Line Brushing: It
is very important to get every
row of line brushing down to the
skin. If even a small mat or
snarl is left in, it will
multiply like crazy! Taking the
time to do it thoroughly will
save time in the long run.
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Brushing
The Butt: I go up for the hair
above the tail dock, down below it.
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I used a
comb on his chest (Resco® Comb #80), as I find it
difficult to
get all the snarls out in this area
with just a brush: |
I
also use the comb to go down the
legs and face/neck after using
the pin brush. Especially to
make sure no mats are forming in
the armpits, behind ears (and
under the collar area if your
dog wears one at home).
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Trimming
The Topline
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Mostly trimmed, just a chunk remains
near the
"withers".
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Trimming
the last bit.
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Withers- Definition
I
use a modified show cut, in that
I have it contoured and rounded.
If we go somewhere, I can fluff
it. I often do this as part of a TDI demo to show the different
grooming we do. I take the
center section of the back and
comb or brush it so it stands
straight up. This is the 1st
cutting of the body, and mostly
determines how long the coat
will be. I was trimming a couple
inches off.
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The
"topline" is from the base of
the neck, between the shoulder
blades to the top of the tail
dock.
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The
finished topline.
Then, continue fluffing and
cutting the same amount off on
each side of the body, neck and
head for the desired look. Sorry
no pictures of the neck and face
trimming.
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Stripping The Shoulders, Neck and Chest Area
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CAUTION: This
tool has sharp
blades. Be
careful not to cut
yourself or the dog
when using it.
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In the picture on
the left, the hair above
the stripper is pushed up -
normally
there's a hand holding it in place but
in this case it was
holding the camera.
Next, I did some
stripping to the
shoulder, neck and
chest area. Many
dogs get a very
thick coat here, and
it looks better if
you thin a bit out.
I use the little
gray and white
stripper (Comfy Pet
Mat Breaker by APC
2000).
Starting at the
lowest point, lift
up a layer of hair
with the nondominant
hand, and strip with
the other hand. Let
another layer of
hair drop down with
the nondominant hand
and strip again.
Continue until you
are all the way up
(in this case to the
withers). |
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Trimming The Butt
What you are trying to accomplish...
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Using
the wide toothed comb (Resco® Comb
#80),
fluff
the hair by pulling it out towards
you. |
It will
look quite uneven. |
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Note: The following instructions
are for a dog with little to no
tail. Use extra care when
trimming around the private
areas.
Next,
I use my hand and feel the slope
of the pelvis - above the
tail/dock to between the hip
bones. For Chewie, this is the
best angle to trim, so I use
this as my guide. Using the
scissors, trim the area like a
flat plate. I use the dog's butt
hole/tail
dock as my center, and trim
outward in a circle, rotating my
hand so the tips of the scissors
always are pointing outward (see
below).
Continue to refluff with the
comb and trim, until you
get the desired look.
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Here is the finished profile.
Hair Length: As far as how
short I trim the butt, it really
can vary. The shortest
hair is right around the butt
hole, so I usually am in the 1/2
to 1 inch range. Chewie has a
perfectly flat dock, so I don't
have to work around that. If
dogs have a tail "nub", I hate
it to show, so I move it all out
(the hair length) so that it is
concealed under the hair.
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Yes,
scissor tips are always pointed
outward, away from the butt hole.
NO! This is incorrect.
Avoid injury by keeping the
scissor
tips pointed away from the
dog's butt hole and private areas. |
A
rear view of the finished butt. |
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The completed scissors trim.
Click here to for the
leg and
foot trim demonstration.
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Also
it has been mentioned to use a
box under the dog if they are
just in training to stand for
grooming on the table. At shows,
I always used my portable softside cooler.
Here's a
picture showing a cooler used as
a block to aid in training to
stand.
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Chewie (AKC
and UKC CH Masquerade Alice Acres Madness RAE) is a
4 year old OES. He is a wonderful dog and we have
lots of fun together. We did the traditional showing
in the breed ring - he is an AKC and UKC show
champion. He also has his RAE Rally title -
currently the highest level rally obedience title
attainable and was the #1 ranked OES in the US in
rally combined (RAE) for 2009. He has his HCT-s
herding title with sheep, and has weight pull titles
from UKC and NADSR. He has started agility this year
and currently has 2 titles with CPE and will be
starting AKC this summer. We also participate in
backpacking, dryland carting and dog sledding. He
passed his CGC as a puppy, and has been a certified
therapy dog with TDI since he was 1 year old. Chewie
enjoys visits with all ages of people and being a
good OES ambassador.
- Dawn
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