Grooming is not just about making your Dandie look pretty, it is also vital to your dog’s wellbeing and an opportunity to do a regular health check.
Brushing your Dandie will remove dirt, as well as old and damaged hair, ensuring their skin can breathe. Brushing is also a massage for your pet, which enhances blood circulation and allows them to relax and bond with you.
Try to avoid shampooing your Dandie, especially their main body (jacket) as this will destroy their natural, weatherproof coat. Of course, if they’ve been adventurous and rolled in something offensive, then a rinse in warm water is fine.
Daily grooming
It’s best to introduce your Dandie to a daily grooming routine at the puppy stage. Brush daily with quite a harsh brush to get the best results and remove all loose hair.
Start behind the ears using a coarse comb, then work your way down the body, over the legs and the feet. Make sure to brush the hair on the inside of the legs and on the belly. Comb the tail and, if necessary, remove any dried faeces by carefully trimming with scissors.
As you brush your dog, check for any sores, scratches or infections, unusual lumps or bumps, or any signs of fleas or ticks. Also inspect the condition of your Dandie’s teeth, eyes, ears, nails and feet.
Annual grooming schedule
How often your Dandie will need to be hand-stripped depends on how quickly their coat grows and your personal preference on their overall look. If you want a more scruffy and shaggy-looking Dandie, you only need to roll their coat at the change of every season. For a tidier appearance, your Dandie will need to be hand-stripped quarterly, every other month or even more frequently.
You can watch the videos below to learn how to hand-strip your Dandie yourself, or click on this link to find a professional groomer near you:
List of experienced Dandie groomers
First puppy strip
Your Dandie’s puppy coat should be hand-stripped when they’re approximately four months old.
Black tips in the puppy’s coat mean your pet is ready to be hand-stripped.
Start by hand-stripping the puppy fluff.
You can then use a stripping stone. Be careful not to remove too much of the coat.
Stripping your puppy will expose the new coat underneath.
Strip the ears leaving an inverted V of hair at the bottom to form the tassel.
Grooming tools
A wide variety of grooming tools are available but as a minimum you will need:
- A bristle brush
- A comb (avoid the cheaper ones as they can have sharp teeth that could tear the coat – a fine or coarse butter comb or greyhound comb is ideal)
- A soft wire slicker brush
- Thinning shears
- Straight scissors
- A fine red stripping knife (as new knives can cut the coat rather than pull it out, they should be made blunt before use by dragging across an old bit of carpet or piece of wood)
- Possibly a FURminator (if you have a Dandie with a very thick undercoat – only use it a little at a time and apply it gently, otherwise you could end up with a bald dog!)
- Disposable rubber gloves (the thin surgical type) or a rubber fingerstall for improved grip when hand-stripping