A Step-by-Step Guide to Grooming Your Wire Haired Dog
When grooming your dog, it is important to understand the coat type, to ensure you are using the correct tools and methods to achieve the desired result. Wire coated dogs have coats made up of a soft, dense undercoat and a layer of longer, coarse hairs on top. These coats are often found on working breeds including those which also have a smooth coat variety, and terriers, as the wire overcoat serves for excellent waterproofing abilites, helping a dog to work all day long, whatever the weather. Wire coats are fairly easy to maintain, and do not tend to be heavily shedding, but need regular brushing to prevent matting. Wire coated dogs should ideally be handstripped rather than shaved, clipped or cut. Wire haired breeds include the Irish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, German Wire Haired Pointer, Wire Haired Dachshund, Scottish Terrier, Schnauzer and Border Terrier.
Brushing Tools & Techniques
Most owners of wire haired dogs choose to have them professionally groomed on a regular basis, during which they will usually be hand stripped rather than clipped to maintain a healthy coat.
If you are intending to hand strip your dog at home and are inexperienced with this, it is a good idea in the first instance to seek the advice of a professional dog groomer. Hand stripping takes practice, and it can be very time consuming. A professional groomer will be able to advise you on the right techniques for your dog. They will also be able to help if you are experiencing problems with hand stripping. It should also be noted that some dogs cannot be hand stripped. This is can be because of the dog’s age, hormones or individual coat health. Again, your groomer will be able to advise and help you with this.
Even if your dog is regularly clipped or hand stripped by your groomer, it is important that the coat is correctly maintained between grooms to prevent matting, remove debris and dead hair, and promote growth of new coat.
Maintenance Brushing:
Step 1: Start at the rear of the dog and apply a detangling, conditioning spray to help the brush glide more easily through the coat. Beginning at the bottom of the leg, use a Slicker brush to brush in sections, in the direction of the hair growth. Continue up the leg to the top of the rear quarters, then repeat on the opposite side of the dog.
Step 2: Apply conditioning spray to the tail and brush with a Slicker brush, in the direction of hair growth. Use a comb to gently remove any tangles.
Step 3: Work on the chest and neck area with the Slicker brush, applying conditioning spray as needed to ease travel of the brush through the coat. Tilt the dog's head back to ensure that the hair on the neck is thoroughly brushed and free from tangles.
Step 4: Brush gently around the head, ears and muzzle, taking care to remove any tangles. Conditioning spray can be sprayed onto your hands and rubbed onto the dog's coat to avoid spraying directly at the dog's face. Use a comb to groom the whiskers and eyebrows as needed.
Step 5: Use safety scissors to remove any stray hairs which are around the dog's eyes. Always cut with the scissors pointing downwards, away from the eye, and with extreme care.
Step 6: Lift the front leg and brush under the leg and along the body, taking care to remove any tangles which have formed.
If you do choose to try to hand strip your dog at home, use of a stripping knife is a more standard approach to hand stripping. Use the knife to pull hair from below the undercoat and away. You must do this throughout the entire coat, including the face and feet. Once you have stripped your dog, he might look a little bare at first, but do not worry – healthy new hair will soon grow once again.
Bath Time!
Wire haired dogs should not be washed too often, as part of the coat's natural waterproofing is down to a layer of natural oils which are broken down by shampoo. These coats should only be washed when soiled and spot washing of dirty areas is often preferable to a full body wash.
Conditioner should be applied after bathing to help moisturise the skin and protect against tangles.
Human shampoos should never be used on dogs, as dogs and humans have very different pH balances in the thin layer called the acid mantle, which protects the skin. Human skin has a normal pH balance of 5.5-5.6, which is on the acidic side. Dogs, on the other hand, have a normal pH balance of 6.2-7.4, which is more neutral. Using a human shampoo on dogs disrupts the acid mantle, leaving your dog vulnerable to parasites, viruses, and bacteria. It also makes his skin feel dry and flaky, which can lead to repeated scratching and abrasions. This makes it easy for bacteria to invade. Dog’s skin is also more sensitive than ours; we have 10-15 layers of skin cells, canines have only 3-5. Shampoo with the wrong pH balance and/or harsh chemicals can irritate a dog’s skin and strip away the protective oils from his coat and skin.
Step 1: Collect all the items you will need for the bath, including a jug to dilute the shampoo if required, your chosen shampoo and conditioner, a bathing tool such as a Kong Zoom Groom to help massage the shampoo to the skin, and a helper to hold your dog if necessary.
Step 2: Place your dog in the bath or shower on a non-slip mat. Ensure the water temperature is suitable, not too hot nor too cold, and thoroughly wet the dog all over. Massage shampoo into the coat, ensuring that it is reaching the skin and that you do not miss any areas. Take care around the eyes and ears to ensure that shampoo and soapy water do not get into these sensitive areas. Rinse the coat thoroughly until you can hear a 'squeak' from the coat when you hold it between your fingers - squeaky clean! Repeat for conditioner.
Step 3: Towel dry your dog as much as possible while they stand in the shower or bath. They will almost certainly shake as soon as you let them loose. If your dog will tolerate it, you can finish drying with a hair dryer, taking care to avoid burns or discomfort from the heat of the hair dryer. Use a Pin Brush to disrupt the coat throughout the drying process, to help spread the natural oils and speed up drying.
Eyes, Ears & Teeth
Eyes: Check the eyes and clean any gunk which has accumulated. This should be done on a regular basis to stop deposits becoming hardened and more difficult to remove. Use lightly dampened cotton wool or Petkin Eye Wipes for mild cases. If there are excessive deposits around your pet's eyes, you will need to contact a vet as this could signify infection. If your dog suffers from tear staining, use a Tear Stain Remover on a regular basis as these need to be broken down over time.
Ears: Cleaning the ears is an essential part of a grooming routine, and is best done outside before a bath as when your dog shakes after ear cleaning, the debris has to go somewhere! Before cleaning the ears, inspect them. If your dog has a lot of hair coming from the ear canal, it may need to be plucked. Talk to your groomer or vet's office about how to properly pluck the ears without hurting your dog. Squirt a few drops of ear cleaner into the ear and gently massage the base of the ear as the cleaner dissolves wax and loosens dirt. Allow your dog to shake and gently wipe down the ear with a suitable wipe. Most dogs are not keen on this process, so be sure to reward with a delicious treat.
Dental: Choose a suitable toothbrush and toothpaste (one designed for dogs!) for your pet. Most toothpastes are designed to be used on a daily basis. If your pet will not tolerate tooth brushing, implement other strategies to control their dental health and hygiene such as using a Dental Rinse which can be added to their water bowl.
Nail Maintenance
Unless your dog spends a lot of time exercising on hard surfaces, it is likely that they will need their nails trimmed on a regular basis.
Few dogs enjoy this, so it is unlikely to be your favourite shared activity, but regular handling of the feet, weekly nail trims and lots of rewards will help to make the process easier and less daunting to both you and your pet.
Ensure that you hold your dog's paw gently yet firmly to prevent slipping, and always use clippers such as Ancol Nail Clippers which have a guard to help prevent serious accidents.
It is common to cause a small bleed when clipping nails, especially with darker nails, so keep some first aid gear on hand to stem any bleeding and reduce the trauma to both yourself and your dog.
If your dog is likely to resist nail trimming, enlist the help of another calm person to help with holding the dog as still as possible.
