How to Groom a Water Dog
Water dogs have bushy fur that’s very difficult to deal with. If you own one, or you’re thinking about adopting one, it might quite puzzling know how to groom him. Read this article to learn how to groom a water dog.
Water Dog Grooming and Hygiene
To bathe a water dog, you should use special shampoos and a good conditioner, especially for dogs that have difficult hair. They say that a water dog’s special coat will turn out much better if you they take a dip in the sea at first. Then a couple of days later, rinse them with plenty of water to get rid of the salt and wash them with their normal shampoo.
Something which influences how to groom a water dog is the hair cut of his coat. Blew you can learn three types of haircuts for water dogs:
- Uniform cut. This dog’s coat is the same length all over his body. This makes it harder for knots to form and keeps the dog from getting dirty and smelly. You don’t need to cut more than approximately a centimeter and a half because this breed’s coat provides protection from the cold and the heat.
- Working Cut. The dog’s coat is cut around areas which are more likely to accumulate dirt, twigs, and leaves. This cut is good for preventing parasites. The rest of the coat remains long to protect them from high or low temperatures.
- Long Cut. For this cut, you only need to remove the large amount of hair around the anus, belly, and penis to avoid a build-up of residues that could cause infections.
Tips for Grooming a Water Dog
Before you groom a water dog, it’s necessary to you have the correct equipment. You can’t just use any old brush. It’s best to ask a pet shop worker about what are the best and softest brushes for water dogs.
To stop knots from appearing, you need to focus mainly on areas where they’re most likely to appear, such as the chin, legs, and abdomen. It’s important to remember that if you decide to entirely brush a water dog’s hair, the natural strands will separate and will most likely form more knots.
Therefore, to prevent knots from forming, you need to make sure your dog doesn’t have any ticks or fleas. If they scratch too much, the strands will open and thus knots will most likely appear. These strands of hair form naturally as the hair grows.
You should patiently remove knots from the root to the tip. Use a moisturizer to make the work easier. If you still can’t get rid of them, you can cut them out.
If your water dog’s hair grows too long or doesn’t receive that much attention, these knots will turn into a big tangled mess and you won’t be able to do anything except cut his hair.
What You May Not Know
There are many myths about water dogs. Continue reading to look at a few things you may not know.
- You don’t need to give them dreadlocks. Many people think that giving a water dog dreadlocks after grooming is a good idea. No. Dreadlocks grow naturally, and removing them with a brush will just cause knots to appear.
- You don’t need to shave him. There are people that shave their dog once a year. This all depends on personal preference, but it’s not necessary because this breed’s coats protect them from the heat and the cold.
- You can brush them as long as they don’t have dreadlocks.
- Of course, you can give them a bath! You should give water dogs regular baths but always use the right products.
- The bath shouldn’t be cold. Although his hair seems like wool, don’t worry, you can still give him a hot bath. His coat will still be the same size when it’s dry.
Hopefully, these tips make it much easier to groom your water dog!