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Looking after short haired dogs

November 2, 2017

So you think short haired dogs can’t benefit from a groom?  Think again.

If there’s one thing that never ceases to amaze us it’s the amount of people who mention in passing how annoying it is that their short haired dogs shed fur all over the house, but have never thought to ask us if we can do or advise anything to stop that.  The answer would be a resounding YES!

Most dogs shed, especially when the seasons are changing, it either drops out if the coat is short, or gets stuck in the coat and creates mats and knots if it’s long but there is something we can do about both, and so can you at home.

Meet Hiske, a clever active Kelpie with a short coat, and that ball of fluff in front of her believe it or not is just some of her undercoat.  Anything from a short coated Chihuahua or Great Dane, can benefit from a de-shedding treatment. Here’s what to do.

First a nice warm wash and shampoo with lots of bubbles and a good scrub with a rubber curry brush to loosen the dead coat that’s ready to shed out.  Then rinse really well and you should already see a lot of fur flushing away. A light conditioner can help too, but be sure to rinse even more thoroughly after that.  Jim’s Dog Wash uses a force dryer to blow a lot more out of the coat, but at home you can still achieve a reasonable result after your dog is completely dry using something like a “Furminator” (pictured – also great for cats)

Stroke the “Furminator” over the coat keeping it flat and horizontal to the body and you should get a lot of fur coming out.  Keep working around the entire dog moving gently when you get near the bony areas, as well as removing all that fur that is about to drop out, the coat should take on a nice shine.  Lastly, just a wipe over with a slightly damp chamois will pick up any strays you might have stirred up.

Whether you do it yourself or Jim’s Dog Wash a call, you should notice a huge difference around the house