Grooming

[NUT]

Is there a best time to groom a Brittany? He's shedding like a maniac. I looked at some of his pup pictures with the short hair and wondered if he could use a trim. I've never had him groomed before. Just bathe him as needed and brush him 3-5 times per week.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[NUT]

Also, are there any preferred groomers in the Philadelphia, Phila suburbs, or southern NJ areas?

[Cindy]

I groom Kayla all year long, leaving her fur longer in the cold weather and very short for summer and swimming. Jill has much shorter fur but she's been shedding quite a bit lately. I take a rubber curry comb (for my horses) and that pulls alot of the loose hair out. I've also used a furminator on her.

[NUT]

Thanks! I use the horse brush, too. It seems like I remove an entire dog's worth of hair from him every time I brush him. He's never gotten a haircut so now I am trying to find quotes and recommendations for a good groomer.

[dmedric]

FYI. From an older post re grooming:

Here is a good website on grooming a Brittany. http://www.brittanygrooming.com/

[holisticmom]

Well, shedding season for Brits starts in February and ends in January. I brushed Orion almost daily--he loved getting brushed. In August-Sept. I upped it to twice a day. I also gave him fish oil.
Bathing, however, was done only every 6-8 weeks or if a roll in something unspeakable made it necessary. He hated baths and glared at me as if he were trying to get my Amnesty International membership card pulled.

[NUT]

Got my boy all groomed up and he looks great. I'm going to have him groomed every spring or maybe even every six months if his hair grows back fast. Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[enginerd]

I ran into the same problem with Chuck, I bought a pair of clippers did a quick hack myself (dude was fuzzy) and then I paid a groomer ($60) to clip him once so I could see what he should look like. After that I just learned that a short all over cut is easy to do and looks great (although he now gets mistaken for a german shorthair). He's very easy going with the process and doing it doesn't take long to trim (about 30 minutes... but I've only done it twice now). I just put a #2 guard on and clip away (he get to lick a frosty paws, so everyone is happy when we're done). His fur grows back rather quickly, but it looks like 2 cuts will get through the summer so I can let it grow longer for the winter. He still sheds, but the hair balls roaming the house are smaller now

[Muddy Creek Britts]

The American Shorthair Brittany. Got yourself a purebred and turned into a designer breed. My philosophy is show cut or no cut. And don't get me started on flag tails again.

[Cindy]

The American Shorthair Brittany. )

Kayla is often mistaken for a German shorthaired pointer puppy when she's clipped down short for the Summer. Makes me feel like we have 3 dogs instead of 2!

Carlyn - glad to hear you've mastered dog clipping 101!

[rtropeano]

And don't get me started on flag tails again.

Hey Brian, talk to the tail:

[enginerd]

I'll have to work my way up to show cuts... perhaps clipping 102 will be the poodle cut (broodle?)... or may a mowhawk for the guy (the brunk look)

Now I just need to get Ripley to grow some fur and then I can have two to experiment with