# Terrier Coats



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Ada's hair is really hard to keep clean compared to the paps. It's not really yorkie silky but it's softer than the rough JRTs I've known. It seems to just have dirt and stuff stick straight to it. Within a day she starts looking greasy and nasty even if I bathe her and groom her out. 

Anyways, I have no idea where to start with her. Much much much prefer the easy papillon coats!

Tips?

For reference dog is a suspected yorkie mix of some sort:


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

That sounds a lot like how I've heard border terrier's coats described. I wonder if she needs her coat stripped.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Gatsby is the same. I've never found a shortcut or a way to keep him looking nice for long. Keeping him short helps. Otherwise just bathe + slicker.


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## AngelandShifusHuman (Jun 16, 2010)

Thats the way my schnauzer is too....I give him a bath and for a day he looks so adorable and next day he is back to looking like a scruffy lil mutt. I will be checking here to see if someone suggests some easy way of making a terrier coat look nice.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Artie has that sort of coat and it was always snarly. Once I went through it with a Mars Coat King and the old dead stuff was gone he was easy to brush. The fur didn't go into those cute tendrily things any more either, he stayed as fluffy as he was going to get. Try a metal flea comb on him to pull out old dead stuff and see if that helps. It could be he needs to be stripped but the flea comb is a first step.


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## w8ing4rain (Sep 4, 2008)

I find that some brands of shampoo and conditioner seem to make the coat attract more dirt. It doesn't matter how well you rinse either. Some kinds leave a residue behind that acts like a dirt magnet.


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## bumblegoat (Jun 22, 2009)

kafkabeetle said:


> That sounds a lot like how I've heard border terrier's coats described. I wonder if she needs her coat stripped.


Doesn't sound like a border terrier coat to me, and I have a border terrier.

It is possible that the coat can to be stripped though, as it looks like the coat could be a bit wiry. I would suggest just trying to strip her, try to pull out some of the hair. If it comes off easily, then she can be stripped. However, even if it doesn't come of that easily, there is still a possibility that she can be stripped. Especially since OP has been bathing her, bathing a wiry dog usually makes the coat more difficult to strip for like, two weeks or so.



AngelandShifusHuman said:


> Thats the way my schnauzer is too....I give him a bath and for a day he looks so adorable and next day he is back to looking like a scruffy lil mutt. I will be checking here to see if someone suggests some easy way of making a terrier coat look nice.


The only way to get a terrier coat to look truely good is to have the dog hand-stripped, and NOT clipped.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

If the photo the OP posted is the actual dog, its NOT a coat that can be handstripped. Super cute dog though, and does have a BT expression. Unfortunately, it has yorkie coat..soft, oily. Use a clarifying shampoo bi-monthly, NO conditioner. Conditioner will make him greasy faster, and soften the coat more..the harsher/wiry-er the hair, the cleaner and matt free he will stay. Use a brush out spray with silicone in it, like Show Sheen or Cowboy Magic. A tiny spray of that stuff goes a looong way. If you overdo it, you will feel a residue. And I agree with an above poster..keeping her in a more manageable lenth (like an inch or so) will make your life much easier.


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

my yorkies coat gets greasy really easily. I have found oatmeal shampoo works well for her. I brush it out every day. I would never want to keep the "long" look coat on her!! One good thing I have found she doesnt get knots easily at all. We usually bathe her weekly, otherwise she looks greasy and smells. Also the hair in her ears grows incredibly fast! Your dog is so cute....we just got our yorkie in Feb and are having a blast....the personality is such a riot! congrats.


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