# Holy fur!



## dwarfcricket (Jul 9, 2010)

I recently adopted a very sweet 9 month old rescue doggie  He's fabulous, and I'm doing just fine with the training... however, the grooming... not so much!

He appears to be a yellow lab/husky mix - but he acquired NO lab fur. I've had labs all my life, so I can handle their fur, but I'm almost positive he's got husky fur. It's very thick and soft and not oily like lab fur - coarse in some areas (he's got a thick, longer coarse fur line that runs down his back and tail) but mostly just really thick! He's beautiful and I want to make sure I maintain his coat properly - any suggestions?


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

I use a furminator and comb. I give my Sibe a chew and I sit/she lays in the kitchen floor and we brush,brush,brush. She is blowing (and has been) her coat so brush,brush,brush more. Daily works well. Don't wear anything you don't mind hair all over (I wear my painting clothes). I do not show so preserving/not breaking the hair is not a major concern to me as I have heard complaints that the furminator breaks the hairs. I don't bathe her unless she is dirty.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

furminators usually just break the fur and are very painful for the dogs. Imagine using a lice comb to brush your hair. I guess for some they work but I'd never recommend them. For my english shepnerd I use a shedding blade









and a wide toothed comb that the pins actually spin on so there's barely any pulling on the dogs coat.









Start with the untangler comb to get the under coat up then smooth over with the shedding blade. You'll be surprised how much hair you get out.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

That untangler comb sounds really interesting. 

Not very expensive? Might look at getting one for Wally's long hair.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

KBLover said:


> That untangler comb sounds really interesting.
> 
> Not very expensive? Might look at getting one for Wally's long hair.


Under $6 bucks for both varities at this site...

http://thepamperedpetmart.com/page/TPPM/PROD/Untangler/T516PC


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Heh, even my cheap self can't balk at that 

Earmarked for ordering sometime soon.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

While you are at it get a shedding rake as well. Has metal teeth set at right angles to the handle just like a metal garden rake. This tool gets down to the skin and combs through the dense undercoat lifting out the loose undercoat. It was a pleasure to use but since the Furminator works so well on Sassy's dense but short coat I haven't needed it since I got the Furminator. No idea why it works better than just a comb but it does.

Sassy detested the shedding blade as it was easy to scratch her skin through her fur. I didn't like the size of the thing, it was hard to get her best fluffy spots defuzzed. She tolerates the Furminator much better. I wouldn't use one on your dog though, sounds like the fur is too long.


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## dwarfcricket (Jul 9, 2010)

Thank you for all the responses and suggestions! I'll have to bop by the pet store and check all these out!


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