which you can see pictures of on www.vetproductsdirect.com.au, under pet grooming products. GRRR hate people who clip shelties If you do find another groomer you must insist that you do not want the dog clipped. They should be able to give her a good grooming, bath and then a dry with a high velocity dryer which wil help biff the coat out. It would be ok to clip her belly and her petticoats :D Ours came from NZ last year and have survived their first QLD summer. We groom regularly, use the above procedure, and keep them inside during the heat of the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I've heard great things about the Mars Coat King. Have a look at the link below for photos etc: http://www.groomersmall.com/coat_kings.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I dont think that the Mars Coat King with razor like teeth is the comb to use on this dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuddles Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I am sorry I have no advice but I would love to see a picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I use a Mars coat king or rather did before it broke on my older shelties that have a ton of coat and are too hot. It works wonders. Allows me to thin the coat out and remove the undercoat without leaving cut marks. I would never use on a show dog but it can be handy. I would be interested to see you girl as how you groom her very much depends on what coat type she has. If it is a sheltie coat it should never be shaved but if she takes after the Maltese you just need to find a good groomer that will groom her properly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 I dont think that the Mars Coat King with razor like teeth is the comb to use on this dog. :D I thought it was meant for stripping out the undercoat I am still waiting for my Cav girl to grow enough coat so must admit I haven't used mine yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javajava Posted October 3, 2006 Share Posted October 3, 2006 Bad news for you! Your dogs coat is not going to improve unless she/he is brushed every night. The dematting tool you are talking about is really only good for getting out matts as they appear. It is painful and possibly cruel to take to a badly matted coat with one. Unless you know how to use one properly it can hurt - it is like pulling a fine tooth comb through a knot in a humans hair. You have to hold the knot and the base (near skin) and work through the matt until it is out. Your dog was more than likely shaved short as the groomer could not save the coat due to the matting, and yes, many owners are upset and think their dogs are ugly when they see them without their coat. Unless the dog can be groomed each night and little matts cut out when they appear I suggest the dog be kept short all the time. What they need to aim for is find a groomer they like get him/her to use a 4 blade (which will roughly leave an inch of fur) and then visit the groomer regularly (3 monthly) to maintain the length of the coat. In winter a jacket can be used if concerned about the cold. A matt will only get worse and more painful if not dealt with. I am a groomer and see the most horrific cases of unkempt dogs. It is upsetting for staff and dog when we have to shave them short and they yelp due to the pain of their coat. Some just sit and seem glad to get help. Don't harm your dog thru neglect or over love!! Either brush, brush, brush or keep the coat permenantly short. Good luck - don't mean to sound harsh but it is difficult for owners to understand that they are doing the dog an injustice by not maintaining their coat or getting it cut. It is the equivalent to a human not brushing their long hair for three months and then thinking they can run a comb thru it and it wouldn't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teandell Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 My Kelpie x is double coated and I use an under coat rake on him this time of year. I find it the only way to go and only takes a couple of minutes. Surely your parents can spare a few minutes. Keep the rake handy and just grab it whenever there is a spare moment. I keep mine on the back verandah near the outdoor setting and whenever I sit outside hiding from the kids I spend a few minutes brushing. I collect all the hair and pop it in the bin - 5 minutes work at the most. It is only a matter of getting into the habit of thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 javajava the OP said that the dog wasn't matted a.t.m and that her parents didnt want it clipped. It would depend on what type of coat the dog has thrown. I think perhaps that they have been using the wrong type of combs. I too am a groomer and a breeder of shelties, hence my recommendation that they have the dog thoroughly brushed out, bathed and then dried with a high velocity dryer which will help with the undercoat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brea Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 Thanks for all your advice, its much appreciated. I have found the brushes on the vet products direct website and have shown my mum, and she is going to buy the brushes. That was the kind of brush she wanted, she just didnt know what they were called or where to get them from. I will let you know how she goes with them, but im sure she will soon be feeling much cooler and happier. I have just been outside to take a few quick pictures of the little miss so that you can all see what she looks like. Its not that easy to take her picture because she wont sit still! I was trying to get some side on pics of her so you can see her coat better but she wouldnt have it. Her name is Shae, and she is a bundle of energy, never still, always racing about. Shes a real cutie. Thanks again, enjoy the pics, and feel free to add any more tips if you think of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 She looks more like a border collie X to me. I would hate to think that a poor little malt might have given birth to such a large dog. Who told you she was a sheltie X Malt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brea Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 My parents got her from a pet shop (they didnt know any better) she is only the size of a sheltie, so i dont think she is a border collie cross, too small. she has the sheltie size and looks, but the maltese colouring (well in my opinion anyway!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I thought maltese were teeny weeny white dogs? Some BC are VERY small never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttaburra Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 What a lovely dog. Pragmatic time. Either your parents are prepared to put in the effort to correctly groom this dog or the clip it short (to a more flattering length than last time) otherwise the dog will suffer. Do Shelities have those spots like on the legs? or is that a BC thing. Also some things could be added to the diet to help the coat keep its condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShesaLikeableBiBear Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 (edited) MM at a guess looking at the photos I too would hazard that your parents dog is border collie x, with little or no maltese The spots on the legs is called ticking and yes shelties can have this, here is Panda my black and white sheltie. The b/c has a coat very similar to a sheltie, and am sure once your parents have the correct combs that they can keep on top of the grooming. Suggest that your parents take the dog twice a year to a groomer for a "blow out" of the coat. Edited October 4, 2006 by Hesapandabear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 (edited) I agree with the others brea, she looks like a BCx to me (& gorgeous with it ), don't see much maltese in there. Being a petshop I wonder if they just put "maltese cross" on everything cos that's the latest trend, similar to calling everything an "oodle"? ETA - just having a look at the pics again, does her tail curl up in those pics or is it just my eyesight? Shelties & BCs dont usually have a curly tail, but there are quite a few SWF's that do, the tail might be the maltese part . Edited October 4, 2006 by MrsD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I agree with the others brea, she looks like a BCx to me (& gorgeous with it ), don't see much maltese in there. Being a petshop I wonder if they just put "maltese cross" on everything cos that's the latest trend, similar to calling everything an "oodle"? ETA - just having a look at the pics again, does her tail curl up in those pics or is it just my eyesight? Shelties & BCs dont usually have a curly tail, but there are quite a few SWF's that do, the tail might be the maltese part . I have a couple of BC that come to me with tails that curl up. That aren't the best examples of their breed so I assume they are either Field dogs or Backyard breedings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brea Posted October 5, 2006 Author Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yes her tail does curly up, even more so usually, but at the moment it is recovering from my very bad attempt at making her cooler lol. wow, a border collie cross hey? well my parents are in for shock! they will still love her regardless, but it will be a surprise, they always thought she was a sheltie cross. Mum is going to get the undercoat rake tomorow, and a few other new brushes, so hopefully this will help poor Shae be a bit cooler! Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Yes her tail does curly up, even more so usually, but at the moment it is recovering from my very bad attempt at making her cooler lol. wow, a border collie cross hey? well my parents are in for shock! they will still love her regardless, but it will be a surprise, they always thought she was a sheltie cross. Mum is going to get the undercoat rake tomorow, and a few other new brushes, so hopefully this will help poor Shae be a bit cooler! Thanks everyone. Still could be a sheltie. A Border Collie X Sheltie....its the Maltese bit that I doubt is in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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