Puppy coat hell, or the dreaded "change"?
I've got a basic pet store pin brush, a combo comb, and a few other various items I picked up just locally. They suck. We're in the process acquiring the good stuff, still trying to sift through what's still available on the market, and what precisely we need. Anyway, over the last week or two, I have noticed that I am getting WAY more hair in the brush when we do our daily session. The majority of this is coming from the hips and back to the butt and back legs. It's different back there.... wooly. The black fur on her back and shoulders, and of course her whites, are silky and easy to brush. But the butt area is a living hell. But she's only just about four months old, not even quite that! Is this pretty normal puppy coat, or are we starting an early change? There is grey fur already on her back legs, just at the hocks really, the joint area. Hard for me to tell, I've never done this before. I'm really just trying to learn all this mess. Thoughts? If we're going through the transition, I may just shave her down. It's freaking hot anyway. |
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It would be pretty early for the nasty transition.  My thought (without seeing your brushes) is that they are just pulling out her coat. Is it a pin brush with the little balls on the ends? That would explain it totally, if that's what you are using. I brush all of Bond and get hardly any hairs, and he's 7 months and pretty hairy. |
| It has the little metal balls on the ends - it was the only thing I could find that didn't have rubber ones. Husband is buying a Mars one as we speak. But is it weird that her butt is woolly, and the rest of her is sooooo not woolly? It's a totally different beast back there. The Butt Beast. It's like she has 5 times the hair back there, and it's kind of dry and just... kinky and weird. |
| Go to http://www.petedge.com, or http://www.showdog.com or http://www.cherrybrook.com to find the grooming supplies you're looking for. Also, if it helps, here's the thread that I posted what I have as a beginner - http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36693 Vance |
Yep, that is your culprit. As her more dense coat is coming in, those nasty little balls on the pins are just ripping her hair out from the roots  And that is her new hair coming in. and normal to come in as butt hair! That is why the transition gets nasty - the new hair grows in, then all the black hair lets loose. It can't really "fall" out, as it gets trapped in the new hair....hence the mats from he%$!. That's why a frequent brushing becomes so important. Or do a shave, and just skip the issue. Usually it's more like 7-8 months to a bit over 1 year old when it gets bad. I looked at Ava's dog park pics - she's still in puppy, and not near anything bad yet. |
| Yep, we're online ordering from petedge now. Poor baby, I don't want to rip her hair out, but I am terrified of matts, lol. Jason (my husband) and I have been reading over your grooming tutorials, lol. |
| Some of mine - my most often used pieces - CC (Chris Christensen) wooden pin and Pure Paws pin   From left: CC t-pin, straight shears (8 or 9 inch), Hindes pin (the one we love and no longer available), CC wood pin (same as the pink one, I lost this one and replaced it w/ the pink one - pink is better, it's dipped in a grippy rubber), wide Rescoe comb, greyhound comb, coat thinner   Comb (for scale), thinning shears, regular straight shears  Edit - oh, are you laughing at poor Chewie as my model yet???   |
| Hey, Chewie looks well behaved on the table. At least he doesn't try to eat your brushes while you're working. Not that my dog is doing that currently. (ok maybe she is, but I'm trying to distract her with treats. I may end up with a well groomed, but fat dog.) |
| The Resco comb that both Dawn and I have will be among your best friends!!! And the comb in Dawn's first photo... that was one of our first purchases after we got our first OES and we still have and use it. Vance |
Vance wrote: The Resco comb that both Dawn and I have will be among your best friends!!! And the comb in Dawn's first photo... that was one of our first purchases after we got our first OES and we still have and use it. Vance We call the Resco comb "the butt comb", as we use it (among so many other things!) to fluff the butt hairs for trimming . It has such a nice ring to it....."pass me the butt comb".... It's on my list to be replaced - it sees such frequent and hard use, I'm missing teeth at both ends! But, not bad for continual use over 6 years! Got my money's worth for sure.  |
 $200 later, grooming gear is on the way.... |
So, what did you order???  |
| several things.... The Mars pin brush, a coat king (yes, I will be super careful with it), some shears, and an arm for a table that I already have. He also got her a new set of bowls, mostly because he liked them, and it brought his shipping down. He couldn't find the Resco comb at petedge, so he didn't order one. I'll grab one off Amazon later. Oh and I think he got an undercoat rake of some variety. Not sure if we'll need it, but what the heck. |
Sounds like some good shopping  If you don't have it already, you will want a spray bottle with water or some grooming spray. You mist it on her as you brush; it prevents static, tangles and coat breakage. It's very helpful. Amazing what a little spray bottle with water can do! |
| Yep, got it! She'll be fluffy in no time! |
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