Do I need a bath?
It’s a question that is asked quite a lot, do I need a bath? Generally, the answer is no, I don’t. I can’t speak for other breeds, but I can speak for my own. Very rarely do I really need a bath. Of course, if I roll in something foul smelling, I may consider that perfume, but you may not. In those circumstances there may be exceptions. In general, we keep ourselves very clean and the natural oils in our coats help to protect us from the cold and wet. When you think we are working mountain dogs, our protective coat is quite important. We have what’s called a double coat, with a nice dense layer that keeps us warm and a lovely top layer that keeps us dry.
Brushing
We are supposed to have our undercoat. The last thing we need is humans thinking it’s a good idea to use brushes which strip that away. Yes of course, when we’re moulting a little bit of brushing with something like a rubber mitt can take away the loose hair. That won’t strip away the hair that should stay behind. And the lovely feathery bits around our back legs can get a bit matted when we’re older as we can’t reach round to groom them so easily. Then you might need to use a comb to gently tease them out. Other than that, we do a pretty good job ourselves.
Nails
I’ll admit we’ve needed nail trims from time to time, but not so much if we walk on tarmac or stone. It’s mainly if we only walk on soft ground that our claws don’t wear down on their own. Interestingly, Mum has thought us girls have faster growing nails than the boys have had and it’s usually been one or other of us that has needed the occasional nail trim, but even that isn’t really often.
We really are a pretty easy breed where grooming is concerned.
Love and licks
Wilma
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