GROOMING

HOW TO GROOM THE AUSTRALIAN COBBERDOG

Beverley Demonstrating the Hug N Hold technique for wiggly worms.

Grooming should be an enjoyable time for you and your dog together. 

​But if they wiggle or protest don't despair! in this article I'll be sharing some grooming salon secrets that will soon have you as confident as a pro and your dog looking forward to this special time of bonding with you.

​Pictured is one of my favorite techniques for holding a dog still, while your hands stay free while you're trimming feet or toenails  or you're brushing or trimming the legs.  It works well for bigger dogs too!

WHAT'S THE BEST BRUSH?

To stop Cobberdog coats clumping, which is the start of matts,  it's necessary to separate the fleece's fibres with air when you brush . When brush bristles are thicker than each strand of fleece, or the bristles are spaced too far apart, then no matter how hard you try to brush from close to the skin, the brush glides over the top of the coat and doesn't penetrate it so as to let the air through.  This is the reason so many people give up trying and have to get their dogs shaved off at a groomer's by the time their puppy is about a year old.  They assume it's too difficult and they are doing it all wrong and the gloriously coated puppy they bought spends the rest of his/her life regularly clipped and short coated.  Such a pity!  And not necessary.

Les Pooch brushes come in different sizes and different strengths and are colour coded so you can tell the difference when you're buying one.

Puppy Cobberdog coats are (or should be) silkier and less dense than adult coats.  Puppies' skins are also more sensitive than adults'.  I prefer to use the Millers Forge Doggy Man Slicker Brush until the change from puppy to adult coat.  Actually I rarely use the Les Pooch because most of my Rutlands adult dogs have easy maintenance coats that don't need a heavy duty work horse kind of brush.   But the Les Pooch does make the work easier when brushing a wool coat or thick dense coated adult dog.
Disclaimer: I have not and do not get payment or reward of any kind to recommend these brushes.

How to brush

illustration 1

illustration 2

Sensitive areas hidden in the coat

It's necessary to let air into the coat around each strand in order to prevent clumping which is the beginning of matts.  The quickest way to do this is very easy.  The mistake made most often is to use long brush strokes which glide over the top of the coat but don't reach the skin.

How to let air into the coat

1. Work on one small section of the dog's body at a time
2.  Part the coat anywhere so as to see the skin and hold up a section of coat with one hand so that you're brushing the underneath layer starting each brush stroke  at the skin line (illust. 1)
3.  Brush downwards with firm short strokes.  With each brush stroke you're dragging down a thin layer from underneath your hand.
4.   When the section looks and feels fluffy hold it up with one hand and use the brush to sweep it upwards and then downwards one layer at a time  (illust. 2)

Now there is air in the coat where you've worked.

Continue in this way one small section at a time over the dog's entire body and legs.  

BRUSH THE PAWS
Start low and brush upwards with firm short brush strokes. Hold  up what you've done and repeat as in illustration 2.

​VERY IMPORTANT BELOW:  ALL dogs have these sensitive areas on their front feet.

Very sensitive

Thumb or finger should be protecting sensitive areas

The sensitive areas

Having these extremely sensitive areas painfully pricked  by the bristles of a brush is the reason so many dogs hate to see the brush coming, and don't enjoy their grooming sessions the way they should. Dread of the pain is also why so many don't like their paws to be handled at all.
​The tail is also sensitive in some dogs and there's a secret to brushing it too.  More on that in the Tips and Tricks section.

TRIM THE PAWS

You've  brushed out the legs, used clippers or scissors to trim the upper and undersides of the paws, between the paws and from in the hollow bit behind the the paw called the heel and now it's time for the finishing touch.  We don't want our Cobberdog to look like a Poodle with ankles showing, so the idea is to brush the leg coat downwards and then with  your scissors, trim all the way around each paw level with the  grooming table.

head and face

The idea is to give the head and face a 'round' shape and I'll explain the reasons why this pattern is designed to promote optimum health and hygiene.  It's not just to 'look pretty"! 
1.  Clipping between the eyes  and shortening the 'eyebrows' is to open up clear vision.  Long eyelashes form a platform which protects the eyes so they shouldn't be cut unless they're so excessively long they catch in the coat.
2.   Rounding off the cheeks including up under the ears is to allow air flow which helps to reduce ear infections that drop eared breeds can be prone to.
3.   Long droopy beards and moustaches collect dirt and debris and food remnants.  Round them off nice and short for good hygiene and to promote air flow around lips.

