The
Chow Chow's great lionlike coat is one of the breed's most appealing
characteristics. Chows don't require extensive trimming but do need a
few hours of brushing, bathing and nailcutting to maintain their
magnificent appearance. Grooming should begin as soon as you bring
your Chow home whether he's 6 weeks or 6 months old. Chows are
inherently clean and have very high opinions of themselves. They like
to look good! Regular grooming helps to maintain their lordly
appearance and attitude along with building a better relationship
between the two of you.
Start with the right tools
Let's start with the right equipment.
Quality tools are important, help you get the job done right in the
shortest amount of time and last longest. You can find some of these
tools at your local pet supply store and others can be ordered from
the catalog houses that are listed at the end of the article. Good
tools aren't cheap and you get what you pay for.
- a sturdy grooming table. You'll
have better control of the dog on a table and it'll save your
back. You can also build a table using inexpensive materials found
at the hardware store.
- a "Greyhound-style"
medium/coarse steel comb.
- a small fine-toothed comb with a
handle.
- a well-balanced 7" grooming
shears. Take good care of it to maintain its edge and balance.
- a "Universal" slicker
brush and a "Safari" pin brush.
- a nail clipper and a product
called "Quik Stop".
- a spray-on coat dressing and a
conditioning shampoo. Brands like Ring 5, Bio-Groom, Tomlyn, etc.
are excellent products. Don't use shampoo meant for humans. Dogs
require a different pH balance.
- a blowdryer. The handheld kind is
okay but if you can afford it, specially designed high powered
dryers designed for dogs will save you much time and do a better
job without drying out the coat.
Bathing
Now
that you have your tools and your dog handy, we can start. Bathing
should be done monthly and can be done oftener if you prefer. Bathing
as often as once a week will not dry out the coat if you're using good
products and doing the job properly. Most show Chows are bathed
weekly.
Before the bath, remove any large mats or dead hair that might be
shedding out. Wet the coat thoroughly and apply shampoo being careful
to keep soap out of his eyes. Rub vigorously to work up a lather,
adding more water as needed. The soap has to get all the way to the
skin. Rinse well, then lather once more. Use a washcloth to clean his
face, being careful not to get the soap in his eyes and ears.
Now it's time for the final rinse. This is the most
important part of the bath. Absolutely no shampoo should be
left behind or it will irritate his skin and cause "hot
spots". An old rule of thumb is to rinse till the water runs
clear, then rinse again. Towel dry the dog while still in the tub,
making sure to get the water out of his ears.
Now you're ready to blow dry. Lay
your Chow on his side on the table. This may take two people at first
but insist and make him obey you. Drying and grooming is much easier
with the Chow on his side and after awhile, he'll be so comfortable,
he may even fall asleep while you work!
Start with the belly hair and legs,
working your way to the spine, blowing the coat while brushing down to
the skin with the pin brush. Take care to dry the areas between his
rear legs and around his private parts. Brushing to the skin is
critical - you must be able to see the skin as you brush even on the
most heavily-coated Chow! Otherwise, the hair closest to the skin
will pack down, retain dirt and moisture and cause serious skin
problems. If you brush the coat in small sections, reaching the skin
is easier. Use the slicker and/or pin brush, following up with the
comb to make sure all dead and shedding hair has been removed. Turn
him over and repeat the process on the other side. Then he can stand
or sit up so you can dry his ruff and bib.
Paws & Toenails
Clipping toenails should be done on a
weekly or bi-weekly basis. Long toenails damage feet and are
uncomfortable to walk on. Nails are easiest to cut after bathing when
they're softest. You may want to ask your vet or your dog's breeder to
show you how the first time. If you accidentally cut a nail too short
and it bleeds, apply a pinch of "Quik Stop" to the cut end.
No dog enjoys having his nails cut and you must be firm about it. Give
treats and praise for being cooperative. With practice, he'll behave
better and you'll become quicker and more efficient.
Chows have the most compact, cat-like
foot in all dogdom. To keep them that way, keep the nails short and
trim the hair underneath the foot between the toes and pads as well as
around the outside of the foot. Too much hair and long nails can cause
the foot to spread and become flat along with picking up dirt and
causing the Chow to slip on smooth surfaces.
