Clipping down a Tibetan Terrier

"Hi all,I thought I had this TT adolescent grooming business down, especially since,when Charlie was 8 months old in the summer, we clipped him down to 1/2inch. I highly recommend clipping at this stage, if the weather conditions are suitable. Keeping him unmatted was a breeze, and everyone thought the short look was adorable.

Now it is a different story. He is one year old, his hair is about 2 to 3 inches long, and I don't seem able to stay on top of it, even working on the coat for 30 to 45 minutes a night.

The matting on his paws and underbelly is the worst, probably because of his outdoor play and the lack of guard hair there. I have resorted to cutting these out, but would rather not.

He has a maddening tendency to chew mats into his back haunches and legs, making it difficult to stay on top of them. He chews faster than I detangle. Why might he be doing this, and is there anything I can do to discourage him?

He doesn't really enjoy being groomed, which indicates that I must be doing something wrong. Any advice?

What is the best tool for breaking up mats? Some of his are so thick, they resemble dense cotton surgical plugs.

As always, I appreciate everyone's gentle, informed counsel."

Response

For the sake of new owners on the list, I have to politely disagree with your recommendation to clip your TT at the 8 month stage (or for my money, any stage). I have heard of these kind of coat problems more times than you would imagine, so maybe I can offer you some tips that will make your life easier in the long haul.

I fully understand most people cannot keep up with the coat for some reason, or have a life style that makes it difficult. I also know that sadly, maybe only 1 out of every 20 TT's placed in non-show homes ends up NOT getting buzzed. There is also no doubt that the dog's lifestyle (running around in the woods etc.) can cause more difficulties with an already matting or damaged coat. However!

At the same time, to me the coat is part of the look and essence of the breed, and I could never quite figure out why people who were attracted to the breed in the first place are in such a rush to clip them down. To each his/her own I guess.

I think that an adult coat in good shape is easier to keep than a clipped to 2 or 3 inch long coat... strange as that may seem. If you are going to clip them short(er) then you might be better off waiting until they are well past the adolescent coat matting stage.

One of the reasons people have trouble with the coat is that the dog is never trained to be still and lie down when getting groomed. In most cases the coat is never fully brushed out. Between that and in some cases owner frustration (tugging at the coat or mats), many of them grow to have a negative attitude towards grooming.

Before they reach the infamous 'coat from hell' stage, is the time to start brushing and getting them used to the whole process (even though their coats don't really need much in the way of brushing in the puppy stage). Go to any show with a large number of TT's and most of them will be quietly lying down (some asleep) while being groomed. Most, thoroughly enjoy the process and the added bonus of close contact with their people.

You may not get them to lie down or be fully co-operative the first few weeks or months, so be patient. The key is to take it slow and easy, don't force the issue, and give them lots of praise for each little step forward. Eventually they will let you lie them down on their side and suddenly grooming takes on a whole new (simpler) character. You can't properly groom a dog while struggling to reach the hard spots, so this training is very important in the long run.

Clipping a coat short at under 3 years of age when most lines still are making the transition from puppy to full adult coat often makes matting worse. Most of the matting occurs close to the skin. With a longer coat the outer hairs don't tend to get as easily mixed up with the softer woolier undercoat and mats slide out rather than become felted clumps of both hair layers. Short or long, if the coat is full of uneven areas, contains mat split or scissored gaps and holes, it will be much harder to groom and will mat more easily. It becomes a vicious circle in most cases. You are to be commended for your effort in brushing for 45 minutes a day, but that amount of work should not be necessary. As you have found out, clipping your dog shorter has not decreased your work.

Most adults should easily be able to go a couple of weeks without any brushing, and dog's at your TT's age - for at least a week. Frankly, we don't brush any of ours between baths. If they are starting to mat, then they get bathed and brushed out after the bath (with a clean coat) - no problem.

At 45 minutes a day you are spending over 5 hours a week brushing. Try doing that to your own hair and you won't soon have any left. A 2 hour bath and brush out per week would be a better use of your time in the long term, keep the coat in better shape and would give you 150 extra hours per year to spend doing other things. Any small mats that appear daily can be taken out with your fingers in a few seconds. Your choice of shampoo, brushes and conditioners is another important consideration; all which will affect the ease of which the coat can be maintained.

If you have reached a dead end, clip him down and start over with a new approach to gooming for the long haul. Your life will be much easier, and your dog will be happier.

Follow up Response

I also first and foremost love this breed for all of the things you describe, character, temperament and attitude. I don't quite fully comprehend what that has to do with the topic of coat care and grooming.

Simply put - to me; there is nothing on earth more wonderful than an adult TT in full bloom - mentally - physically - and visually....(well maybe Frank Lloyd Wright's - Falling Waters comes close, or those little Pez candies)....but nay, I digress.

I know quite well that people try their hardest to deal with the coats, so don't think I am coming down on you because that is not my intent. We have all gone through this.

I am trying (for those who would prefer keeping the coat) to dispell the myth that clipping and daily marathon brushing sessions result in easier coat care in the long run (and I fully admit this coat thing is a pet peeve of mine). Sure, if the dog is buzzed every 2 weeks, it will be easier to care for the coat. The dog will also be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer. The double coat insulates against both temperature extremes. Most of our adults who are not being shown get a bath every 2 or 3 weeks with no brushing necessary in between. They fly around the yard, spend lots of time outside in the bushes and do all the normal dog things. There are stages during the year where we have more leaves in the house than there are outside.

Unquestionably, the amount of work involved in the early years may not be for everyone. We clipped our first TT down for the same reasons you did...so I have been where you are. I am suggesting an alternative approach so you can spend more time appreciating all the other things you said you chose the dog for.

My point is that you can have both relatively easy coat care and spend less time caring for it. As you have found out; you are maybe getting frustrated, the dog is probably not having a good time being brushed so much, and you are working way too hard. The irony is you end up paying someone else <groomer> to get back to square one.

If nothing else, try what I suggested until he is 3 or 4 and then a shorter maintenance clip or a longer full coat will be *equally* easy to care for.

If the dog has more felted areas than non-felted areas. Get a 'good' groomer to clip him very short and save what can be saved (tail, head etc.). Within reason protect him from extremes of sun, cold, and heat during the re-growth of the coat. If it's not that bad you could get a mat splitter from any pet store or supply catalogue which will shred the mat for easier removal; but you will damage that area and this will lead eventually to more matting. If you need to use the mat splitter constantly, you might as well go back to the beginning and start over.

Try it....you'll like it.