These dogs include, Yorkshire Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, Tibetan Terriers, Afghans and similar.
If you are lucky enough to own one of these types of dog and want to keep the coat long, then the short answer is brush, brush, brush! Even if you do have them trimmed shorter, then daily brushing will prevent matts, get rid of any debris that clings to the coat on walks and generally keep the coat in optimum condition.
Always remember to brush and comb the face, especially behind the ears and those awkward places under the belly and arm pits. A 5-10 minutes brushing session every day is better than trying to tackle the coat once a week!
I would recommend using a slicker brush to brush the coat, followed by a comb through to make sure the coat is knot free, especially before the bath. We have a double sided comb with a handle that is great for smaller dogs and a large comb for the big dogs.
Any stubborn knots or tangles should be liberally sprayed with WildWash Detangle before the bath. Work this into the tangle with your fingers, then start combing gently from tip to root and the tangle will easily work free.
We like to use our PRO Hydrating Shampoo for this type of coat, followed by our PRO Conditioner, or if you prefer to use our PET Range, then choose our PET Conditioning Shampoo and follow with our PET Conditioner.
You can apply either Conditioner on a rinsed coat and comb through before rinsing off to guarantee a tangle free finish.
Once rinsed, gently pat coat dry, our Microfibre Pet Towel will absorb loads of moisture, then you can gently blow dry the coat. Please remember to put the hair dryer on a cooler setting than you would use for your own hair and hold it at least 6-8 inches away from your pet, pausing frequently to brush through. If you dog does not have very long hair, you may prefer to pat dry, comb through and allow to dry naturally.
If you wish, you can then finish by giving a spray of one of our coat conditioning Perfumes or Spritzes and these are also good to use between baths.
TO SUMMARISE:
1. Thoroughly brush your dog and then comb through the coat to remove tangles, applying WildWash Detangle spray to any stubborn knots or matts.
2. Wet coat thoroughly with just warm water.
3. Apply shampoo according to directions.
4. Rinse well and repeat steps 3 and 4 if the coat is very dirty.
5. Apply one of our WildWash Conditioners and comb through before rinsing well.
6. Pat dry with towel and then gently blow dry on a low heat whilst combing through the hair.