Grooming
A Havanese can be expected to need to be groomed every week or two if kept in a full coat.
From our experience, our dogs do well if they are groomed every two weeks unless it is a full coat, that requires weekly grooming. Their coat remains very nice and we have minimal problems with tangles. If you notice a tangle forming between baths, just take the comb and gently loosen it out. Never comb a silk coat dry. For between bath combings lightly mist the coat with a conditioner.
The steps below represent the steps we take when grooming our dogs.
1. Lightly mist the coat with conditioner and gently comb (metal fine/med greyhound comb works well) the dog thoroughly. I prefer a comb since I feel a brush misses a lot. Start at the feet and continue to comb with downward strokes, working your way up the leg. Do this to both the front and hind leg, then in the same manner comb the shoulder, rump and body working your way from bottom to top. This assures no areas are missed. Repeat on the opposite side. Comb the neck and chest in the same manner, then the head, ears, and tail. Mine like to lay across my lap, but you can also have them lay across a grooming table. They can also stand up, but it's more comfortable for them to learn to lay down and relax. Being combed out shouldn't be a war zone, it should be gentle and soothing for both of you. A long coat may need combing daily, weekly or a couple times a week. Puppy coats generally are easy but this is the time to train your dog. Coat change requires daily care. The adult coat generally is 1-2 times per week for a full coat. The puppy cut adult coat may need combed once per week, though you and your dog may find it enjoyable to do more than that.
2. Use a fine tooth comb or flea comb to comb the face. Wipe under the eyes with a wash cloth. Trim inner corner of the eye if needed.
3. Remove ear hair if necessary. This is easiest if you use an ear powder which helps you grasp the hair. Do this with a dry coat, not a wet coat. Not all dogs need this done, but if the ear is full of hair and collecting debris or is getting stinky below the hair because the ear cannot breath, pull the hair.
4. Bathe your dog using downward strokes, do not 'scrub' the hair back and forth, this causes matting. Wet coat, apply shampoo and work into the coat using a downward motion. Rinse very well. Shampoo left in the coat is itchy. Apply conditioner in same manner, rinse well.
5. Wrap your dog in a towel (do not scrub), let them sit for 3-5 minutes holding your dog or put them in a crate. This helps to them to dry a little, making blow dry time shorter and easier. We do not let our dogs run around when wet. We found this increases tangles, especially if in a full coat. If they are in a puppy cut you may let them run a few minutes, but ALWAYS follow up with blow drying.
6. Spray your dog with a conditioning spray all over generously. You can use 10:1 dilute conditioner or purchase a brushing spray. We also spray our dogs with Nurtagena Body Oil diluted in a spray bottle (20:1). Shake well before spraying on your dog and use only a light spray. Never use the oil spray on a dry coat or it will appear oily. If used after bathing before blow dry it does a good job conditioning the coat and leaves a nice shine without looking oily. You can also use Moroccan Oil put on the wet coat before blow dry for extra conditioning. Sometimes the long Havanese coat can get dry, especially in winter, and needs some extra conditioning.
7. Comb out your dog repeating step 1 making certain to get all of the coat combed clear to the skin. Gently work out any tangles. Starting at the bottom, combing down systematically assures you are not missing the hair underneath. If you start combing at the top and work down you inevitably miss much of the coat. When getting out tangles always hold the skin behind the tangle to help prevent the hair from getting pulled as much or getting scratched from the comb or brush.
NOTE: If your dog was carefully combed before bathing and is not matted, you can skip the combing at this point and use a high powered blow drier and a brush (we love the Chris Christiensen dematting brush) and simply blow out the coat starting on one side at the feet working up toward the spine then repeat on the opposite side. Use the brush as needed, but, being mat free, the coat with the high powered air tends to work out most the tangles. Always blow in a downward manner.
