The bernese mountain dog requires the right grooming to keep its double coat healthy, shiny, and mat-free. However, a berner’s grooming needs are often overlooked by the family that is focused on the cuteness of a fluffy puppy.
It is important to learn how to groom your bernese mountain dog from the moment they come home with you.
The truth is that bernese mountain dogs do require daily grooming. This includes brushing and combing everyday or at least 3 times a week. Creating a grooming routine with your dog is vital to keeping their coat mat-free!
Matting is the number one grooming problem that bernese mountain dog owners encounter.
Matted fur does not only look bad, but it is very painful for berners. If not removed, it can also cause other health issues including discomfort, skin disorder, flea infestation, mites, worms, and other parasites. And severe matting usually leads to a shave-down right to the skin.
Brushing on a regular basis also gets rid of loose fur and debris. Plus, it helps reduce the amount of loose hair around your house especially when they are blowing their coat, which happens twice a year.
TOP 3 BRUSHES EVERY BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG OWNER SHOULD HAVE
Before brushing and combing your bernese mountain, you need the right grooming tools. Using the wrong tool can actually cause a lot of damage to your dog’s coat. These are the top three tools that should be used on a bernese mountain’s coat.
1. Double-Sided Undercoat Rake For Shedding and Matting
The double-sided undercoat rake is perfect for your shedding bernese mountain dog. One side is used for grooming your dog’s undercoat where all the mats and tangles occur. The other side gets all the loose fur that tends to end up all around the house. It does not get rid of shedding completely, but it greatly decreases it.
The Freshly Bailey Undercoat Rake is the best option. It is designed to effectively remove mats and knots without hurting your dog. Plus, it gets deep into the undercoat to remove all loose hair that causes bad odor and ends up on clothes, furniture, and everywhere pretty much. It is the perfect deshedding and dematting tool.
*Quick tip: start with the 9-tooth side to remove all tangles and mats (use short and gentle strokes), and finish with the 17-tooth side designed for deshedding.
2. A High Quality Slicker Brush
The slicker brush is one of the best dog brushes recommended by grooming professionals for bernese mountain dogs. It is actually the type of brush you want to start with when grooming your dog because it helps break up any knots and prevents matting, plus it is loved by most dogs.
We love recommending the Self Cleaning Slicker Brush because it is very easy to use, super effective, and easy to clean and maintain at the same time. It is always important to keep the bristles of a slicker brush from bending or getting damaged as this can cause skin irritation, pain, and discomfort.
What we love about this brush is that you can brush your dog, and then just click and clean the brush. The bristles retract when you click the button so they are kept from being damaged. And your brush can be stored and ready for your next brushing session.
3. A Metal Comb
A metal comb should be used after you have brushed your dog thoroughly with the slicker brush and double-sided undercoat rake. The end result should be the ability to get the comb from the root to the tip of the hair.
We like the Dual-length Dog Metal Comb. It is the perfect comb to add the finishing touch to your dog’s coat. It has long and short stainless steel teeth to quickly and painlessly remove any remaining tangles or knots. Its rounded head pins keep your bernese mountain’s skin from getting scratched. And the anti-slip handle protects your dog from any slippery accidents.
HOW TO PROPERLY BRUSH A BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG AND PREVENT MATTING
Common Mistake #1: UNBRUSHED HAIR + WATER = MATS
ALWAYS brush your dog’s hair before giving them a bath. If you bathe your dog's matted hair without detangling it, it will just get worse! Brush, bathe, and wait for the fur to dry, and then brush it again. Do not brush a wet coat.
Weekly Brushing Routine:
1. LINE BRUSH YOUR DOG FOR BEST RESULTS: Grab your slicker brush to brush your dog’s hair. Do not just brush the top of the coat as this does not really do anything to prevent matting.
Start at the bottom of the coat, grab a handful of hair, and brush a line of fur away. You should be able to see the skin. As you go, brush the hair down making sure that with each line you get right to the skin.
Do not drag the brush across the dog’s skin, but do a pull-away type of stroke. Move up as you go along, and make sure you brush your dog’s entire coat. Don’t forget about the tail and armpits.
If you have the self-cleaning slicker brush, just click, clean, and store when finished. Otherwise, make sure the bristles are thoroughly cleaned.
2. FINISH WITH A METAL COMB: After brushing with the slicker brush, take your metal comb, and comb your dog’s coat thoroughly until the comb moves easily through the hair. If the comb gets stuck in any particular section, go back and brush out the tangle with the slicker brush.
De - Shedding Brushing Routine:
1. USE THE DOUBLE-SIDED UNDERCOAT RAKE Use the wider-tooth side and short strokes to remove knots and tangles, finish with the side with narrow teeth to deshed and remove dead fur. The undercoat rake will save you tons of time when grooming your dog. It also creates a massaging effect that dogs tend to love. Plus, it will greatly reduce the amount of hair flying around the house.
CONSISTENCY:
Create a positive grooming routine and make sure you brush and comb your bernese mountain dog at least 3 times per week.
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