How to Keep a Tibetan Terrier's Coat Looking Good

There are many types of terriers around and these little dogs make great family pets including the lovely Tibetan Terrier. They are pretty active characters that like doing what terriers do best which is to chase around keeping themselves and their owners busy. When it comes to keeping their coats in good condition, it doesn't take too much time and effort, although a daily groom is always a good idea so you can keep an eye out for any skin infections which many wire-haired breeds tend to suffer from.

Letting the Professionals Do the Hard Work

A lot of terrier owners like to have their dogs professionally groomed because thinning out their coats can be a long and slow process. However, if you lead an active outdoor life and your dog spends much of the time with you, it's definitely worth considering because not only will you find it that much easier to keep their coats looking good, but your dog will feel a lot more comfortable too.

Grooming Tools

It's always a good idea to invest in a pair of good quality clippers if you own a terrier but you need to learn how how to clip a terrier before you attempt to do so yourself. The reason you need top quality clippers is because terrier coats are typically very coarse which can take its toll on clippers and blades. Most clipper sets come with a couple of removable blades but it's worth having three sizes namely fine, medium and coarse.

However, as previously mentioned unless you really know how to clip a terrier it's best to leave this task up to a professional groomer. Other tools you'll need to buy include the following:

• Scissors – ideally with rounded tips
• Thinning shears
• Trimming scissors
• A slicker brush
• A wire-toothed comb
• A pair of nail clippers
• A rubber mat – for your dog to stand on and to prevent them from slipping
• Good quality clippers and blades – if you want to clip out your dog yourself

It's always worth setting up a grooming"" table because this allows you to brush or clip your dog in a comfortable position without having to bend down which could end up hurting your back. You also have more control of your dog when they are placed on a table. Using a rubber mat helps prevent them from slipping when you lift up their paws or ask them to move slightly in order to reach difficult areas on their bodies.

Brushing Coats

Using a slicker or bristle brush you should start brushing your dog at their shoulder and work your way up the side of the neck to the head before going over to the other side and repeating the process. After this you need to work your way down their flanks and under their bellies being extra careful around their sheath area.

Next, you need to brush their hindquarters and rear ends. If you come across any tangles it's best to take these out with your fingers because you won't pull so much on the hair which could end up hurting your dog.

If necessary, you might have to trim the hair around their beard and moustache using a pair of scissors with rounded tips. It's worth keeping these nicely trimmed because it means less mess when your dog eats and drinks. When it comes to the front and back legs, the hair in these areas are known as the ""furnishings"" and they need to be left longish. The hair is typically much softer because it is part of the undercoat.

Scissoring Your Dog's Coat

To keep tails, heads, legs and paws looking good and nicely trimmed, you should either use thinning shears or a good pair of scissors with rounded tips and carefully trim longer hairs making sure you blend in edges around the base of the tail and along the body.

To keep eyebrows looking good and out of your dog's eyes, comb them forward and working your way from the outer edge inwards cut the hair as close as possible to your pets eyes using the thinning shears. You can use the thinning shears to thin their moustaches and beards if you think they look too bushy too.

Trimming Ears

You can use grooming shears to trim ears taking extra care not to go to close to the edge. You should hold the ear firmly with one hand between your fingers when you do this just in case your dog decides to move just as you are about to trim an ear.

Brushing Our Furnishings

Next, you should brush out furnishings again before trimming any long hairs that look untidy, the same applies to your dog's paws. It's also a very good idea to trim the hair between their pads and toes because keeping hair trimmed prevents balls from forming when the weather is cold and muddy. Not only is it quite painful for your dog to walk when the hair balls up, but dogs tend traipse muddy water into the house leaving a mess as they do.

Pay particular attention to elbows because this is where mats and tangles tend to form. It's worth using your fingers on these sensitive areas because combing a tangle out might pull on the hair which ends up hurting your dog.

Conclusion

Taking care of a Tibetan Terrier's coat is not that hard, but brushing your dog on a daily basis offers a lot of benefits. Firstly, you get to form a very strong bond with them and secondly, it helps you keep on top of any skin allergies that might be flaring up. A lot of wire-haired dogs tend to suffer from skin complaints and this includes the Tibetan Terrier and the sooner you notice there is a problem, the quicker the condition can be treated making life a lot more comfortable for your dog in the process.

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