Grooming the Wirehair
Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 3:41 pm
This--as you can see --is just copied from a thread called "pup vs. started dog". Sometimes threads go in a direction that would not be clear based on by the title, but might have benefit. But if the thread is not titled to indicate the content of the screwy-direction post, the post isn't read.
I would like to state that I am NOT the expert on this. That would be fuzznut, who has educated me on this subject. Nevertheless, she's not around this board much,and I have --with time, effort and help -- rise to the height of better-than-mediocrity in this area.
I have had breeds of dogs with four different coat types as house dogs, and wirehairs shed the least --by a wide margin,depending on the individual dog. But some grooming must still be done. Or should be.
: The pup vs started dog debate
Postby Steve007 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:13 pm
bustingcover wrote:
Steve007 wrote:
It is also possible, based on "not liking the look of them", that he's never seen a decently groomed wirehair. it does not take a great deal of time to groom a wirehair, but doing at least some improves their looks enormously. (You as a lady should know this. ) Some uncaring or unknowledgeable owners do none, and their dogs are pretty scruffy. Look at different photos of wirehairs on google. With very little work, you can have the look you like.
I have two. I groom them differently, but they are both very attractive dogs. They shed less than other breeds and pick up far fewer burrs.
How are you grooming your wirehairs I found stripping to take a decent chunk of time. But a groomed one is a very handsome dog.
There are two ways to do this, and you'll get good results either way. Shaving or clipping them, as can be done with single-coated dogs, is not appropriate for this breed.
If you'll look up 'Mars Coat King" on Amazon (or google), you'll see an easy to use tool that works. It does cut the coat, so it is not precisely hand stripping and some minor work with a blade around the face (or you can use your fingers) is good, but it is effective. Plus toenails and a little scissoring around feet. (picks up fewer burrs and less snow). I do this with my older FC MH . Maybe five minutes every week and I have another tool to pull out undercoat only in the spring. She's a fine looking dog. Her coat is not as harsh as it once was, but she's an older spayed bitch and that's likely a factor.
The other way is what i do with my male. He gets out in public a lot , as he's a nationally-ranked competition obedience dog. Well, so does she, as she's our bodyguard at shows, but she's mostly in her crate. No one has ever seen a GWP in obedience around here, and I feel I have to uphold the honor of the breed, so groom him differently. He's also a multiple specialty-winning (BOW,not BOB) show champion, so i have good material to work with. I do pull the coat using a variety of blades/tools. Probably 10-15 minutes every week. Grooming table is a big help. He's almost always within 15 minutes of final touch-up grooming from a genuine show groomer (which I'm not) of going into the conformation show ring. He has a great coat. We do not show any more, but he may as well look as good as possible in public at obedience trials.
There is no "breed split" in wirehairs, by the way, though there are different lines. There are lots of DC , and my male is a good fun bird dog. These are my first wirehairs (Gordons before that), and I had to learn to groom them. Lots of information (see youtube) and helpful people around. It's not hard to learn, doesn't take much time (but every week) and it's actually kind of bonding-type fun. Grooming table helps a lot.
I would like to state that I am NOT the expert on this. That would be fuzznut, who has educated me on this subject. Nevertheless, she's not around this board much,and I have --with time, effort and help -- rise to the height of better-than-mediocrity in this area.
I have had breeds of dogs with four different coat types as house dogs, and wirehairs shed the least --by a wide margin,depending on the individual dog. But some grooming must still be done. Or should be.
: The pup vs started dog debate
Postby Steve007 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:13 pm
bustingcover wrote:
Steve007 wrote:
It is also possible, based on "not liking the look of them", that he's never seen a decently groomed wirehair. it does not take a great deal of time to groom a wirehair, but doing at least some improves their looks enormously. (You as a lady should know this. ) Some uncaring or unknowledgeable owners do none, and their dogs are pretty scruffy. Look at different photos of wirehairs on google. With very little work, you can have the look you like.
I have two. I groom them differently, but they are both very attractive dogs. They shed less than other breeds and pick up far fewer burrs.
How are you grooming your wirehairs I found stripping to take a decent chunk of time. But a groomed one is a very handsome dog.
There are two ways to do this, and you'll get good results either way. Shaving or clipping them, as can be done with single-coated dogs, is not appropriate for this breed.
If you'll look up 'Mars Coat King" on Amazon (or google), you'll see an easy to use tool that works. It does cut the coat, so it is not precisely hand stripping and some minor work with a blade around the face (or you can use your fingers) is good, but it is effective. Plus toenails and a little scissoring around feet. (picks up fewer burrs and less snow). I do this with my older FC MH . Maybe five minutes every week and I have another tool to pull out undercoat only in the spring. She's a fine looking dog. Her coat is not as harsh as it once was, but she's an older spayed bitch and that's likely a factor.
The other way is what i do with my male. He gets out in public a lot , as he's a nationally-ranked competition obedience dog. Well, so does she, as she's our bodyguard at shows, but she's mostly in her crate. No one has ever seen a GWP in obedience around here, and I feel I have to uphold the honor of the breed, so groom him differently. He's also a multiple specialty-winning (BOW,not BOB) show champion, so i have good material to work with. I do pull the coat using a variety of blades/tools. Probably 10-15 minutes every week. Grooming table is a big help. He's almost always within 15 minutes of final touch-up grooming from a genuine show groomer (which I'm not) of going into the conformation show ring. He has a great coat. We do not show any more, but he may as well look as good as possible in public at obedience trials.
There is no "breed split" in wirehairs, by the way, though there are different lines. There are lots of DC , and my male is a good fun bird dog. These are my first wirehairs (Gordons before that), and I had to learn to groom them. Lots of information (see youtube) and helpful people around. It's not hard to learn, doesn't take much time (but every week) and it's actually kind of bonding-type fun. Grooming table helps a lot.