Basic Grooming and Coat Care

In order 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 them to lay 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 course outer coat. Correct brushing lifts and fluffs the coat as the brush removes loose undercoat and debris out of the end of the hair. Correct brushing should be a slow and gentle motion to avoid pulling out too much coat. 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 completed. Now brush the legs starting at the food and brushing in the direction the coat grows. 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 of 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 the most when changing from puppy to adult coat. Once the adult coat is in your 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 which is matted can take hours to unmat. 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 demat a sheepdog, but you will feel a great sense of accomplishment when your dog is groomed and mat free. A coat long-neglected results in a dog which is an unsightly mess, and which 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.