8. Blow dry thoroughly. I do one side, then the other. Again, start low and work up. You can use hair clips to hold the hair out of your way if it is helpful. I blow dry in a similar manner to combing. Use the comb or a gentle brush as you blow, combing the hair down. Do not blow randomly letting the coat blow all over, this can create tangles. Always blow down. You can use a hand held blow dryer made for people or invest in a nice powerful drier. We use a high velocity pet drier and love it. It makes drying so much faster and easier and it helps get tangles out easier.
Turn the power down to do the head and cover the eyes to prevent uncomfortable air getting in the eyes.
Make certain to brush/comb completely after blow dry to assure no tangles were missed and give a finished appearance.
9. Trim pads and nails. The hair between the pads of the feet needs to be trimmed. It is easiest to trim it even with the pads. If you wish to do a more thorough job (I do), you must be careful of the webbing between the toes. After trimming the hair I clip the nails. Move on to the next foot until all four paws have been completed.
10. Take each paw, pull the hair down around the bottom edge, then cut all the hair even with the bottom of the paw. This keeps the hair off the ground and makes a neater appearance. Stand the dog on the table and cut any loose hairs that may have been missed around the feet.
11. Place ear solution in your dogs ears. Lift the flap and ear canal, place solution in until it fills the ear then rub the solution down into the ear. Repeat with both ears.
Give your dog a treat! They deserve it!
Hints:
Between bath brushings: We are not big fans of brushing our dogs between baths. We find that if we are faithful to fully bathe and groom our dogs at least every two weeks the need to do much in between is nearly eliminated. However, some people find brushing their dog to be relaxing and sometimes it is just necessary. In either event, make certain to never brush the coat dry, this will cause breakage. Lightly mist the coat with dilute conditioner (10:1) or a conditioning brushing spray, then use the Chris Christensen oval wooden brush or dematting brush and brush over your dog using the line brushing described above. Use the comb to loosen any tangles you may find. The light mist of conditioner will not only help prevent breakage, but will also give your dog a freshly bathed smell. Sometimes between baths we will skip the brushing and just mist the dogs with dilute conditioner because I like them to smell nice and fresh.
Matts: Inevitably you will encounter a matt along the way. Our only dog who has NEVER had a matt or even a tangle is Harley (if only all his pups could get his lovely, easy care coat). Really, all our dogs have minimal matting, but it does occasionally occur. Usually this is due to my neglect. For small tangles and matts, I gently comb from the end of the hair back toward the skin, slowly separating the hairs as you go. Chris Christianson Ice on Ice Dematting spray works very well if you get a stubborn tangle along the way.
BIG Matts: If you should really find you neglected your poor pooch and they have large matts, all is not lost. DO NOT WET OR DAMPEN THE COAT!!! Use corn starch liberally on the DRY matted area. Comb gently from the end of the hair back toward the skin systematically. Use your fingers to gently pull the matt looser by pulling in all directions making it larger but looser. It will take some time but you will be able to remove the matting with minimal hair loss or breakage and minimal complaint from you pooch. Add more corn starch as needed. I don't think you can add too much. Repeat this process for every matt. Once all the matts are removed, apply a light dusting of corn starch over the rest of the coat, comb thoroughly. Now, follow up with the normal bath routine. You can use a comb, pin brush and a slicker brush (I have the Chris Christensen, which is excellent, but these brushes are always very harsh on the coat and skin and should be used carefully protecting the skin and only to get out matts.
BIG Matts option 2: This requires you to get your dog completely groomed all in one setting! Do not even begin this process unless you can commit to finishing. This way you will not comb through the matts at all before bathing. Place the dog in the sink or tub and shampoo. Follow with conditioner. While the dog is wet and has conditioner on the coat, begin combing through the matts one at a time. Work from the end of the hair to the skin. It is a long, slow process, but you can get the matts out fairly easily, but it does take time. You can work in the sink or tub or take the dog and work on a grooming table or on your lap, but the dog must be wet with conditioner the entire time. Apply extra if needed. If necessary, you can drag the scissors from skin to end of hair through the matt. You will loose some coat, but it will separate the matt and make it easier to comb through. Do NOT cut the matt out, this will leave a hole in the coat. Continue to work from end of hair to skin on all matts until your dog is matt free. They do make a dematting rake, these can be helpful but also rather dangerous as they are very sharp. They also remove more hair than is typically necessary. When done rinse well and blow dry. You MUST finish, or the matts will set and you will not be able to get them out. Once matts get wet and dry they are much harder to remove. So, if you can't do it all in one setting, use the dry method.
