Grooming your Glen of Imaal

Glen of Imaal terriers have a weatherproofed overcoat and a softer undercoat; they need regular grooming, as well as trimming and stripping in order to maintain their appearance and the usefulness of their coat. Glen of Imaals are very hairy so they need very regular grooming and as long as you keep on top of the grooming, they don’t shed very much.

Glen of Imaal terriers have a very rough outer coat which is weather proof and needs to be combed with a metal comb or a slicker brush when the dog’s fur is longer. After a cut, you should use a slicker brush because it’s gentle on the dog’s skin. This should be done at least twice a week in order to get any knots out and prevent matting. You also have to wipe your dog’s beard every day to get rid of the dirt accrued from a day of eating and sniffing and getting into things.

Hand Stripping a Glen of Imaal for Show

A few times a year, a Glen of Imaal needs to be hand stripped and plucked in order to maintain the integrity of its coat and its appearance. Show dogs must be hand stripped and plucked, but if you don’t intend to show your dog and you aren’t as finicky about appearances then you can do a thorough cut and trim a few times a year in order to get roughly the same effect. If you’re uncertain about stripping your pet, then you can have a professional groomer do the stripping for you, but be certain that you specify what you want and that the groomer is versed in hand stripping and plucking otherwise you won’t get what you want.

Don’t Bath your Terrier to Often

Glen of Imaals should not be bathed more than once every few months because frequent bathing ruins the weatherproofing effect of the dog’s coat. When you do have to bathe your dog, be certain to use dog shampoo and rinse thoroughly as dried shampoo is an irritant. Finally, make sure to clip your dog’s nails routinely and check his ears for ear wax or other irritants so that his ears stay healthy. You also have to clip the hairs around his ears and bum too so that your dog can more easily stay clean.

Glen of Imaal terriers are very attractive dogs and you can keep this appearance by following a proper grooming routine. Both you and your dog will benefit from taking care of it, and we´re sure that your dog and you will enjoy the bonding time that a grooming creates!