Although their temperament makes them suitable for even novice owners, their coats are very unique and require special care and even more care must be taken if you’re going to show this dog because they have a very distinctive appearance and shape.

Brushing Your Dandie Dinmont

Every day, you’ll have to brush a Dandie Dinmont’s coat with a sticker brush, a pin brush, and a bristle brush. This is because this terrier has a very soft overcoat and a softish undercoat, both of which need to be carefully brushed and have the dead hairs pulled from them. With regular care, this breed of dog hardly sheds at all, so if you want to keep from having fur all over the place, regular brushing is a must.

Plucking and Hand Stripping

A couple times a year, a Dandie Dinmont has to be plucked and hand stripped, either by a groomer, or you can do it yourself. It’s very important with this breed to have a professional do it at least once so you can see how it’s done. This is because of that this breed of terrier has a very distinctive shape and appearance, which can only be seen through careful stripping and plucking. You should let a professional do it first to see how it’s done before attempting to do it yourself. Every couple of months you’ll have to trim your dog with thinning shears and a #4 or #5 blade to get rid of clumps of matted hair and to clean up your dog’s appearance, especially along the back and sides to maintain the ‘weasel like’ appearance; that is, the long appearance of this particular terrier. A #10 and #15 blade is used for the stomach and feet because this fur is much softer.

Dandie Dinmonts are Great Companions

Dandie Dinmonts don’t need a lot of bathing; you’ll mostly just have to wash yours if it gets into something smelly. Use dog shampoo and lots of patience and make sure to rinse out shampoo carefully as dried shampoo is itchy. Dandie Dinmonts make great companions as they do well even in apartments where they can’t get a lot of exercise. However, they do have particular grooming needs so be certain to either have a groomer you trust or that you learn how to do it yourself so that your terrier looks great all the time.

Related posts:

1. Dandie Dinmont Terrier
2. Grooming your Black Russian Terrier
3. Australian Terrier

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!

Related posts:

1. Glen of Imaal Terrier
2. Grooming your Lakeland Terrier
3. Grooming your Dandie Dinmont

Miniature Schnauzers have a double coat; the outer layer is wiry and hard and the undercoat is softer. Furthermore, this breed of dog has a coat which, in order to maintain the correct appearance, requires a lot of combing, clipping and stripping in order to achieve the ideal appearance.

Miniature Schnauzers need to be both combed with a metal comb with very fine teeth and one with sharper teeth to comb both the overcoat and the undercoat. You’ll also want to use a brush and a slicker brush for daily brushing to keep your dog’s appearance looking nice every day, though certainly not show quality.

Miniature Schnauzers needs Careful Clipping

The most important grooming needs of a Miniature Schnauzer though is the clipping aspect. Your Miniature Schnauzer has to be carefully clipped and if you intend to show your dog, you will have to hand strip and pluck your dog before the exhibition. You have to clip your dog starting at the skull and working against the grain of the coat. The lighter your touch is while clipping, the more hair will be left on your dog, so decide how long you want your dog’s coat to be beforehand. It’s also best to give your dog a quick wash before clipping; dirty hair is harder to cut than clean hair. It’s also easier to get rid of mats when the hair is wet. You also have to trim your dog’s beard and the fur around his paws routinely to prevent matting and keep the hair clean as these areas better attract dirt.

Professional Grooming

If you intend to put up your Miniature Schnauzer for show, then simply using electric clips will not be enough. Instead, you’ll have to use a stripping knife and plucking to get rid of longer hairs and make sure your dog’s coloring and appearance is perfect. This is a long process and one which requires a lot of practice, but when done properly, you’ll have a very nicely groomed dog. If you are nervous about doing this properly, then take your dog to a professional groomer to have the work done for you, but be certain that the groomer is able to do the job right otherwise you probably won’t get what you want.

Miniature Schnauzers may not be easy to groom, but it’s well worth it as they are handsome dogs and they are also very friendly pets.

