# Corded coat, bath and tidy



## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

Hi dog groomers 

Have you every washed a puli with cords before? Or any dog with a corded coat? Does the coat need to be completely dry after a bath? Where can I find the right shampoo? I'm not sure what kind of price to quote either so what should I base it on?

In three days I get to wash my first Puli. She is a new customer to the shop and knows I've never washed a Puli with cords before but told me it is just a bath and trim. No cording. The dog is only thirty-five pounds and so I took on the challenge Any of you have some expierences with washing a corded coat?

I'm not talking about the "accidental cording" on matted dogs, haha!


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

When bathing, you want to use a very diluted, gentle shampoo (hypoallergenic shampoos are best...no scents). 

When you do shampoo the dog, DO NOT rub or scrub, like you would a normal coat dog, just gently 'swoosh' the shampoo about, to cleanse the skin. 

Rinse while squeezing the water and shampoo through the cords, and do not stop until the water runs clear and you feel no 'slippery-ness' on the coat, skin, or cords. 

Wrap dog in towels and blot as much of the corded coat dry as you can; don't be afraid to use a 'billion' towels on a corded dog! Get him as dry as you can with them. 

You will need to cage or air dry the dog (as hi vo dryers can start parting the cords!). 

If you have a kennel dryer, put it on a low or no heat setting. If you don't have a cage dryer, you'll have to use box fans, and circulate the air in the kennel around the dog. Make sure dog has water available in the kennel, as he will be in there awhile. 

Total drying time can take 3-12 hours; for this reason, you want that dog in FIRST thing in the morning, so you can start him immediately...and you want to make sure to get dog totally dry, otherwise bacteria can start growing, and you'll have to do him over again; and too much bathing can start destroying the cords!

As far as charging, that is up to you; set a base price, certainly, and go from there, depending on how long the dog takes.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

That's funny, I bathed my first puli last week! It was very interesting!
Luckily the owner brought instructions.

It took forever to rinse the dog, make sure you get all the shampoo out of those cords....I think I had the dog in the tub for a good 45 minutes.

I used many many towels and a cage dryer. She was there 10-430 and she was 95% dry, The ears were still slightly damp but the owner said that was ok, and she booked another app for next month.

Make sure to change the towels in the cage every hour.


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

Thank you Lovessophie and Groovygroomer  Great advice.. Groovygroomer: how much "hands on" time did you spend on that dog? Did you have to trim anything? I'm trying to gauge how much time I will have and if I should only book 1 or 2 dogs that day. I have this puli from 9 to 4 so that should be enough time but I want to be able to give her an estimate on how much it will cost. I'm thinking it's going to take me about the same amount of time it takes me to do 3 or 4 dogs. Does that sound about right?


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

0hmyd0g said:


> Thank you Lovessophie and Groovygroomer  Great advice.. Groovygroomer: how much "hands on" time did you spend on that dog? Did you have to trim anything? I'm trying to gauge how much time I will have and if I should only book 1 or 2 dogs that day. I have this puli from 9 to 4 so that should be enough time but I want to be able to give her an estimate on how much it will cost. I'm thinking it's going to take me about the same amount of time it takes me to do 3 or 4 dogs. Does that sound about right?



You'll shave out the pads, and maybe work on separating some of the larger cords, to make them separate cords, but other than that, unless the owner specifies, I wouldn't to any trimming on the dog.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

I was up front and honest that I have never groomed a puli before. I flat out said - "I have never seen one in person, all I know about the breed is that they are corded."
The owner replied, "Well thats more than anyone else here knows." (They are from up north and staying here in FL for season) 

I was specifically instructed not to touch the dog with any clippers/brush/scissors. They have their breeder do any trimming or seperating cords up north.

The hands on time was mostly the bath. It took about 45 minutes maybe an hour to get her all clean and rinsed.

After that, it was mainly switching out wet to dry towels, and just feeling her to see how dry she was. So, unless you are doing trimming, I would really only book her about and 1.5 hour space.


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

Todays the day guys! I'm doing it, and I couldn't sleep (I don't know why I'm so excited) I'll take a picture


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## mostlymutts (Jan 10, 2009)

Good Luck!
Looking forward to the pictures.


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

Hey it went really well! It took over an hour to wash and rinse the dog and about an hour of hand drying with towels. I had to separate some of the cords the were fussing together, but that was really easy. I spent as much time hands on grooming this dog as I do three dog so I charged according to that. If you guys ever get the opportunity to groom a puli it's really not that hard! But my hands hurt after from ringing the cords out.


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

I'm glad it went good! Did the owners approve?


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

sorry i found this thread a little late.

how long did it take you to do the dog?

i groom a puli every month or so, have been doing him for about a year now. now that his parents bring him in regularly, he only takes me 2-3 hours max now. i have some secrets if any want them, but i dont groom him according to how a show puli should be groomed. i do use a force dryer (b/c my boss insists), but i have learned how to force dry the dog without causing damage to the cords. the only clipping i do is his rear end, his sanitarys, and up his stomach (perowners request). i also trim the cords so they dont drag on the ground (for cleanliness).


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

Hey Purplex! I think it's cool you do a Puli every month. I would love to know your secrets. this new Puli I have rebooked for 2 months. He gets the same thing you do to your puli including the belly shave. I don't understand how the airforce doesn't wreck the cords. It took my about 4 hours to do. SO that's not that long. Most of the time he was in the kennel drying though and I changed the towels a lot.


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

they key with the force dryer (with any dog, not just a puli), is that the more towel drying you do, the less force drying is needed (which im sure you knew already).

when im done with the bath, i towel dry really good for about 15 minutes (basically until the dog isnt dripping anywhere). then i force dry the roots of the dreads first on a low setting, so that the skin can dry (leaving the hair near the skin wet can cause mildew). i try very hard to not force the dreads away from the body. i usually will take a towel and hold the dreads in it so that the dryer isnt forcing them away from the body. when i dry the actual cords, i keep a towel behind a section of them, and use the towel as a backing for the dreads. this way it isnt actually blowing the hair anywhere (just into the towel). it keeps the dreads intact, and dries them very easily and quickly. i also have a benefit of living in southern california, so on warm days i get him about 75-80 percent dry then let him air dry. 

like i said before, the original idea to force dry h im cam from my boss. before i started doing the dog regularly, i did research, and amoung everything else learned that you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT FORCE DRY a puli, ever. but my boss is the type of person who doesnt listen to other peoples' ideas very well, and if she thinks the dog can be force dried, then it can be (lol). i did it relunctantly at first, but after a year, the cords are in the same condition the always were and no damage has been done. however, i think that if you force dry them normally, and actually force the dreads away from the skin, that that is how the damage is done.


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