# cotton butt maintenance



## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

will be the death of me  how do you manage it I have a slicker brush and getting through it I part sections and brush from the bottom out?? Am doing it twice a day because no soon then I brush it out it gets matted again and full of brush/twigs/leaves as he is out playing during the day??

Is a slicker brush the best tool 
Is keeping it brushed out 2 or 3 times a day OK.. 

Bothers me looking at a matted butt am hoping this is a baby fur thing , he was a Qtip from head to toe when he arrived and am just left with the cotton butt as the rest of his fur has now changed to regular straight fur type ..


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

when I say Qtip I was meaning all his fur was that cotton type texture  Qtip on a GSD is a different thing


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## wishiwas (Mar 3, 2008)

What a cutie! I would probably try a bath with a good conditioner if he hasn't had one in awhile. I find my dog's hair tangles less and is easier to brush out if he's well conditioned. And then use a conditioning spray each time you brush. Following up with a comb will make sure that you truly got all the tangles out, as well.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Also i do alittle trim under the tail with the clippers (to reduce dingleberries) and have been known to take the scizzors out and trim down the haunches as well-- my baby boy doesnt take too kindly to brushing on his butt area so just keeping problem areas shorter is my solution..


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

If this photo is current, your dogs coat is packed with undercoat. You are not getting to the skin when you are using the slicker. You also need to use a comb or rake to pull the fluff undercoat out. If you are doing this efficiently, brushing 2-3x a week is more than enough. If you cannot get a handle on the undercoat, have him professionally groomed asap before its solid matting that must be shaved off.


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## WonderBreadDots (Jun 26, 2012)

My Berner is my first double coated dog. I was using a comb and slicker brush almost daily and going out of my mind. My breeder suggested I use an undercoat rake. What a difference! The individual teeth spin on the rake and doesn't seem to pull and make the dog uncomfortable.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I would suggest an undercoat rake. And a bath twice a month, use shampoo and conditioner! Make sure to groom REALLY well after the bath (once he is dry). You need to get down to the skin to get that undercoat out.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Great.. thanks everyone.. am on the right track and I can be doing more with the suggestions given.. it was a photo that was taken at a different date.. Fur is not my specialty  Am so busy getting all the animals done and a little anal that everything is perfect for them if we are taking the group with us.. My Dad made it a point to ask me one time, if I was going to at least brush my hair before we left lol lol ... guess he didn't want to be seen with me out in public .. but the dogs look awesome !!!!


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## hueyeats (Apr 2, 2013)

Awww... What a cutie.

Roman is double coated too...
We usually have one of those shedder blade tool and shed Roman good before his bath.
During bath, he has a circular brush thinggy to work the suds in and also helps with matts.
(We bath him every two to three weeks, depending on how dirty he gets... Also if we think he's too hot.)

We do brush him with a hoghair brush to get more fur off him...
Have two combs too to detangle.

And I usually clip the fur around his flanks/buttocks region keeping them tidy.
Do that for my cat too... Just for hygiene you know.


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## w8ing4rain (Sep 4, 2008)

Totally agree with the undercoat rake. You will be amazed at the difference.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

I heart my undercoat rake. I got one with two rows of rotating prongs for Sam's coat and love, love, love it.


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Love undercoat rakes. I got all of this out of Recon last week during a brush down. He was starting to get cotton butt too. 


DSC_0478 by DJetzel, on Flickr


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

thanks...  I love the double rake I have for my GSD's , though I have not seen the one that swivels  , I haven't used a slicker in years because the double rake does wonders, but it's working well On Arka as he has more longer coat to maneuver through looks like I am going to be stuck with the cotton butt for life as an adult.. just the area of back rump, legs and under tail area... Just have to learn a new behavior and keep up with it daily... Next summer after the winter should be a real treat lol ... 

am hoping the wash and damp air blow will work as well as it does for the GSD's for the winter summer transition.. (does a conditioner rinse after wash help the blow out more ?) any product/ingredients to stay away from that will cause irritation.


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## Indurate (Feb 27, 2013)

PatriciafromCO said:


> when I say Qtip I was meaning all his fur was that cotton type texture  Qtip on a GSD is a different thing


Could you tell me what kind of pup this is? Just from this pic, it doesn't appear to be a GSD, but I'm not sure. Actually, this pup looks like a Caucasian here.


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## Indurate (Feb 27, 2013)

w8ing4rain said:


> Totally agree with the undercoat rake. You will be amazed at the difference.


I really like the comb. It's most useful after a thorough brushing with the slicker brush and some others if you like, and I find it gets even more of the undercoat out than a traditional rake. However, my #1 undercoat remover is a blower. I picked up the K9 III, and recently gave one of my Newfoundlands a bath. After blowing, there was hair all over the walls in the shower. Shedding has been nearly nonexistent since.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Indurate said:


> Could you tell me what kind of pup this is? Just from this pic, it doesn't appear to be a GSD, but I'm not sure. Actually, this pup looks like a Caucasian here.


It's not a Shepherd. I'm not sure what breed her pup is.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Thank you he is a Caucasian for breed,, his breeder said he is still a puppy , he will do his first coat blow next spring and I will see the difference in the texture. the back legs and butt area under the tail will always be wispy and thick areas I will need to focus on. The double rake has been the best tool so far..


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