Obviously, I love pugs and they are short-haired, but I also love long-haired dogs too – I used to have a family dog who was a long-haired mixed breed. One of the things with long-haired dogs is that they need to be well-groomed and this should be done regularly.
Because – they can become matted, dirty and scraggly – and they can even result in skin problems, such as sores, allergies and other infections in some cases.
And clearly, this is not something you or your dog would want.
There are a good number of long-haired dog breeds are available out there. No matter which breed you choose, they all are beautiful and it is important to keep them well-groomed. Long-haired dogs can become matted, dirty, and scraggly. This can interfere with the dog’s movement and can result in skin problems such as sores, allergies, or other infections.
So, grab a long-hair grooming dog clipper, and keep them groomed regularly. In this article, we will explain how to groom a dog with long hair, and about what tools you should have for such grooming.
Most Common Long-Haired Dog Breeds
Some of the most common and popular long-haired dog breeds include:
- Rough Collie
- Lhasa Apso
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Havanese
- Maltese
- Afghan Hound
- Komondor
- Bergamasco Shepherd
- Newfoundland
- Shih Tzu
- Pomeranian
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
What You Need to Groom a Long Haired Dog
To groom a long-haired dog, there are some grooming tools and accessories that are essential. The following, amongst others, are the most necessary options for an excellent haircutting output of your beloved dogs.
Number 4 or 5 Blades:
Clipper is useless if you don’t insert suitable blades in it. For cutting long dog hairs, number-4 and 5 are the most common choices, as they are specially designed for cutting long hair.
Thinning Shears:
One of the items you will require is a pair of thinning shears, you may struggle to groom the sensitive body areas of long-haired dogs, such as- around the eyes, tail, face, and feet. If you are new at grooming, we suggest using the blunt-edged thinning shears. These type of shears will prevent accidental skin puncture or similar injuries.
Comb/Brush:
Keep a brush and comb suitable for long hair, which will be required for brushing, shaping the hair and removing dust and debris.
Towel:
You may wonder why a towel? It is really useful to have a towel that is specially designed for pet grooming purposes. A microfiber cloth towel is the best selection for grooming because it doesn’t accumulate hair and fur from the groomed dog. They can absorb moisture better than many other towels.
Grooming a Dog with Long Hair: Step-by-Step Guide
When you have all of the above-stated items with you, follow the steps below to complete your grooming session.
A playful and active dog is tough to groom. It is best to calm down your dogs before you begin grooming. It sounds silly but quite essential. A good way to keep them still would be to offer them treats, which may help your dog stay calm. The best time to groom them is when they are exhausted, especially after their physical activity.
Brush their coats gently and evenly in one direction to remove any matted hair and to make it tangle-free. Ensure there is no dust and debris on their skin. Give your dog a bath and dry their coat using a blowdryer.
Switch on your clipper and start clipping the coat from their back and run down the towards the lower parts. Move through the layers of the hair and then go to their neck and run down adjacent areas. After that, reposition their legs to groom under their belly and front legs properly. Be careful so that you don’t go too close to their skin!
Now concentrate on their rear areas including thighs and back legs. Start from the top and run down. You may require to cut a substantially larger amount in these areas. Gently push the clipper and trim. You can also use the shears on some of the backside areas as there are a few sensitive spots around that area.
Now we come to their face. It is the most sensitive and delicate part of a dogsbody, so it is important to be cautious with it while grooming. Comb hair and gather that away from their eyes. Check if there is any food stuck or if there are any debris around their muzzle before trimming. Be careful and ensure that the dogs aren’t poked in their nose.
Make sure to check other areas such as the tail, underneath the legs, rear areas where fur might get stuck. Use a combination of comb and shears while cutting the lower portions.
Last Words
As you can see, it’s not particularly easy to groom a dog with long hair, and it, therefore, requires some extra care, a variety of tools & time. Lastly once all the grooming is complete, there will be other duties to fulfil, such as- cleaning up the grooming surrounding, especially the carpeted or rug area as the dog fur hair and dirt may get stuck there.