Blowing coat: otherwise known as coat change. This happens usually sometime between 9 months and 2 years. The coat will change from puppy to adult and in the process the old puppy coat drops out into the coat and must be combed out or you will have a major matted mess on your hands. During the coat change it may require daily combings to avoid a tangled coat. This may take several weeks or months depending on the dog. Keeping the old dead hair combed out is the best way to avoid the tangles and matts that will occur if left on its own.
Puppy Cuts: An easier way to keep grooming needs down is to do a puppy cut. The body and legs can be cut down to 1-3 inches long, making grooming easier. The head, tail, and ears can be left longer to keep the 'look' of the Havanese. Many people prefer this easy hair style. Combing is much quicker and easier on the shorter coat and so is blow dry time. It is still recommended that you groom your dog every 2 weeks, just to keep the coat free of debris and tangles. Keeping your dog well groomed helps keep their coat and skin in good condition and also they smell so much nicer. Imagine going 6-8 weeks without a shower! Well, their skin and hair needs attention also. Every two weeks works well for Havanese. Other breeds may have other needs.
It has been our experience that no matter if your dog is in long coat or a puppy cut their hair and skin requires regular bathing. Bathing your dog/puppy every two weeks, and more often if outdoors and getting dirty, will help your dog have healthy skin and coat. We have been using Chris Christensen Spectrum 10 shampoo and conditioner for years and have found our dogs to always have very healthy skin and coat. This is available through the company, many pet grooming suppliers or Amazon. If you must use a shampoo and conditioner from the supermarket, use Pantene sleek or conditioning variety. Most dog shampoos found over the counter are too harsh and will dry the Havanese skin and coat.
Waiting longer between baths can cause dry skin and flaking from too much environmental buildup on their coat and skin. Clean is healthy, no matter the length. We have never had any skin issues from regular bathing and grooming, it has never caused irritation or dry skin. Always blow dry your dog. Allowing your dog to drip dry can cause skin irritations and promote fungus and yeast growth. It is well worth your time to keep your pup clean.
Our Favorite Products:
Shampoo and Conditioner: Chris Christensen Spectrum 10 (use separately or if you have a short puppy coat you can mix together for an all in one shampoo conditioning)
Brushing spray: Chris Christensen Just Divine or Ice on Ice or Espana Silk all natural Protein Detangler
Brushes: Chris Christensen Ice Slip Dematting brush (good for everyday use, very soft rounded tips), Chis Christensen Wooden Tong Brush (excellent also, but not quite as tough on tangles), Chris Christensen pin brush (good for tangles but not so much for daily brushing as it is more harsh on the skin),
Big Matts spray: Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Dematting Spray
Comb: The very best is Chris Christensen and will last you a lifetime, but they are very expensive and I would rather invest in their brushes if I have to chose. Make sure your comb has rounded tips and one end fine the other medium. Cheaper combs will not last as long. A 'wiggle' tooth comb is also a very nice option to help get out tangles.
Below you will see Harley out fishing with his boy. Yes, after a day of fishing and swimming your pup will need a good grooming! Here are several ways a Havanese can be groomed/trimmed. They have lovely hair and it's fun to play with what style you like best. For us, I trim each dog in it's own individual trim to match it's personality and whatever I'm in the mood for at the time. Longer hair in the winter and shorter in the summer seems to be a trend among many Havanese owners. Notice how the grooming can change the look of the same dog. I think they look adorable! (Harley never had a puppy cut a day in his life and he always enjoyed being with his boy no matter what they did.)
Comments