Ear care

The video also demonstrates ways to trim the hair short and how to remove matts without shaving down to the skin.

VIDEO

The underneath side of the ear flap should be regularly clipped off with electric clippers using a size #15 blade - short but not as close as surgical shaving.  Yeast infections - which often lead to more serious inner ear infections - love warm dark places to begin and grow, which they can do very rapidly.  So it's all about air flow.  As their ears flap when they're running or playing this sets up a natural little fanning process which is beneficial to keep ears healthy.  This video shows the fanning effect in slow motion.

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As you can see in the Check List  diagram, when you do a regular ear clean using a make up remover pad or cotton wool pad soaked in solution, it's virtually impossible to accidentally go so deep as to cause damage.    The many little folds of skin must be thoroughly cleaned every time.  Do not use cotton buds!
The old adage for we humans that nothing smaller than our elbow should ever be inserted into our ears does not apply to dogs!  A dog's vulnerable parts of their ear anatomy are way down inside out of our reach.  The most common cause of dirty ears that I've found, has been that owners don't clean them properly for fear of going in too deep.

A build up of wax and dirt can quickly progress to an infection.  The photo shows a mild case but already the surrounding area is getting inflamed and red and will be painful.  In its earlier stage even before symptoms appear, there is often an odour emanating from the ear, signalling that urgent cleaning is necessary.  Undiagnosed cases of ear mites can cause infection and symptoms include chewing or licking of the paws.
To keep ears healthy they should be deep cleaned weekly using a preparation designed for the purpose.  When an infection is already present a visit to the vet shouldn't  be delayed.

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified veterinary practitioner.  If you choose to follow my suggestions you do so under your own responsibility.  Neither Rutlands Australian Cobberdogs its agents or representatives nor I personally will be held liable for any resulting claims or damages resulting from following my suggestions. Beverley Rutland-Manners. 

YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Maddison's Bailey wouldn't let her touch him anywhere with a brush. He HATED the sight of any brush and savagely attacked it and any hand that held it. Groomers had refused to do him and when Maddison brought him to my workshop for problem dogs in Melbourne she was desperate. After I spent about 15 minutes with Bailey, Maddison was able to brush and comb her newly relaxed boy with no trouble at all.

Bernadette watches in amazement as her big boy relaxes on the very small table and is perfectly happy for me to brush his tail-something he'd never allowed her or her groomer to do before. It took only about 8 minutes using my 3 step program for him to lay quietly as if asleep.

It's not magic and you can do it too

For ten years I travelled Australia and the United States from West to East doing work shops on training and grooming.  I asked organizers to arrange for problem dogs of all ages to attend for me to work with.  And I got some wild ones!  I would hear comments like "She hypnotizes them! " And "It's like magic!"  But it's not, and anyone can do it once they're shown how.  It's a method that's always worked for me and I think it's quite sad that no other trainers or groomers I know of have adopted it.  This is my last attempt to pass it on before it dies along with me.
​The secret is to tune in to dog language, pure and simple.  My method is kind, it's gentle and reassuring.  Because I believe that most doggy misbehaviour is born of fear which then turns into  dominance or aggression.

1.  Place the dog on a high place - grooming table, bench etc.  I worked in an open space but until you're feeling confident, have the dog against a wall or in a corner.  The temptation to run off is not as strong.  This is the 1st step in psychological submission.

2.  Hold your dog close to your own body with your arms as shown in the photographs.  Discourage any notion that it's play time by holding still.  Don't speak.  The only sound you should make is a soft and low "mmmmm...mmm...mmmmmmm" while you think loving thoughts towards the dog.

This will be something new.  It is preparing the dog's mind that something is about to happen that hasn't happened before.  So in essence, the dog calms and waits for the next development.  

This is the 2nd step in psychological preparedness for what's coming next.  Your vocal vibrations of love, are combining with the restraint of your arms and your firm body closeness to begin the process of confident acceptance of the 3rd step.

To be continued...

SECRETS

Bailey after I had worked on him for about ten minutes. Calm and relaxed even with the distraction of a young dog jumping up and down around him. I don't remember who took this series of pictures and sent them to me afterwards but whoever you were, a big Thank You!

Bernadette brought Bailey to my workshop for problem dogs because he wouldn't let anyone touch him once he saw a brush or comb.  She had run out of groomers who would accept him back because he acted so aggressively, snarling and snapping.  
​But let's back track to the beginning of the grooming session.

