Grooming Your Keeshond
part one - maintenance
Beth Blankenship
trumpet keeshonden - usa
As I understand it, this breed is supposed to have a coat that requires much less
frequent bathing than many other types of coats due to its self cleaning nature and
minimal odor. Over the 24 years I have owned them, I have certainly witnessed
this for myself, but my preference is to groom this coat more frequently. I find
that a more regular grooming session keeps the undercoat stimulated which gives
you the ‘rolling’ effect. This is useful when you are attempting to exhibit your
Keeshond year round.
You can determine the frequency with which you want to fully groom your
Keeshond, but I will give you my recommendations based on the lifestyle of the
Keeshond in residence here. Because of this you will certainly adjust your
frequency to adapt to your individual dogs lifestyle. The Keeshond here are
exposed to long walks on a large piece of property, they run through woods,
fields, ponds and graveled areas. So, there is dust, twigs, soil, pond water, etc that
they are exposing their coats to and with proper coat texture the coats are not
overly affected. I am always entertained by the fact that after a few hours of
drying off naturally, they look good as new. But, I believe a thoroughly cleaned
and brushed coat is beneficial to these elements having less effect on the overall
condition of the coat.
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THE SCHEDULE
Each dog under 7 years of age is bathed every three weeks and the seniors are
bathed every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the coat texture.
Note: Neuter/spay coats can become soft and will matt easier so they are done
more frequently.
The nails and feet are trimmed each time. My reason for frequent nail care is
to keep them short so the quick does not get long. I find the dog is less
uncomfortable if I keep the nail shorter than attempting to push the nerve
back by frequent catch-up nail sessions and in turn, will struggle less because
the trust develops that you are not likely to quick them. The tip is first taken
off with the nail trimmers. I prefer the scissor-like over the guillotine.
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I will then follow up with the nail grinder. I use the rough stone or rough
sandpaper attachment. By using the grinder I can file back the entire casing
of the nail around the nerve that is in the center and this will cause the nerve
(quick) to recede.
I always trim feet after nails are done, so that I can go back as far as possible
on shortening the hair around the toes. I place the foot down on the grooming
table and then go around the foot trimming any stray hairs that take away
from the neat look. Note: I will get into the art of trimming a foot for the
show ring in a future article.
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For maintenance grooming, I use an inexpensive pair of ice-tempered sheers
from the local beauty supply store. They are light weight and are easily
replaceable as they wear. I find they are also not as sharp, a plus when a
beginner or grooming a young puppy.
Both of these tasks are done to maintain the tight cat-like foot necessary to
healthy joints for the life of the dog. If the nails are allowed to get long, they
cause the foot to flatten. If the hair between the toes gets too abundant, the
toes begin to spread. The order of doing nails and trimming feet is up to you.
My typical routine is to trim nails, bathe, then trim feet after the coat is dried
and in the finishing steps where the leg coat is more fluffed up.
THE BATH
The bathing process is best accomplished in a raised tub or on a grooming
table top using your garden hose. I prefer a spray nozzle on the hose much
like you find at a lawn/garden store or large mercantile that has shower and
center settings. I use these interchangeably depending on water pressure. All
the shampoos we use are highly concentrated, so each are diluted and ready to
go before we put the dog into the tub. I use tepid to warm water depending on
the season and in cases where you want the coat to turn loose during a shed, it
is best to use a warmer (not hot) temperature.
When lathering the shampoo, pay special attention to the genitals and in
males that includes the sheath. Usually if you lather that first so that it can be
soaking while shampooing the other areas it will loosen the green discharge
for easier rinsing later.
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After the bath, the coat is squeezed, legs included, ridding excess moisture,
then a good towel scrubbing to attempt to wick as much moisture as you can
from the coat before placing under a fan. I use a high velocity fan and leave
the towel under them in their crate or run and let them sit under the fan for 30
to 60 min depending on the density of the coat. This step can really shorten
your drying time and I use it to bathe the next dog.