Related posts:

1. Miniature Schnauzer
2. Miniature Bull Terrier
3. Grooming your Glen of Imaal

Rat terriers have a very fine coat and it’s a single layer coat to boot with no extra hair or tufts to groom. They are very susceptible to the cold therefore, so many people dress their dogs, not to be cute, but simply to let them survive a cold day. Rat terriers are also clean dogs by nature, so they rarely roll in anything too gross which needs to be cleaned off. The coat of a rat terrier needs to only be brushed with a rubber brush or a stiff bristle brush very occasionally; generally it’s best to brush them after they have had a bath which means you’ll probably only be brushing your dog a couple of times a year. Overbathing and overgrooming can lead to skin problems such as mange, so unless the dog is filthy, it’s best to leave it alone.

Healthy Rat Terrier Coat

Rat terriers are also susceptible to skin allergies from coat products such as colognes and many flea products, so if you want to maintain your dog’s glossy coat, you should talk to your vet about what to use and what not to use. Some people find that using a small amount of olive oil every once in a while is sufficient for keeping their dog’s coat healthy and glossy, but don’t use too much or the coat will become oily.

What should be done routinely is nail clippings so that your dog stays comfortable while walking around and you should check your dog’s ears for things like earwax and mites, especially if your pet spends a lot of time outside. You can also brush your dog’s teeth daily or at least every other day in order to remove tartar build up before it turns into plaque and worse problems.

Rat Terriers are Low Maintenance Dogs

Rat Terriers are extremely low maintenance dogs as far as grooming goes and this makes them very desirable as pets because you don’t have to spend a lot of time caring for their coats. In fact, it’s advisable to spend little time grooming because overgrooming can damage your dog’s skin and hair with ease. Rat terriers also prefer to be clean, so they’ll largely manage themselves.

Related posts:

1. Grooming your Australian Terrier
2. Grooming your American Staffordshire
3. Grooming your Fox Terrier

Unlike many other dogs which benefit from being brushed, Lakeland Terriers are better off being hand stripped for their outer coat and then raked for their undercoat. This retains the usefulness of their coat while maintaining their distinctive appearance.

Clipping the Lakeland Terrier

Lakeland Terriers should only be clipped in their belly, genital, and ear areas as anywhere else damages the coat and does nothing about the dead hairs that have to be taken out. Clipping these hairs can even cause discomfort as clipping does not remove the hair shaft and causes itching. Instead, grooming Lakeland Terriers is a matter of painstakingly stripping, hand plucking, and carefully combing out the coat. The beard also has to be combed and often trimmed or plucked in order to retain a tidy appearance.

If you do choose to brush your dog, you’ll want to use a slicker brush and a greyhound comb on the undercoat.  Some owners clip the overcoat despite the attitude that it should be hand plucked in order to be correctly done; if you’re never going to show your dog and you’re careful about clipping, this works well enough, so long as you are mindful of any hair shafts. Combing should be done every other day.

Spot Clean the Beard

On the other hand, bathing should only be done as required. Bathing your Lakeland Terrier dries out the skin and destroys the protective qualities of the coat, making it hazardous to do. Instead, spot clean the beard and face of your dog when necessary and only give your dog a bath if he’s rolled in something offensive.

Like any dog, Lakeland Terrier grooming also requires you to clean your dog’s ears with cotton swab and a cleaning solution to get rid of wax. You also have to clean away the debris that can collect in the corner of your dog’s eyes.  Make sure to brush your dog’s teeth as early as possible to get him used to the sensation, using canine toothpaste and a brush or finger brush. Finally, your dog’s nails will have to be clipped every couple of weeks so that your dog is comfortable and the nails stay healthy.

Attractive when kept Groomed

Lakeland Terriers are very attractive dogs when they are kept well groomed and this requires some time commitment from the owner, especially if you are a die hard and want to do most of the grooming by hand plucking which takes a long time but results in a very fine looking animal. Other owners may find that simply combing and clipping does a well enough job for them. No matter which side you fall on, Lakeland Terrier grooming is trickier than other terriers, so keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to own one.