Regular Grooming
Your Chow should be brushed weekly
between baths. Lay the Chow on his side, mist the coat with coat
dressing and brush thoroughly to the skin. Coat dressing prevents hair
breakage, static and generally makes grooming easier. Use the slicker
brush on the shorter hair and the pin brush on the longer coat. Follow
with the medium/coarse comb. The fine-toothed comb is used on legs,
feet and face and is good for removing shedding and dead hair. Remember,
always brush to the skin!
When finished, use the shears to trim
off any long, wispy hair that sticks out beyond the Chow
"silhouette". Trim a small area around the anus for
cleanliness. You can also trim the Chow's hocks and pasterns (ankles)
for neatness.
Ear cleaning should also be done
weekly using a product designed for that purpose. It's a good idea to
have your veterinarian or groomer show you how. Your veterinarian can
also show you how to brush your dog's teeth and prevent future dental
diseases.
Special Summertime Tips
Many people feel sorry for their
Chows in the summer and wonder if they should shave them. The Chow's
thick coat is designed to protect him from heat as well as cold. The
undercoat helps insulate the skin. Shaving your Chow may not help him
feel cooler and in some cases, may contribute to skin problems as well
as sunburn.
The
best way to keep your Chow comfortable in hot weather is to keep him
well-groomed! Dirty, dead and shedding hair packs down next to the
skin, trapping dirt, heat and moisture. Circulating air isn't able to
reach the skin. Regular grooming and bathing helps avoid these
problems.
If your Chow's coat isn't especially
thick in the summer, you may be able to skip the blowdrying process
after the bath. Chows with heavy undercoats and puppies still in puppy
coat need to be blowdried because the coat will take forever to dry on
its own and retains moisture, often causing hot spots, especially in
humid weather.
Treating Hot Spots
"Hot Spots" are probably
the most common and frustrating temporary health problems in Chow
Chows. They can appear overnight, growing from a tiny spot into a
huge, hot, angry, oozing sore. Chows are their own worst enemies when
it comes to hot spots. The sores hurt and itch and the Chow tries to
relieve the pain by chewing at himself which only makes the hot spot
worse!
What exactly causes hot spots isn't
known for sure but many things contribute to them. Soap left in the
coat after the bath is a leading culprit along with flea infestations,
wounds, allergies and hormone disorders. If your Chow breaks out
shortly after a bath, you can suspect you didn't rinse him well
enough. Another bath with a more thorough rinsing will be necessary. A
Chow that's allergic to fleas will fly into a coat-chewing frenzy over
just one flea bite. Minor skin irritations and insect bites are high
on the hot spot list, too. Chows are funny creatures - they ignore big
hurts to the point of not letting you know when they don't feel well
but they are easily upset by small hurts like insect bites.
Allergies usually appear after
puppyhood and are more prevalent in the summer months. Hormone
disorders like thyroid deficiency also usually appear after puppyhood.
These are year-round conditions.
The key to controlling and clearing
up a hot spot is to relieve the itching and restraining the Chow from
chewing on himself. Medication applied to the skin is very helpful.
There are several ointments you can get by presciption from your
veterinarian such as Panalog and Gentocin ointment and Variton cream.
Variton cream has a bad taste to it and discourages chewing. Over the
counter medications are also available at pet supply stores. In severe
cases, the veterinarian may choose to give an injection of
anti-inflammatory steroids to reduce the irritation and the dog's
sensitivity to allergens.
Most Chows get at least a couple hot
spots at some point in their lives. If your Chow is having chronic
problems with hot spots, hair loss or other skin troubles, you should
suspect a deeper cause such as allergies or homone disorders. See your
veterinarian for an examination and treatment.
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Photo & Illustration credits:
1) T.G. DeGruy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
2) Eric Johnsen, Franklin, Wisconsin
3) Kip Kopatch, Greene, Rhode Island
all photos & illustrations copyrighted
by their authors, all rights reserved.
This article was adapted from the original written by Kathy Beliew
and is published by The Chow Chow Club, Inc.'s Welfare
Committee. Reproduction of this copyrighted material,
photographs, or illustrations
for other than personal home use is prohibited.
Contact us for reprint permission.
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Related Reading
Teaching
Good Manners For Grooming & At The Vet's Office
Does your Chow hate to be groomed? Does he turn into a demon at the
vet's?
This file will help you train him to behave like the canine gentleman
you want him to be.