Maltese is a cute breed of dog with a long and beautiful mane. Like other dog breeds, grooming should be regularly so that their coat is always shiny and looks gorgeous. Because of the long hair characteristics, it is easy to be matted, so it requires you to groom your dog weekly or even daily. In this article, we will show you some ways you can groom a Maltese dog with matted hair more quickly.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR DOG’S HAIR GETS TANGLED?
If Maltese dog’s hair is tangled and long, it will lead to debris and bacteria easily trapped in the coat. This way can make your dog more susceptible to infection or sores due to friction between the coat, debris skin, and the floor. A knotted hair will make your dog feel uncomfortable and will be even more painful if they are active and usually involved in outdoor activities. Sweating makes the coat moisture and more natural to cause matted hair. This problem will be annoying to you when processing.
Besides, with a tangled hair, the parasites will quickly grow and can irritate the Maltese’s skin, it will also gradually lead to your dog calming down by licking or chewing on their coat. This action will make your dog’s hair and skin problems more serious.
TOOLS TO GROOM A MALTESE WITH MATTED
The grooming technique is essential for your dog, and some specialized grooming tools will help you complete your grooming session more quickly. Investing in a quality clipper is essential. Besides, you should be prepared with the following equipment to complement grooming jobs. Some types of the trimmer on the market attached this convenient kit when you buy:
- Combs stainless steel
- Pin brushes
- Scissors
- Dematting Tool
- Blow Dryer
- Conditioning Spray
- Clipper
HOW TO IMPLEMENTING GROOMING JOBS FOR YOUR MALTESE
PRE-BATH BRUSHES FOR YOUR DOG
Before bathing your dog, you have to brush them thoroughly to remove the knots on their coat. Use a pin brush and rat-tail brush to split the fur into small sessions. You can start from their legs to the sides of the hips, then to the back and head. If you touch the knots, gently use your hand to give a detangler, but you should not try to remove it if the side is not possible. You can also use a small comb to remove these tangles. If it is still impossible to remove, you must cut these knotty points.
Do not bathe your Maltese if you have not brushed them yet. It will make the messing point worse.
USING SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
Wet your dog before using shampoo. Try not to let the shampoo make contact with the dog’s eyes and not let water get into their ears. You can also gently massage it during bathing. You can give them bathing with the shower or in the bath. After rinsing off the shampoo, apply conditioner with the same steps.
A common mistake is that the pet parent usually shampoo and conditioner. This choice should not be because the human shampoo contains ingredients that may not be suitable for the sensitive skin of the dog. You should use mildly scented shampoos to help your dog relax more. Also, shampoos and conditioners should be checked for dermatology before applying, paying attention to whether it has ingredients that irritate the skin of your dog or not. Moreover, if your dog has a skin problem or parasite, you should consult with your veterinarian, which shampoo and conditioner are best for them.
DRYING HAIR
Use a soft towel to dry your dog. You should not use the cloth to dry the coat of your dog completely. Avoid drying your dog by vigorously rubbing with the towel because that can lead to tangles. You can also use a dryer to dry dog hair. After drying the dog hair, you can use the comb to brush again to ensure that the matted hair has been removed.
AFTER-BATH BRUSHES
You have to leave the dog; ‘s ‘s hair still damps after bathing. Brush your dog’s hair in the direction of hair growth and try to use your hands to separate as many tangles as possible. You can also use the snipping tool to do this job. Use a slicker brush, de-matteing comb, or brush to remove tangled hair. If the hair around the dog’s anus is long, you should also cut for the dog’s convenience.
CLIPPING HAIR FOR YOUR DOG
If your Maltese dog’s hair is longer, the longer time will take you to perform the trimming. Depending on your dog’s hairstyle and the frequency of their haircut, you can decide how long you can cut the hair. Medium and long hair will quickly make their hair knotty and tangled.
DEALING WITH THE MATTED HAIR
For each different type of mats, you will use different ways to separate or remove them.
For small mats: use your finger to pull gently until the tangle falls out of their hair, you can combine with a small brush. Gently doing this will help your dog feel pampered. This treatment makes you easier to do.
For medium mats: you can use a steel comb to pull it out gently. You have to keep the dog’s hair closest to the skin and not be strong pull as it may hurt your dog, and may cause them to react to you. If you can not eliminate it, do not get upset with your dog.
For larger mats: for lager and more difficult mats, you will need de-matting tools, which are also known as de-matting rakes, or mat splitters has an iron edge to cut through a knot. You should be careful when using the comb to avoid hurting the dog. You also need to use your hands to hold the hair closest to the skin when using this tool.
USING SCISSOR TO REMOVE MATTED HAIR
If your dog’s mats are too big and require you to use scissors, you have to be very careful because the scissor can hurt your dog’s skin if they do not sit still or suddenly run away.
You can use the scissor by separating the matted hair in half from the hair closest to the skin following hair growth direction, then apply the above methods. If your dog has a lot of tangled hair, you should break up the part of the tangle that you can handle. Be extremely careful with the scissors. If you cannot use the methods above, then the scissor should be the last step.
USING THE CLIPPER
If your dog’s tangled hair problem is too severe and none of the above methods can apply, then you can use a trimmer to shave the dog’s hair. Short hair will help you control the problem of knotty hair easier with daily grooming. However, if you are not confident that you can shave your dog by yourself, then you should look for the pros to have your dog groomed safely without worrying about skin damage.
THINGS YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN GROOMING FOR A TANGLED HAIR DOG
You should divide the sessions into small tasks with a shorter time than a long grooming session, which will make your dog feel tired and uncomfortable with grooming. For example, you can cut the nails and clean the ears first. The next day, you can do brushing for them, and the next time you will perform grooming jobs.
If your dog becomes uncomfortable and even aggressive when you are grooming them, you should stop and wait till your dog becomes calm and cooperate with you to perform the grooming session. Do not try to compel because this action only makes your pet obsessive and has a wrong impression of grooming. So, you will have difficulties at the following times.
If your dog has a tangled hair that is too serious, looking for the pros is highly appreciated than you try to get rid of tangled hair by making hurting them.
You are regularly grooming your dog to give them a habit and maintain that habit. Your dog may not like grooming, but you should try to groom as frequently as possible so that the dog is accustomed to clipping and trimming gradually. The attitude you express during grooming is also essential, gentle and keep the pace of considerate talking with your dog. Also, gentle massage or hug your pet will make it feel like being loved, so that will help your Maltese see the grooming is an enjoyable experience.
You should also say compliments and reward them for tasty food or a toy after finishing the grooming sessions.
CONCLUSION
In general, grooming any dog takes time and patience. And this is more special if your Maltese has trouble with tangled hair. Regularly groom and apply the above methods to help your dog have a beautiful and eye-catching coat. Also, do not forget the notes to help your dog have better grooming experience, and you can easily groom them. Last but not least, the most important thing is to consult with the pros if your dog’s problem is severe and need to be solved safely, the advantages will know how to do it. I hope this article will help you with how to deal with your Maltese with matted hair.