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Grooming question (and second post)

4K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  Lisa T. 
#1 ·
Hi everyone!

I recently bought a leave in conditioner for my puppy Leeloo to try and help with mats but knots appear just a few hours after I brush her. Her fur isn't long either!

Does anyone have tips or a product they could recommend?

P.S. Her mini slicker brush has been fantastic - a tip I found on this awesome forum! I'm also looking into pet hair dryers and I'm considering the flying pig grooming one.
 
#3 ·
How old is Leeloo? If she is between 10 and 18 months, she is probably blowing coat. (changing from puppy coat to her adult coat) During this time, they mat no matter what you do. You just have to be diligent about removing mats at LEAST once a day... some pups need it even more often. And, as Diane said, a comb is the only, for sure, method of making sure you are getting right down to the skin.

I've never found a leave-in product that I particularly liked on my dogs. Instead, I've found that keeping them clean (bathing every 4-5 days while they are blowing coat) and using a good rinse-out conditioner worked best. My favorite conditioners are Chris Christensen Spectrum 10 and Biogroom Silk. Both work equally well on my dogs' coats, but the Silk has a stronger, perfume, scent, which started to make me sneeze. Silk SEEMS a bit cheaper based on volume, but Spectrum 10 is VERY, VERY concentrated, so it really goes a long way. I've found that in the long run, Spectrum 10 is more economical.

I have a CC Kool Pup dryer, and love it. But I have 3 dogs to bathe and dry. Several people with only one dog have purchased the Flying Pig one, and so far seem satisfied with it... And it's a lot less expensive! That dryer wasn't even around when I bought mine.
 
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#5 ·
Chris Christianson is probably some of the best products on the market. His Ice on Ice detangler I think works and so does his Divine Spray (it just melts the little mats) or he has one called Precious Drop that I really love on Kati's coat. I find most detanglers actually too heavy and tend to create more problems than they solve. He also has a Silk Spirits which is a leave in gloss. But those are only helps. A comb is vital. And it cannot be a people comb it needs to be a dog metal comb. The greyhounds are really good unless you have hands that hurt and then you'd probably want a handled comb


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#7 ·
I am interested in either a conditioner or matt detangler or shampoo that has the least chemicals resulting in the softest coat. I have read there are no government controls on fragrance ingredients as they are "proprietary" to the manufacturer of the product and do not have to be listed or revealed. Even unscented products can have chemicals in them to create a "non smell". I have tried three different shampoos on my pup, and the one with the strongest sweetest smell that lasted the longest also caused him to scratch at his skin. I just read the fine print on the bottle that the long lasting sweet smell "reactivates" when the hair gets wet, (scary). What is the most natural safest product/shampoo/conditioner that leaves the fur less likely to tangle?
 
#8 ·
The problem i, the term "natural" doesn't mean anything. "Safest" depends, to some extent on the specific dog. I suspect that the shampoos you have used don't make MOST dogs itch... if they did, people wouldn't buy them. And as far as leaving the fur less likely to tangle, that is EXTREMELY dog-specific, when you are discussing a coated breed like ours. I use a different shampoo and conditioner on Kodi than I use on the girls. ...And with Kodi, a good conditioner is ESSENTIAL to keeping him mat-free, while for the girls,I've found a shampoo that does a great job without a conditioner and second rinse.

My choice is to find a company that I feel understands dogs well, and whose products I like, and stick with them. Chris Christensen is on the top of my list. They have been in the dog grooming and show business (where dogs are often washed multiple times a week) and understand how to keep dogs' skin and coats in excellent condition. I use their White on White shampoo and Spectrum 10 conditioner on Kodi. For the girls, I LOVE their Pro-Line Fair Advantage shampoo, which is an all in one shampoo and conditioner. It is mild, only very mildly scented, and because there is no conditioner needed, requires only a single rinse. It leaves my girls fluffy, sold, and easy to manage. As to whether these products are "natural" enough for you...you will have to decide that. :)
 
#9 ·
Thanks so much for that informative reply! I tried the White on White from Chris Christensen, but Tux'x coat lost its normal lustre after the first bath and seemed to be more straw-like. To be fair, I did not follow up with a conditioner. His coat (7 mo. puppy coat) is quite thick and full. He looks like a huge Persian cat but only weighs 5.8 lbs. It lacks any curl or waviness. It's very soft however. I don't need to increase the "fullness", just want to keep it shiny and soft. I'm not sure if I need a shampoo along with a conditioner, or an all in one product. Price is no object, I just want a good result. Any suggestions?
 
#10 · (Edited)
For a puppy, I'd try the CC Pro-Line Fair Advantage. If that's not conditioning enough, then you probably need a conditioner as well as a shampoo. Most people with adult Havanese find that they DO need a conditioner as well as a shampoo. I've been lucky with Pixel that even though she is prey much through coat blowing at this point, the Fair Advantage still works beautifully on her. I'm not sure if that's her particular coat or because she's in a puppy cut. (My other two are not)
 
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#14 ·
the Fair Advantage still works beautifully on her. I'm not sure if that's her particular coat or because she's in a puppy cut. (My other two are not)
Blossom is in full luscious coat and I'm still only using Fair Advantage. It works great! She also is finished getting her adult coat. :smile2:
 
#11 ·
Leo has a very abundant poofy coat. I have been using CC Spectrum 10 shampoo and conditioner then applying a nickle size amount of Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Treatment (a people product - don't get the spray, get the pump) It's a smallish pump bottle. I pump the oil into the palm of my hand, rub my hands together, then work the oil through Leo's wet coat before I blow dry. It makes his coat VERY soft and it smells nice. I tried it on Rex but it is much too heavy for Rexy's coat. It took lots of experimentation to find product I was happy with. I use a light bit of CC Ice on Ice when I comb them out. Rexy is blowing coat and it really helps with the mats.
 
#12 ·
My two have totally different types of coats. Scout also has a lot of coat and Truffles very silky. We have found Pure Paws Silk Basics shampoo and condition work well on both coats. The Silk Cream is great for extra conditioning after using the conditioner. She always combs the conditioner completely through the coat and it makes them very soft and silky. The last time she tried Morocco Agan oil shampoo and conditioner for a change and their coats were extremely soft!
 
#21 ·
So far I have been using Biogroom Fluffy Puppy Tear Free shampoo and Biogroom Silk Conditioning Creme Rinse on Rudy along with using the Chris Christianson butter comb. It works great and leaves his coat so soft. I comb him before his bath to make sure the mats are out. After his bath I use the blow dryer on low. After he's all dry and looking like a huge fluffball, I comb him. The comb usually glides right through.
 
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