Related posts:

1. Lakeland Terrier
2. Grooming your Miniature Schnauzer
3. Grooming your Black Russian Terrier

With a heavy beard and a curly coat, Kerry Blues can be a bit tricky to groom; especially if you’re grooming for show. However keeping up with a grooming routine is very important because an ungroomed Kerry Blue gets matted fur very easily and becomes uncomfortable and irritable. However, ten or twenty minutes of brushing a day will prevent this and keep your dog looking very nice.

To groom a Kerry Blue Terrier, you’ll need a slicker brush and a metal comb, otherwise known as a Greyhound comb. The slicker brush is used to brush out the chest, sides and legs while the comb is used in the beard to get rid of small tangles and food particles. Run your comb right through the hair of your terrier, all the way to the skin as mats start at the skin and thus are hard to see or deal with. It’s always best to start at the head because you’ll have to check your dog’s ears for any problems, clean out the corners of your dog’s eyes (if there’s any build up) and comb out the beard. Then, after the head is done, you can move to the rest of the body, using your slicker brush and the comb to untangle any knots without wrecking the curls of your dog’s coat.

Balance Between Lower and Upper Leg

Pay special attention to the feet to make sure that any loose fur in the pads is clipped and the leg fur is trimmed so that there is a balance between the lower legs where there is more fur, and the upper leg where there is less. For the rest of the coat, use a mist of conditioner or even just water to help detangle any knots. Brush following the grain of the dog and then brush upwards and forwards to get rid of knots and stimulate the production of the natural oils in the dog’s skin.

If you can, you should give your dog a good brushing daily, but even grooming your Kerry Blue Terrier weekly will keep it looking great between professional grooming. Grooming your Kerry Blue Terrier yourself will also promote bonding and allow you to take a good look for the beginnings of any problems which a vet should look at.

Keep up With the Oral Hygiene

You also want to keep up with your Kerry Blue Terrier’s oral hygiene by brushing its teeth with canine toothpaste and a toothbrush. This way you get rid of harmful plaque before it can build up into something more dangerous like tartar. You should also clip your dog’s nails every couple weeks so that your dog remains comfortable when walking and so you don’t have to worry about anything of yours being damaged by nails.

If you learn how to groom your Kerry Blue Terrier, you can save money on your grooming bill and enjoy daily time with your dog. It also allows you to keep an eye on any skin problems that may come up. All in all, learning how to groom your Blue Terrier will be very helpful to your overall ability to take care of your pet.

Related posts:

1. Kerry Blue Terrier
2. Grooming your Wheaten Terrier
3. Grooming your Yorkshire Terrier

This type of terrier has such a short coat that it doesn’t need a lot of care and so is a good dog to have if you don’t have a lot of time to commit to learning how to groom your dog. However, like any pet, it does have some grooming needs to consider and learning how to groom your American Staffordshire properly will lead to having a happier and healthier pet.

Brushing your American Staffordshire

Weekly brushing with either a rubber brush, a knobby glove, or even a stiff bristle brush will get rid of loose hairs for your terrier and prevent hairballs from accumulating all over your home and clothing. Simply run the brush down your dog as though you are petting him and you’ll be able to remove a lot of dirt and loose hair while checking up on your dog’s skin and enjoying some together time.

Brushing your dog regularly also prevents skin irritants from building up into rashes or other problems. You’ll also want to clean your dog’s ears with a mild ear cleaning solution and a cotton swab and clean out the corners of your dog’s eyes to prevent the build up of irritants that your dog’s eyes have pushed away. Leaving gunk in the ears and eyes of your dog is unattractive and leads to the build up of bacteria which could cause infections.

Trim the Nails of Your Dog

Every couple weeks, you should also give your terrier’s nails a trim so that they don’t develop a limp or have other problems that long nails can give. You also have to brush your dog’s teeth regularly with canine toothpaste. If you start early enough, it won’t be as bad a chore as your terrier will be used to it. You have to use either a canine toothbrush or you can use a fingerbrush to do this grooming aspect.

