[duramaxdavid]

Im new to the site so sorry for asking without searching. I Have a shihtzu whos hair is about 2" long. Well I combed the front half of here body a few weeks ago. I got sick and didnt comb her back half(sickness came on very quickly) well lets just say my wife doesnt share the pleasure of combing her that I do. Anywho im going on vaction without her in 3 days. Her back half is matted? nappy? knotted? just not as clean as her front half. I would like to have her coat equally bueatiful before we leave if possible. Does hates baths but will stay in the shower forever if im in there(is that wierd i shower with my dog?) She doesnt mind being brushed wahtso ever. Any ideas on such short notice or do I need to trim her coat short and start over on the hair growth.

A little history on her habbits. She spend nights and a few hours in her kennel ( with a tshirt we wash weekly) she eats regular dog food with a human food treat usally biweekly. I shower her everyother week unless we have been to the farm. She has never been groomed. I do trim her eyes and her .... "area" ..... will need to be trimmed soon.

Sorry for the long post but need you help with my first high mantinance dog.

Thanks
David

[skelaki]

How old is she? Grooming should start at the breeders so that the dog learns that it's part of life and hopefully comes to enjoy it.

Do not bath her before you get all the mats out or you will make things a lot worse. If you're the least bit hesitant about grooming her this time, take her to a professional groomer. Ask your breeder or people you know with small, long-haired breeds who they go to.

[duramaxdavid]

Originally Posted by skelaki

Ask your breeder or people you know with small, long-haired breeds who they go to.

To be honest I dont know anyone with a dog like that. I will stop the next owner I see on the street tho. She is 9months. She doesnt seem to be "messed" with so the groomers shouldnt be a problem.

[007Dogs]

There are grooming tools to use to remove mats. When you bathe her, what do you use? Are you using a conditioner? Regular conditioning helps prevent future mats..

[skelaki]

You want a first professional grooming to be very pleasant for her. Drop in on some grooming places and just observe how the dogs are handled by the groomers. Some PetsMart and PetCo groomers are ok but generally you'll find more experienced groomers in a grooming shop (like a beauty salon for dogs).

[duramaxdavid]

Originally Posted by 007Dogs

what do you use? Are you using a conditioner?.

Regular dog shampoo from walmart and i havent used conditioner.

[Lorina]

When my dog had some matted bits I couldn't remove on my own (mainly behind his ears), I made an appointment to take him to Petsmart for dematting only. They brushed out what they could, clipped what couldn't be brushed, and the whole thing was over in less than a half hour. The $15 they charged was so worth not having to worry about whether or not I was hurting him. Now that he's tangle free, it's much easier for me to maintain. It's something I could have, in theory, done myself, but buying all the proper tools (clipppers, the right combs & rakes, the grooming table, etc.) would cost me way more than having him groomed every so often.

[007Dogs]

Do a search for Plush Puppy products. Bath her with a good dog shampoo for coated breeds, rinse well and then ALWAYS condition her coat. Use the Plush Puppies conditioner for her coat type as well. And leave it on for at least 5 full minutes. Then rinse. The best is if you can learn to handle using a blow dryer on low heat and air, and a brush and a pin brush at the same time, so to dry the coat flat and straight. You might want to see out a professional groomer. Stay and watch if they will let you. It can be over whelming trying to handle dryer, brush and dog.
But you need to work on getting the mats out before bathing. Pet Edge carries matt spliters, and Petsmart might.

[bluesbarby]

I haven't tried this myself yet, but I read on a dog forum to use "cowboy magic" on matts (which you can get at most feed stores).

[ShihtzuBeauty]

I have three of these little beauties and you really do want her first grooming from you to be pleasant. If you can't gently pull the mats out or trim them up I wouldn't even do it. You can also use some cornstarch on the mat then pull it out.

If it were me I would take her to a professional groomer and ask to stay so you can watch the process. When trimming around the eye area you have to be extra careful 'cause they are soo easy to poke. I would just ask the groomer to give her either a puppy cut or a teddy bear cut whichever would even her up the best and let her hair come in a little bit better.

Even though her hair will be trimmed up though you still need to brushe her everyday. I use a pin brush w/comfort tips on it and a metal tooth comb. I used to take mine to my friend/groomer and I stayed evertime the whole time. Now for the past 4mths. I've been doing a total groom on all of my kids myself. Less stress on everyone and none of mine like it and they've all been getting it done since they were 8wks. old. They are just stinkers.

A professional groomer will be able to show you the correct way to brush her and take care of her grooming needs daily.

[qaswer]

Originally Posted by skelaki

You want a first professional grooming to be very pleasant for her. Drop in on some grooming places and just observe how the dogs are handled by the groomers. Some PetsMart and PetCo groomers are ok but generally you'll find more experienced groomers in a grooming shop (like a beauty salon for dogs).

I think this should be done once by some professional and then you can continue in your own way.

[DivaDog]

First off - until those matts are out DONT bath her - it will tighten the matts to the point where shaving them out is the only option.

I would suggest you take her to a proffesional who will assess whether they can be removed by brushing or not. And then your missus needs to learn how to use the comb properly - if your ever ill for a longtime what would happen??