Grooming

As a groomer, it is very important that proper grooming practices should be followed. This will be a part of the rest of your puppy's life and it should be enjoyable. I will have already started getting the puppies used to grooming and strongly recommend keeping up on it. Keep the coat short or properly brushed out to prevent matting. Check the ears regularly and put cleaner in after swimming and baths. Brush the teeth daily and provide heathy chews like Antlers, Bully Sticks, and Water Buffalo Horns. NEVER RAWHIDE. Nails should be clipped or ground every month.

Finding a Groomer

Most likely you will need to find a professional groomer. It can be done at home but it is hard, messy, and can be dangerous. You might injure your dog or your dog might injure you. As a groomer I can give you some inside information. When you start looking at puppies, start looking at groomers. Call around. Some groomers will not want to take Newfypoos as clients, so it might take some leg work. The good ones will most likely be booked out 6-8 weeks in advance. I like to start puppies at 12 weeks with the bath and face trim, but you have to know the salon is properly sanitized between dogs. Your vet may recommend waiting until your puppy has all their shots, as that is the safest. Dogs should wait 2 days after any shots to be groomed so they are not sore or at risk of shot reactions.

Under coat rake or coat King

Is a very good tool for keeping the coat at a manageable level. Many poodle mix dogs have a lot of trouble with matting. The hair tends to be very thick and soft. If used probably, the rake will remove some of the extra thick soft undercoat that these dogs inherited from the Newfoundland genes. Other dogs get their undercoat from Golden, Labrador, maybe Australian shepherd. Well-bred poodles have a hair quality similar to sheep, super tight curls with a springy texture that locks the coat in position. Friction causes matting, so the more floppy coat of these mixes moves around too much causing matting. if any of you are familiar with the process of felting that is basically what matting is. The rake leaves behind the harder guard hairs that are less likely to mat and can be brush more easily. I like to use it in the bath, the coat is more elastic when wet and covered with shampoo or conditioner and less likely to create coat damage that could lead to further matting.

Metal Greyhound comb

This is a very important tool because it will tell you if you are getting the haircut you want or a short one. If you can get a comb through your whole dog the day before a grooming appointment your groomer will be able to use a comb attachment on the clippers which can leave you with up to two inches of hair. One inch is fairly standard. Not all groomers have a two inch comb, so if you are wanting the longest possible cut you may want to buy a two inch comb LINKED HERE. Any snag you hit with the comb will need to be brushed out, either with the comb or a slicker brush. It's not the groomers job to brush your dog out. If you want to keep them long, you must become a competent brusher.

Slicker Brush

This can be used for line brushing or for working out small mats and tangles you find with the comb. It is also a good way to remove seeds and vegetation. Then follow up with the comb to make sure you get everything. The slicker brush pulls less than the comb, so dogs tend to tolerate it better but it can cause brush burn if improperly used. You can practice using tools on your arm to see how much pressure is comfortable.

Mat Breaker

One of the scariest tools to learn to use, but it has a job and does it well. There are many variations of this tool, some more dangerous then others. I like the mini mat breaker from Ryan's Pet. Its small size makes it easy to control and get in the places it needs to go. I would never try to de-mat a whole dog as this would be painful and inhumane, but sometimes they will get a mat behind an ear, on the legs or tail, and if it's tight a mat breaker or clippers are what you need. A mat breaker is basically a comb made out of serrated blades with rounded tips. It is designed to be able to slip behind the mat and with a rocking motion be pulled through the mat to divided it into sections that are easier to brush out. It will thin and damage the coat wherever you use it so it is not a tool for frequent use.

THE STUFF

This is a light, nongreasy spray-on conditioner. I like to apply a light misting after the bath before drying. It can also be be applied before brushing the dog out. It does make surfaces very slippery so be careful were you spray it.

Shampoo Sprayer

Makes getting your big hairy dog clean much easier. Attaches to a standard garden hose, mixes shampoo and water.

Velocity Dryer

A valuable tool for drying your dog in a timely fashion. It will also will let you check for matting, see if the skin looks healthy, and can also blow off snowballs.