Bathing the American Staffordshire

Bathing should only be done a couple times a year as doing this too frequently can irritate your terrier’s skin and lead to rashes and other problems. And since this breed of terrier has such short fur, the natural oils in your animal’s fur do a fine job of cleaning on its own.

However, if you want to bathe your dog as part of your grooming regime, make sure to use warm water, shampoo that has been created for dogs and always be very careful to rinse out every last drop of soap. Dried shampoo is very irritating to dogs and leads to rashes and other problems. Using an attachable shower is the best idea as washing your dog in standing water doesn’t allow you to rinse your terrier off properly.

Learning how to groom your American Staffordshire is very easy to do as they are low maintaince and require very little in the way of grooming. Simply keeping up with weekly brushings and toothbrushing should be enough to groom your American Staffordshire.

Related posts:

1. American Staffordshire Terrier
2. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
3. Grooming your Manchester Terrier

Pin Brush and a Greyhound Comb

The coat of a Bedlington Terrier needs to be brushed with both a pin brush for the undercoat and a greyhound comb on the overcoat in order to maintain the crisp curls. You can also use a sticker brush to detangle the coat. Start by brushing out the softer undercoat with your pin brush and removing any tangles that may have grown from there, especially since it’s easier for knots to form with hair that doesn’t shed.

Then use your sticker brush to get rid of knots in the top coat and the greyhound comb to brush the coat without ruining the integrity of the curls. Bedlington Terriers should be brushed at least weekly in order to prevent mats from forming since they don’t shed their dead hairs.

For Comfort of Both Dog and Owner

Every so often while grooming your Bedlington Terrier, you’ll also want to hand pull the hairs that grow out of their ears and give their ears a good cleaning and clip the hairs growing around the dog’s anus. This is for the comfort of both the dog and the owner and greatly reduces the scruffy appearance that an untrimmed Bedlington Terrier can acquire. It also stops poop from getting stuck in the fur. You can also clip any hairs growing from your dog’s pads by trimming the feathers and any fur that is growing between the pads. This will help prevents infections.

You should also brush your dog’s teeth daily, starting the day you get your puppy. This way, your dog gets used to having its teeth brushed and it won’t be such a traumatic chore. You can use a canine toothbrush or a fingerbrush and always use toothpaste that has been made for dogs; human toothpaste can be poisonous and is always inedible.

Rarely Requires Bathing

Bedlington Terriers rarely require bathing; perhaps a couple times per year or if your pet got into something stinky. When your grooming regime calls for bathing, use only dog shampoo and make sure to rinse it all out very thoroughly as dried shampoo is itchy and irritating. Use water that’s a bit warmer than the body temperature of your dog for the comfort of your pet and be prepared to get wet yourself; even the most patient Bedlington Terrier will shake itself at least once over the course of the bath.

More Coat to Work With

Grooming your Bedlington Terrier is a little more time consuming than other terriers, mainly because they have more coat to work with than other breeds. However, when you are able to groom your Bedlington Terrier, you can save on groomers and enjoy some time with your dog.

Related posts:

1. Bedlington Terrier
2. Grooming your Jack Russell Terrier
3. Grooming your Border Terrier

They have a wiry, hard overcoat which repels water, but requires some in depth care in order to keep the dog looking its best. Grooming your Norwich Terrier can be time consuming, but the end result is a very cute dog.

Don’t Clip your Norwich Terrier

Norwich Terriers need to be combed and brushed daily as part of an upkeep routine and to keep dead hair and dirt from accumulating on the coat and leading to an unkempt appearance. This is also a great time for you to check if there is anything odd on your dog such as bumps or rashes. Only brush or comb, don’t clip your dog. Wiry coats do not respond well to clipping – the coat becomes overly soft and bumpy and your dog will itch from dead hair shafts. Instead, hand pluck and strip to get rid of dead hair and only trim the ends of hairs around the face, chest, and genital areas.

You also have to pluck ear hair, not cut it, because cutting ear hair will leave the shaft behind and cause irritation. Fortunately, a full stripping and plucking need only be done about twice a year; the rest of the time, you can get by with trimming and brushing and combing.

