So much hair everywhere!
I am new at the OED world. Although having already had several Portuguese sheepdogs, the OED is somewhat different and I have so many doubts! There are not too many OEDs around here and I’m afraid not so many people know how to go about this pups correctly. My baby girl's name is Ebony and she came into my life last week. I understand that OEDs have two kinds of hair simultaneously and I have noticed that some of it is actually very thin and flows around everywhere, including clothes. Is it the time for the hair to change? is it like the huskies (twice a year)? How often am I to bathe and brush her hair? And since this is rainy season, how to avoid strong smell from the hair, between baths? thank you so much Raquel |
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| Welcome to the forume! Here you'll get ALOT of advices ! Just search and you'll find ALL what you are asking for  Congratulations with your new pup ! you meen OES ? OES have double coat and the maintence is ALOT on a OES ! How old is your dog ? And no, they don't shed if you groom them once a day or so.... depens on how old your pup is  And do post pics! Everyone LOVES to see new mebers ! Good luck with Ebony ! |
| Thanks for the advice, Ebony is 7 months old, now. She used to be on farm and her hair was not that well-treated and had 5-inch worms in her, poor thing. I want her to have all the best treatment she deserves but I really need to visit this forum everyday. This is such a rare dog around here and most of those you see do not have the OES proper look/handling (yes, it is an OES) i'll try to download some pics but have to decrease their Kbs. they are too heavy.  |
| Welcome Raquel! Sheepdogs have fur, or a top coat, and then an undercoat. The undercoat, soft and downy, is probably what you are finding all over your clothes. It is also what gets tangled up and causes the hair to mat. I've never experienced a sheepdog "blowing his coat" which is what a husky does a couple of times a year. As a sheepdog grows from a puppy into an adult, their coat can go through a transition, where all of a sudden they mat up easily. Many people clip their dogs down at this stage, to make it easier on the owner and the dog, and then let the dog's fur grow out from there.I keep Oscar shaved all year round, in what is called a "puppy cut", which means his fur is about 1 1/2 inches long right when he gets shaved. Our groomer strips out the undercoat for me, so I never have any problems with shedding. How is Ebony's fur condition right now? Does she have lots of mats? If so, are they close to the skin? If she is heavily matted, and the mats are close to the skin, you might want to take her to a professional groomer and have her clipped down. If mats are left close to the skin, bacteria and fungus can grow underneath, and parasites can move in as well. Plus, it can be quite painful for the pup if you try and remove the mats, just to preserve the fur. There are many great grooming threads here on the forum, so I'm sure you are busy checking those out. You have come to the right place! Laurie and Oscar |
| Normally - Archie doesn't shed - the only hair/wool/coat that comes out is that, that is brushed out, stood on, pulled out by the cats. He has never been clipped down, his coat length seems to be maintained by brushing. He does matt - he is an active and frequently wet and muddy dog. (currently enjoying the frost and snow here - mr snowball legs the otherday) You have to work at the coat light brushing once a day - and a serious groom once a week. Don't try to brush while the coat is wet. And don't wash the coat before it has been groomed through - and don't rub dry with towels as it will matt the coat up terrible if it is at all long, blowdry it after the dog has shook dry. It sounds a lot but once you get on top of it - it isn't all that bad. If you haven't already I would get the opinion of your vet to see if the hairloss is anything out of the ordinary, it probably isn't but it's best to check. |
| Thank you both so much, Your information is preciooous. Ebony does not matt that much since I brush her every two days and use a Conditioning spray which makes it wonderfully easy to brush the mats away without hurting her. She actually seems to enjoy it. I used to have a portuguese shepperd and she used to matt between the fingers, so I understand your description and warning as far as matt handling is concerned! I know how much pain she had, poor thing... Ebony's hair is probably as long as Archie’s. Is it too long for a 7-month old? I hope to avoid shaving her now since it is kind of cold down here (at least we believe it is) . It doesn’t frost but the humidity level in Portugal causes excruciating pain when temperature decreases. However, I know I’ll have to do it in the spring and try to get rid of the entire old hair and renew it. She spent 7 months in the country side and has now moved into an apartment and her white hair is pretty damaged and yellow. Probably the weather conditions she had to put up with being constantly outdoors contributed to this shed. Now, what do you actually mean by grooming her? Is grooming just brushing or does it include a bath? Am I to bathe her more than once a month? the vet told me not to do so  Thank you Raquel & Ebony |
| Hi Raquel. Sounds like you have the brushing situation well in hand. When I mentioned professional grooming, usually that entails a bath and brush out, as well as a clip down if that is what you want. How often to bathe really depends on your dog, how dirty she gets, and how much "dog" smell you can tolerate. My last sheepdog only got a bath once a month or so, as he stayed really clean. Oscar, on the other hand, has serious skin issues and requires a full bath in medicated shampoo about every 10 days. (He gets his face, paws and underneath washed a couple of times a week.) For most dogs, that might be too much, but I don't have a choice with my pup. Laurie and Oscar |
| Welcome to the forum! Ebony looks beautiful! At seven months, I bet she is a handful. I bath once every 3 months or so. Not very often. Oliver and Lucy are inside dogs in the city, so they don't get very dirty. Keep in mind that if Ebony is in full coat you must blow-dry her hair when you bath her; it could actually get fungal growth if left wet. Glad to have you here, and so happy you have rescued Ebony. I'm looking forward to hearing more about her! |
| You don't have to bath very often, Archie has been well over 10 months since his last bath, at the kennels while we were on hols for a month in NZ, they made a total mess of his coat, their proper groomer broke her leg on Januarys UK snow and ice. Archie loves water - puddles /rivers/ hose pipes but hates baths!  go figure! |
| hehehehe, If a puddle is on Ebony's way, she will step right on it. Since she is with us for a couple of weeks, I guess we have to go through the first-month-nose-experience so that we might realize how long she maintains a tolerable smell and appearance. But I guess I'll have to follow Laurie's advice and keep her mouth and paws under control and eventually wash them once or twice a week. For she gets quite dirty and smelly. Thank you all so much Raquel & Ebony |
| welcome from fla.. thanks for saving her .. |
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