Long Double Coat Help

GradysDad

So I have decided to let my Tibetan Terrier's coat grow out to it's natural length. It's a long double coat with a very dense undercoat. I've tried shedding blades, slicker brushes and even the Furminator, but since his top coat is more hair-like, these tools damage the top coat too much. I use a double row shedding rake and am pleased with the result.

The problem I am running into is that it seems the more I groom his coat, the more mats I find (especially in his front "armpit" area) when I go to groom him the next day...yes I have to do it daily or else.

Knowing how long his coat will eventually get, I am having second thoughts about letting it grow unless I can find some product that I can use that will help with this issue. I use a generic detangling grooming spray, but it's obviously not working as well as I could hope.

Any suggestions?

Dog Shrink

Dogs that have HAIR insted of coarser FUR will tangle at the drop of a hat. Clipping the coat several times as he matures will usually make the coat more coars with most dogs.

Mink oil or emu oil is a good detangler but again will not have prolonged effects. There are many conditioning spritzes you can use or grooming top coat dressings but again will not have long term effects. Make sure you are back brushing the dog to get all the under coat out and give the best possibility of not getting tangled in the dead undercoat that hasn't been extracted yet.

I have a dboule coated long haired breed as well. An english shepherd but she has lost most of her puppy coat except for a little bit behind the ears which needs attention every few days. I use what is called an "untangler comb" on her and it works really well for the back brushing and getting out the knots and undercoat.

Ths is is:


The pins actualy spin to reduce pulling on the dog's hair.

Untangler Super-Groom II Comb : The Pampered Pet Mart Pet Supplies

they have a whole line of spinning tooth combs:
Untangler Rake Dual-Length Stainless Steel Teeth : The Pampered Pet Mart Pet Supplies

Hope this helps.

kmes

I use a comb similar to the one DS recommended on my pekes. It works well for me since I give them a quick once over daily, and then comb them out completely atleast 2-3 times each week . Back brushing (like DS said) to remove loose undercoat really helps as well!

For any mats, I normally just start at the end of the hair and then slowly and gently work my way towards the roots/skin. If you comb in the the reverse dirtection (from the roots towards the ends) then you will only tighten the mat and pull harder.

Also you could try different detanglers and see which one works best for you. I don't think that they will keep mats from forming, but they may help to get mats out.
Several other peke owners I know recently recommended CowboyMagic Detangler. It is for horses, but they say it works fabulously on their dogs. So I don't really know how well it works, I've just heard good things.

And if you have a mat that really just will not come out, you can always tim it off with a pair of scissors. You could also use a matbreaker for large/tough mats. Personally I have never needed one, but I do know that you should be super careful when removing hair from the blades as they are super sharp.

Dog Shrink

just an FYI... if you do end up needing to cut out a mat DO NOT cut parallel to the skin. You want to go at a 90% away from the dog into the length of the mat. Not only will that help break up the mat and help you brush thru it without leaving a huge cut out chunk of fur in your dog but it also prevents accidentally cutting the dog's skin which can be hard to determine in a tight mat.

My Dog Sam

There's a Detangling Product that I really like-- it's called EasyComb Detangling Spray from TrueBlue. I like that it dries quickly, doesn't leave a sticky residue, and leave the coat feeling great-- and nice lavender scent, not to sweet.

tankstar

How old is the dog?

Id get a good comb, slicker brush and a good mat breaker. Id stay away from the furminator. It really does no good on long haired breeds. works wonders on short hair, but destroys long hair

bryony

when i had teddy my lhasa down the the floor and for any full coated breeds at work i

brush our with either my les pooch brush or a cheaper one is the mars curved pined slicker brush these sort of brushes really get down to the skin and brush both layers of coat. and always follow the brushing with a good comb out i like a wide metal comb. a light mink oil or a good quality dematting spray is always handy.

never brush out a soaking wet dirty coat, and if the dog gets wet dont rub them with a towel wipe them from top to bottom so not to matt up the coat and also reg visits to the groomer for a good bath and groom out keep under the pads free from hair and nails trimed and get them to shave all of his belly and groin and also his arm pits to help u manage at home