What is Your Dog’s Coat type?

Dogs come in all different coat types, depending on their breed or mix of breeds. Before you set out to start grooming your dog, understand his coat type. That little bit of knowledge will give you the edge when it comes to making him look his best. To determine what kind of coat type your dog has, take a close look at his fur. Examine it and determine which of the following categories it fits into.

Short smooth coat, with no undercoat, similar to what is seen on Pugs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Dobermans. Use a bristle brush or a hound glove, and brush against the lay of the hair. Using the same tool, brush with the lay of the topcoat. Dogs with this type of coat can benefit from a bath with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo and COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Conditioner after they have been brushed. The shampoo and conditioner will make the hair shine and will help repel dust and dirt. The dog should be towel dried after its bath, and allowed to dry naturally.

Short double coat, flat with straight, coarse hair on the outside and a soft, thin undercoat beneath. Labradors and Rottweilers have this kind of coat. Using a slicker brush or pin brush, start by taking sections of the dog’s coat and separating it with your hand. Use the brush to comb out the undercoat, brushing outward from the skin. If you come across a mat, add a dime size of COWBOY MAGIC® Detangler™ & Shine and work the mat out with your fingers and the brush. After brushing the undercoat, use the same brush to go over the topcoat, brushing with the lay of the coat. Repeat this after bathing with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo and COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Conditioner.

Long double coat, showing a long, straight and coarse outer coat and a very thick undercoat all over the body. You see this coat on Samoyeds, Chow Chows and Collies. You’ll need a slicker brush or pin brush and a large, wide-tooth comb. Brush the dog’s entire body with the slicker or pin brush first, taking sections of the dog’s hair and separating it with your hand. Brush outward from the skin to help remove loose hairs in the thick undercoat. After you have gone over the entire dog, take the wide-tooth comb and place it deep within the coat, parallel to the skin. Comb outward to remove more loose undercoat. Since the undercoat is thickest on the back legs and around the neck, you may find some mats that need addressing. Add a dime size of COWBOY MAGIC® Detangler™ & Shine and work the mat out with your fingers and the brush.

Short, wiry coat with the hair thick and hard to the touch. Airedales, Wirehaired Dachshunds and Scottish Terriers have this kind of coat. A slicker brush and a stripping comb are what you need to groom this type of coat. Start by using the stripping comb, and run it lightly along the back of the dog, thinning the overgrown wiry coat. This thinning does not need to be done at every grooming session, only when the guard hairs on the dog’s coat begin to protrude along the dog’s back. After thinning out the coat, brush the coat in layers from the skin outward with the slicker brush. Bathe with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo.

Long coarse coats have a softer undercoat mixed in. The Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso and Tibetan Terrier are examples of dogs with long coarse coats. The tools you need include a slicker brush and a smooth bristle brush. If your dog’s coat is matted, have COWBOY MAGIC® Detangler & Shine on hand. Start by removing any mats that you find by placing a dime size of COWBOY MAGIC® Detangler & Shine on the mat and working it out with your fingers and the brush. Next, using the pin brush, brush the coat out gently in the direction that it grows. Then, go over the entire coat again with a soft bristle brush. Bathe your dog with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo afterwards. Follow with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Conditioner.

Long silky coats, like those seen on the Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese and Silky Terrier, have no undercoat. The biggest challenge in grooming a long silky coat is dealing with the mats that often form in the fine hair. COWBOY MAGIC® Detangler & Shine can be your best friend when it comes to removing these mats. Add a dab of the product to the mat and work it out with your fingers and with a slicker brush. After all mats are removed, brush the entire coat with the lay of the hair. After grooming, bathe the dog with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo and follow with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Conditioner. Dry with a hair dryer, and brush the coat out.

Curly coats feature close curls that are thick and soft. Poodles and Bichon Frises have this kind of coat. You’ll need a soft slicker brush for this type of coat. Whether your dog is clipped in a modified show clip or a puppy clip, use the slicker to brush the coat against the way it grows to make it fluff up. Next, give the dog a bath with COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo, and apply COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Conditioner. Dry him with a towel, and then fluff-dry him by using a blow dryer while brushing him with the soft slicker brush from the skin out.

Hairless coats, like those seen on the Chinese Crested, Mexican Hairless and Inca Orchid, don’t have actual hair on their bodies (the Chinese Crested does have tufts on the head, legs and tail) but do have sensitive skin. Hairless dogs may not need brushing, but they do need baths. Use COWBOY MAGIC® Rosewater Shampoo, adding a scrub with a gentle face puff while shampooing. You can also wash the hair on top of the dog’s head with this shampoo, along with the tufts of hair on its feet. Be sure to rinse the dog thoroughly after the bath. Follow with COWBOY MAGIC® Dry Skin Lotion on the dog’s skin. If the dog will be going outside, follow with sunblock at SPF 15 or higher.

Whether your dog’s coat is long and thick or short and slick, using the best grooming products and techniques for his coat type will leave him looking his best.