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To properly maintain your dog's coat you will need some basic grooming supplies. These include a good quality steel pin brush, coarse steel comb, soft slicker brush, nail clippers, a good pair of trimming scissors, and a hemostat (to remove the hair from inside the ears). A grooming table will make your job a lot easier and prevent your back from aching. Once you have the proper equipment, you need to learn the correct method of brushing. A young puppy needs very little grooming. However, this is the time to teach him to lie on the table and stay still while you brush.
Weekly grooming is very important to keep a coat in good condition. By 8 or 9 months of age you will start finding mats if the coat is not brushed through. Mats can lead to serious skin problems and are most uncomfortable for your dog.
To groom your dog, position him on his side on the grooming table. Using your pin brush start at the withers and brush against the grain of the hair so that you can see the skin. Brush in a line, a few hairs at a time, always getting down to the skin. Remember this is a double coat consisting of a soft undercoat and a coarse outer coat. Correct brushing lifts and fluffs as the brush removes loose undercoat and debris out to the end of the hair. Correct brushing should be a slow and gentle motion to avoid pulling out too much coat. A great hint to prevent the coat from splitting: lightly spray the dog's coat with water or hair conditioner before brushing!
Once you have a line the length of the dog, go back and start a little further with a new line; again getting down to the skin. Continue until the side is complete. Now, brush the legs, starting at the foot and brushing in the direction of coat growth. Use the comb for more difficult areas. Use the slicker brush to groom the ears and muzzle, etc., and to fluff the legs. Once finished, stand the dog on the table and trim the coat on the feet so that it is even, and just touches the table. Use your scissors to trim between the pads and to trim the rear.
Mats are the biggest problem with an OES coat. If your dog's coat is not kept up, he will become matted to the skin and you will have to shave or clip him. The coat tends to mat when changing from puppy to adult coat. Once the adult coat has emerged, you will find regular grooming will keep your dog from matting. When you find a mat, separate it with your fingers and then comb the hair a little at a time until it begins to come apart. Continue with the same technique of pulling the mat apart and combing a little more until the mat is removed. Remember, you must get down to the skin and remove all clumps of hair. A dog that is matted can take hours to properly groom. Patience and a positive attitude are also essential in caring for a dog with a matted coat. Separating a small portion of a mat and working on one area at a time will get the job done.
There is no easy way to remove excessive mats from a sheepdog, but you will feel a great sense of accomplishment when your dog is groomed and mat-free. A long-neglected coat results in a dog that is an unsightly mess and that can become infected with parasites and skin infections. In cases of severe neglect the coat must be shaved and the dog bathed, so the skin can be evaluated.
Remember, removing mats from your dog will take a lot of time. The OES who is having mats removed from his coat is not feeling comfortable about this process either. If you cannot finish after a few hours, take a break and return when rested. It will benefit the both of you!
Bathing should be done on an "as-needed" basis. Frequency depends on the individual pet. Never use a shampoo intended for human use. A dog's skin is much more sensitive than human skin and can cause serious skin irritations. They may also cause excessive drying of the haircoat and flaking of their skin.
Ears are an important part of pet hygiene. The ears should be examined routinely and if your dog has excessive hair, dirt, or wax build-up, they must be cleaned - usually weekly but depends on the dog and the age of the dog. Young dogs are more prone to wax buildup and infections. Hair growing down the ear canal should be pulled out with the hemostat - just trimming it off still allows wax to build up in it.
Toenails should be kept as short as possible to ensure the toes do not start to spread. We use side clippers but many people prefer to use one of the nail automatic nail grinders - very quiet and less likely to cut the quick. You should be handling your puppies feet right from the first day to ensure he is used to having them checked and clipped. The hair between the pads of the feet should be trimmed out either with a pair of curved scissors or with the use of a palm electric trimmer.
Teeth should be brushed weekly. Again, if you get your puppy used to this from day one you will have far less resistance.
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