We use a force dryer to do the bulk of the work. You can purchase these from
$100 to $500 from www.petedge.com. They have a wide variety to choose
from and for the two or three dog household the less costly models will last
you many years. The other models are built more sturdy and do have a higher
velocity and some include two speed options. We use a variety of models for
different uses, travel in the RV or air travel can require us to size-down. Of
course, at home, we use a much higher speed model to decrease drying time.
The first order of
business is to dry
the coat all over
without doing any
brushing. The goal
is to use the dryer
to lift the dead
undercoat as much
to the surface as
possible.
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Believe me, there is an art in using a force dryer. If you are too close to the
dog, you will knot the coat, if you are too far away, you will lose the benefit of
the force of air pushing the loose coat to the end of the guard coat. I also use
the nozzle that is the smallest round opening, so I can use it as a directed force
of air. I move my wrist quickly in a side-to-side fashion to trick the coat into
letting go of the dead undercoat.
Unless your Keeshond is going through a major shed, I recommend using the
dryer to go through the coat and follow it with a pin brush at the same time.
Using the force dryer to part the coat, you will quickly be able to see the areas
that have loose coat and be able to more easily grab them.
I use a variety of
tools and use a
combination of the
rake, comb, slicker
and pin brush to get
the loose coat out.
My goal is to grab
the coat and at the
same time avoid
breaking the coat that
is not ready to let go.
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After brushing through the
entire body, I use a tiny flea
comb to comb through the ears.
You can also use this for the
short hair on the head and
muzzle.
Surprisingly there is a fair
amount of dead coat in these
areas
When the coat is groomed this frequently, there are fewer times that the coat
takes hours to brush through. This is because the undercoat is taken out as it is
ready and not waiting until the entire coat has dropped. The routine stimulation
of the coat and skin is beneficial to coat growth.
SHAMPOO
There are a range of products to use and I have used many of them. And you can
certainly find levels of quality within the shampoo lines. Premium grade
shampoos would be the Vellus and Isle of Dogs brands. A more mid-grade
quality would include Chris Christensen and Pure Paws.
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Fortunately, Isle of Dogs has come out with a maintenance line which is great
for using when the Keeshond you are bathing might be retired from showing or
is only showing occasionally allowing you to use these shampoos during the inbetween times. All the brands that I am familiar with require dilution as they are
in a very concentrated form. This makes the sticker price less of a shock because
you know the product will bathe many dogs. Each brand has a recommended
dilution ratio, but I find most of the time I can use less and get great results. Not
all shampoos, especially your high end lines are high leather, so it is best to
know the product before you start the dilution process. I find most vendors are
happy to assist in specific advice for a particular coat texture, breed or age of
dog. Feel free to email me beth@trumpetkeeshond.com with any specific
dilution questions.
Isle Of Dogs www.iod.com – Royal Jelly concentrate and Evening Primrose Oil
concentrate. Both shampoos are mixed together for one shampooing. I increase
the ratio of EPO if I have a dry, brittle coat or if I am bathing a puppy under 6
mo old. This company also has a ‘grey line’ that is for more regular use. Stand
Up is the best one for most Keeshond coats.
Vellus www.vellus.com – This line is a tad confusing. You should use the
Clarifying shampoo every other time you bathe the show dog as it lifts away
residue and product. Then follow up with the Shampoo Concentrate. However,
DO NOT USE the Clarifying shampoo alone. Always follow up with the
Shampoo Concentrate. Their conditioner is awesome, however I rarely use it. In
cases of a very dry coat or to make the major brush out go easier, use this.
Pure Paws www.purepaws.net – I have not used their shampoo with any
regularity, but they do have a great volumizing shampoo. And many other useful
products for lifting the coat during show time.
Chris Christensen www.chrissystems.com – Another mid grade but overall
good quality shampoo line. This company also has many other great products
that I will recommend as we get into future articles.
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