Help! I've been brushing but find new mats daily!
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| It's the coat change, lucky you!!!! |
Okay now what??? I really don't want to clip as we are in Maryland and they're calling for our 1st snowfall this weekend, although we're wearing shorts and sweating today. I think I can answer my own question...brush, girl, brush....LOL  |
| If you had him shaved in the spring, he was likely beginning his
coat change before now. The major change, what you might see called blowing the puppy coat, is the first and most drastic change. There are changes after that, but mostly in color. The texture does change due to age, nutrition and general health, but not at all like the change from puppy to adult coat. Most I have heard about here, and my 2 included are done with the puppy coat by 18 months. Some start earlier, but generally it starts around 10 months give or take a couple. Don't fret, the coat usually returns at about an inch a month, and you may have missed the very worst by shaving in the spring. Just imagine the mats you have, but 6 inches longer! It can be a real battle for some. One of mine was much worse than the other. Many choose to shave down when the puppy begins to lose his puppy fur. I will with my next puppy for sure - unless I am showing by then. Good luck, and don't be discouraged. Grooming will get easier after this stage. Shellie |
| Shelley, Chauncey was about 9 mos when shaved and had already gone thought the color change and 1st matting ordeal. It was bad but this is worse. But, I'm a full time mom ( of Chauncey, human son is almost 30 ) so I can keep up but seems a little early for the second coat change. One thing to note is his left ear ( see pic's ) is colored, this has always remained dark gray, where as the rest of him has changed lighter. The left ear has remained much as was when he was a puppy.
ps: he's still adorable. |
I love that 1st summer cut picture of Chauncey...his legs look so long!!! He almost looks like a copy of the toy next to him.  
When I look closer I realize it is the way his white travels so far up from his rear leg. |
| Amanda, you have no idea how much I hated that picture. We live very near the Antietam Battlefield. The groomer was less than a mile. I tend to be as non-confrontational as possible. I just paid, and drove about a mile until I threw up on a National Battlefield. I later called my husband at work bawling like a baby, Chaunce couldn't have cared less, but I will NEVER have him clipped unless I'm there. |
| Well, they can begin to grey at 3 months, but the change that is
the problem and causes the matting is the change from puppy to adult. There are no other changes in the OES coat quite like it. I'm not sure what the second coat change is. Unless you are talking about color change. I think you probably are just seeing the end of the puppy coat. I don't know too many who are totally through with the puppy coat at 13 months. Trust me is does get worse before it gets better. I don't think at 9 months that the problem was over. Of course I could be totally wrong. You could strip the undercoat. There is more detail here in the grooming section. Shellie |
| Most oes begin to change around 9 months or so, but I know of dogs who have begun at 4 or 5 months and change very quickly, and then there is my girl Sky who is almost 2 1/2 now and is still changing. I don't even think she started to change much til over a year, and she still has black at the tips even though she has been shaved down twice.
In my opinion, it is much harder to keep a coat mat free that has been shaved and is growing back in than it is to just keep it mat free in the first place. |
| I have no idea how far Antietam is to West Friendship but that's where we'll be on Saturday for the dog show. If you'd like to come out and watch us groom, maybe ask some questions, you are more than welcome!!!!
Here's the premium list with location, directions and times: http://www.infodog.com/jps/277/jpg277.pdf |
| That is about an hour and a half from me!! I have a rescue event or I would come. Do they have a class for dancing sheepies I'll bring mine!!
Snow this weekend in Maryland BRRRR. |
| The matt fairies are very busy at that age! It's definitely not something you're doing wrong. At that age, breathing on Clyde gave him matts. I started stripping his undercoat so he could still grow nice and long but it made daily grooming much easier. We cut him down when I got my Komondor so I could focus on his grooming (which is even more intense at year old than an OES in a completely different way) but now he's growing back and he seems to have mostly outgrown his matts so we're trying to hold onto the undercoat this time. He's about 6 inches all around and going well! It gets better! |
| Maxmm, that's only about 45 mins or so. Right off 70. We may just show up if Bob doesn't have plans...thanks, I think it would be helpful, Kathy |
| 4 dog, not being nosey but what is Darlinton near? We are west of Hagerstown MD. I would be interested in helping with a rescue. I'm sure I don't have the strenght to foster, couldn't give them up, but would be willing to help transport or any other task. BTW yea we're being told snow here in the west...it's almost 80 today!! Gotta love western MD. |
| I could have written your post a year ago. Oh wait, I think I did!!!
We went through the same thing. It drove me crazy. I swear while I was brushing one side new mats would appear on the other. You didn't say who is doing your grooming now. I was doing Mojo's baths. Got great advice from Carl. RINSE, RINSE, RINSE. The areas that I had the worst matting, ears, under the chin and under the legs, were areas I was probably not rinsing as well as I should have. They are hard to get to and Mojo doesn't like the sprayer on his head. Just hang in there. It gets better. |
| Chauncy,
We are in Harford Co. I may be bringing Guinness to Frostburg (the Savage River Lodge) for a photo shoot. A guy from Raven wood press wants to use him .(I need to see if he still wants to do this) I do GSD rescue but just joined Dixie OES Rescue at the nationals. You can do lots of things to promote rescue. Dixie is having a fundraiser if you PM me I will give you the details. As far as fostering I have had many dogs, boo hoo when they leave,But... Guinness, Bailey and Jack were failed fosters.Maybe we could meet and let our sheepies have a play date We have 12.5 acres and sheep next door!! As far as matts after helping groom Nelson (Nita's dog ) at the nationals I don't want a show dog!!!! At least not one I have to keep in full coat. I admire everyone that does it. There were beautiful sheepdogs everywhere!!! A lot of work but beautiful just the same. Just wait untill the snow balls up in your guys hair,I have yet to figure out how to manage that!!! |
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