No Scheduled Bathing Required

Norwich Terriers do not require scheduled bathing – Their coat does a fine job of keeping itself clean. However, if you have to give your dog a bath, use canine shampoo and rinse it off well; dried shampoo is itchy and leaves unsightly flakes behind. Always pat dry your Norwich Terrier so that the coat retains its, hard, tight appearance.

Norwich Terriers have many of the same grooming needs as other dogs. Their nails should be clipped every couple of weeks to prevent damage from the nails and keep your dog comfortable while he is walking. Ears should be inspected regularly for signs of anything strange (and anything strange should be reported to your vet) and cleaned with a cleaning solution and a cotton ball around the outside part of the inside ear. This is to remove ear wax.

Dog Getting His Teeth Brushed

Norwich Terriers also have to have the corners of their eyes cleaned since debris builds up there and can lead to stains and a home for bacteria. Norwich Terriers also have to have their teeth brushed daily, starting as early as possible. Use a canine toothpaste and toothbrush or finger brush only; human toothpaste is inedible at best and poisonous at worst. Starting early will help your dog get used to the idea of having its teeth brushed.

Learning how to groom your Norwich Terrier is not only a good way to save money on grooming bills but also gives you a chance to cuddle with your dog and inspect your dog for any early signs of trouble. Norwich Terriers greatly benefit from regular grooming and they need to be hand stripped and plucked at least twice yearly. This keeps their coat colors crisp and gets rid of dead hair. Grooming your Norwich Terrier can be a very fun activity for you and your dog as long as you are patient and free with the treats.

Related posts:

1. Norwich Terrier
2. Grooming your Manchester Terrier
3. Grooming your Border Terrier

Praise Your Dog a Lot

Being relatively easy to care for, bull terriers do not need to be bathed nearly as often as many other terriers. In fact, it’s recommended that you only bathe your bull terrier about once a month or even once every few months. It’s all their coat needs for outside assistance, and too much bathing can badly irritate your dog’s skin which makes it very hard to clean since shampooing will lead to further irritation. Use canine shampoo and pay special attention to their neck as this is where fleas can gather. You’ll also need to praise your dog a lot; bathing isn’t easy on anyone and it’s a rare dog which enjoys it.

Trimming the Whiskers

At about the same degree of regularity, you’ll want to trim your bull terrier’s whiskers in order to keep your dog looking tidy. Some owners prefer not to trim whiskers and that’s fine too. You’ll also want to clip your dog’s nails, especially if he is prone to long nails, either by family history or because he doesn’t spend as much time walking on rougher surfaces. You can either clip or file them down, depending on how long they get.

Get Rid of Shedding Hairs

Most of the time however, all you’ll need to do to groom your Bull Terrier is brush it weekly with either a rubber brush or a knobby grooming glove. This way, you get rid of shedding hairs before they make a mess and can help spread the dog’s natural coat oils around where it will do the most good. Regular grooming also helps you keep an eye on the health of your dog’s skin and maintain your dog’s shiny coat. You can also mist your dog’s fur with coat gloss after a bath to make his fur extra shiny.

The one part of the bull terrier that you’ll want to watch when you are grooming your dog is the ears. Ears have to be gently cleaned out once a week or so in order to prevent a build up of dirt and wax. While bull terriers aren’t particularly prone to ear infections, the fact that they stand up as opposed to being flapped down means that they have more exposure to dirt and dust and so need to be cleaned with some regularity.

Easy to Learn

The final part of the bull terrier which will need cleaning regularly are the teeth. Using canine toothpaste, brush your dog’s teeth daily with a brush or a finger brush to remove plaque before it becomes problematic. Bull terriers have to be exposed to tooth brushing as early as possible in order to tolerate it, so begin a regime when your bull terrier is a puppy in order to prevent fights later on.

It’s very easy to learn how to groom your bull terrier; they require very little maintenance, especially compared to other breeds; and it can be very enjoyable for both you and your dog.

Related posts:

1. Miniature Bull Terrier
2. Bull Terrier
3. Staffordshire Bull Terrier