STEP 1. Was to analyse the reason for his behaviour.
METHOD: Search his eyes.
RESULT:  FEAR AGGRESSION

​to be continued................

BATHING  HOW OFTEN?

Lisa Schigiel's Rutlands Princess Bunny BEFORE

Princess Bunny AFTER when allowed to self clean

TRUE CASE HISTORY
When Rutlands Princess Bunny presented herself at the door slathered in mud, her owner Lisa Schigiel in America decided to test the claim that Cobberdogs don't need to be bathed in such circumstances if they're not touched and are allowed to dry off naturally. 
​Sure enough, all the mud dropped out of Bunny's coat and left her pristine, with no smell and no stains.  Thank you Lisa for recording your experiment with photos!

MAXIMUM four times a year
Cobberdog Fleece has a protective coating on the fibres of the coat that prevent dirt, mud, slush,  stains and other smelly messes from penetrating.  Frequent bathing with soap or shampoo strips away this coating and sets up a repetitive cycle.  The more often you bathe the Cobberdog the more often you have to keep on bathing them.

​When you do bathe,  plug the ears with a dry wad of cotton wool and first wet thoroughly around the neck and throat before lathering.  Any stray fleas will be discouraged from trying to escape the water by hiding inside the ears.  Avoid circular 'scrubbing' as this causes knots.  Work the lather downwards through the coat and after rinsing thoroughly, squeeze excess water out of the coat with a towel. Again, avoid circular scrubbing motions.  Finish off with a hair dryer and brush dry. And remember to remove the cotton wool and to thoroughly dry the insides of the ears.

Puppies should be bathed while still young to accustom them to it. Funny how some adult dogs who love swimming or playing in water will freak out at sight of the bath!

PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND

De-tangler, matt removal and coat dressing

 Cowboy Magic.  I used it for years on my Quarter Horses when I showed them.  I tried it on my dogs and I've found nothing else as good.  It goes a long way so I found it best to squeeze a tiny bit smaller than a pea onto one palm, rub your hands together then run them lightly over the coat.  It imparts a silky non oily sheen and smells delicious too!
Disclaimer: I am not paid nor rewarded in any way to recommend this product.

Shampoo.  The Ph level is very different for dogs than in humans so steer away from human shampoos no matter how mild the label says they are.  There are lots of chemical free natural shampoos on the market.  Puppies have more sensitive skin than adult dogs so for your puppy, make sure to select a product made especially for them.  Some ingredients I like to see are Oatmeal, Aloe Vera and Lavender.  There are also flea repellent shampoos and rinses available too which have natural ingredients and are free of chemicals.

tips and tricks

WHY DO SO MANY DOGS HATE THEIR TAILS BEING BRUSHED?

A dog's tail is an extension of its spine.  The bone encloses lots of tiny nerve endings which are very sensitive, and when the bristles of the brush land on the bone, many dogs find it very uncomfortable.  So the trick is to protect the tail bone by holding the top of it firmly in one hand.  With your other hand, start your brush strokes as close to the hand holding the bone as you can.  Then brush the coat downwards, moving your hand further along the length of the tail as you go.  If the tail is thick, swap sides and repeat the process on the other side.  When I get to the tip of the tail I tend to turn my hand the other way (Pic 3) but you might find that isn't necessary.  The important thing is to protect the very tip at the end.

Start at the biggest part near the rump

Work along the tail right to the end

Holding the tip between thumb and fingers

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MAINTENANCE  CLIP

The diagram shows in brown the areas that get easily matted.  In my rough sketch, the dog is lying on its back to reveal the underneath parts that should be kept short .   The beauty of this clip is that when the dog is upright, the shortened areas can't be seen.  It can be done with scissors but I recommend that you invest in a pair of electric clippers and do these parts with a size #15 blade.  It's very short, but isn't a shave.  Doing this twice or maybe three times a year should be plenty.

​BENEFITS:
Keeps the dog cooler in summer, less dirt and debris is carried into the house in winter, less places to start matting,  prevents urine staining/matting around the penis in males, reduces the risk of 'dirty pants' in both genders, reduces the risk of bacterial triggered  UTIs in females and allows free air circulation around the ears, which reduces or eliminates ear infections.

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When they're wiggling,  while you're trying to hold a foot, to cut nails or trim a paw, place the dog up onto a bench top or grooming table and put one arm around them to hold them firmly against your own body.