Grooming

As a puppy your Puli should learn to be still while you fiddle with its hair. Especially taking the time to rake your fingers through the hair on the tail and the ears. As the hair on the tail does not generate as much undercoat and when the cords start to form you have to make sure the guard hairs do not wrap around the tail too tight and cut off the circulation. As for the ears, when the undercoat starts to come in, it will be like cotton candy; making it very hard to actually see definite cords. So go easy on the ears trying to separate cords. The ear leather tears easily. If you accidentally tear the ear leather it will bleed so you might need to hold pressure or better yet to have some Quick Stop to put on the tear to stop the bleeding.

With my puppies I also like for them to get use to laying still in my lap, on the floor, and or grooming table. With the grooming table I also get my pups use to standing still; this of course helps for in the near future if the pup becomes a show dog. In the beginning this is only for a few seconds until you work up to a few minutes. As the puppy matures the grooming time will increase. Once the undercoat starts coming in around 8 months of age then the sessions can go from a few minutes to 30 minutes or more. I also like to give my pups belly rubs especially the boys, as they grow older they will need to have what is called a sanitary clip, where the hair is clipped underneath on the belly along the inside of the leg all the way up to the V of the rib cage.

I also scale my dogs teeth. It is important to keep your dogs teeth free of tarter as this helps so much in warding off illnesses later in your Pulis life; and this can be done by you brushing (petrodex) and scaling (dental scaler) your own Pulis teeth or taking your Puli to the vet where he will be put under for a thorough cleaning. If you brush your Pulis teeth be sure and only use the toothpaste (petrodex, pro dental) for dogs as the human toothpaste have ingredients that should not be swallowed. So in the beginning while puppy is still teething I fiddle with their teeth. Usually when they are tired or asleep in my lap I will take my finger and rub gently along the gum lines all the way to the back of their teeth. The first time the teeth are scaled is about a year and half old so by then they are use to having someone fiddling with their teeth and gums.

While fiddling with your puppies ears I also from time to time pull out (with my own fingers) the hair growing inside the ear. Some Pulis never have ear problems but those that do you have to keep on top of as they usually will have recurring ear problems throughout their lifetime. For the adults that stay absolutely still I use long nose tweezers to pull out the hair being very careful to not go in too deep with the tweezers as you do not want to injure the ear drum. My medication of choice for those that get the black gooey stuff in the ears is called Eargard by Gerard /Pellham. There are also some very good home remedies.

So if wanting your Puli to cord the best tool is your own fingers. If you do not plan on cording your Puli then get prepared to have him/her shaved down or brushed at least 3 times in the week. I have always referred to the cording as controlled matting. Once corded then you only have to separate cords a few times through the year. The cording process just doesn't happen...you pretty much have to get some of the undercoat out as the cords are forming. From 8 months to about a year and a half your Puli will look as if he has stuck his paw in a light socket. If you are lucky you will have a Puli with the proper 50 50 coat...these coats pretty much cord on their own starting from the rump and working forward. In this day and age the genetics of getting bigger and better coats have made for puppies with more undercoat to outer coat. This type of coat makes it difficult to cord as some of the undercoat has to be raked (with fingers) out before it makes one big mat. At that point then the scissors (Gingher) may have to intervene.

I also get my puppies use to the noise of the Metro Air Force dryer/ Dremel grinder and Oster clipper. As I blow dry my Pulis with a air blow dryer sometimes for two hours outside on the grooming table as I mist/dry and separate cords, I also have a Double K cage dryer which is used in the winter months when I dry the dogs inside verses the outside drying in the summertime.

The best part about the forced air dryers is it is low or no heat so it does not wreak the coat. You can get to the skin and it does make visible to detect any underlying skin problems, also in my case living in the country/ ticks that have attached themselves. Any kind of skin problem/ especially your ticks and fleas can wreak havoc in a Pulis coat. It takes 4 to 5 years for the coat to reach the ground. So with every cord lost there goes that sunken heart feeling. Another thing on drying the coat....Puli's in full dreads should not be left to air dry plus do not dry your full dreaded Puli with hot air dryers. This just sets up your Puli to have that yucky mildew smell as the hot air dries from the outside in, it lets the moisture stay trapped inside the cord...same for just leaving the coat to dry on its own.

Remember the cords are made of the fealty dead undercoat which traps itself in the curly harsher outercoat guard hairs. So if the guard hairs dry and the moisture stays inside the cord with the dead undercoat it just sets it up for one stinky Puli.

So the most important item I own to dry my Pulis besides the air force dryer for the start is some good floor fans, Patton fan is my choice but that brand is getting harder to find. In the summertime most of my drying is done outside. Puli on grooming table/ wringing out water from coat as much as possible and using the air force dryer like I said sometimes up to two hours. By this time the coat is pretty much on its way to being dry. Then I use a wire crate with lots of towels and two big Patton fans right up close to the crate. I shade the top of the crate so that the full sun does not beat down inside the crate. Within a couple of hours you will have a dry Puli. If my Puli is being bathed for a show I will keep him/her under fans until I leave the next day. In winter months this is where I have to work fast to air force dry outside as I am wringing out the water and blowing out water all the while my hands are turning purple from the cold...not to mention my poor wet "kid". I get out as much water as I can from the coat then I dry in the house with wire crate/ the Double K dryer on one side and the Patton fan on the other side. Changing towels on bottom of crate frequently. The winter months is a whole day process as the fan and dryer will be on right up until bedtime. Of course we take potty breaks and dinner time in between the drying time.

The Puli is not a rare breed but it is a breed that is not suitable for everybody. The coat in full dreads can be high maintenance; also high cost grooming should it be the dreads have to go and instead of the owner shearing the coat taking it to the groomer once if not twice a month to keep up with the new sheared/ combed out look.

More to come on items I use/ bath time/small cuts/ stinky Puli

Above I have highlighted name brands of items I now own and use.

Preference in Shampoos:

For the dog that gets frequent baths

F1R2 cat and dog Hypo Allergenic

Chris Christensen Day to Day

Coat Handler 5 to 1

For the dog that is real dirty and or has build up of products in his coat:

F1R2 Super Scrub

Chris Christensen Clean Start

Coat Handler 15 to 1

Preference in Conditioners:

Chris Christensen After Bath Final Rinse

Coat Handler 15 to 1 conditioner (also great for minor skin problems)

Traleigh Velvet Touch

To add Volume to the coat:

Chris Christensen Thick & Thicker (work in let set and rinse)

Chris Christensen Thick & Thicker Gel ( Leave in and blow dry)

For frizzes:

Frizz Ease by J Frieda

Vo5 tube gel ( I prefer the one made for gray hair)

Plush Puppy Reviva Coat

For Gunk around the mouth and in the Beard:

(used at bath time)

Fresh Fur Gel by Gerard/Pellham (this gel has some kind of enzymes that break

down the gunk in the beard making it a lot easier to wash out)

For Youngsters starting to cord:

Biogroom Oil (dilute half and half with water)

Biogroom Super Cream (great for cording and great for dry hands)

Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil (a very light oil and can be used in the beginning

undiluted; I still like to dilute the oils and put in spray bottle to

spray into the coat as I am separating the cords)

Dry Human Hands:

Coat Handler Skin Works (also great for cuts/ abrasions on person or dog)

www.chrissystems.com http://f1r2labs.com/ http://www.plushpuppy.net/

With any of the spray on leave in conditioners or oils...whenever I dilute with water I use distilled water.

The Puli coat in full dreads can take from 30 minutes to an hour to wash. You do not scrub like a normal dog it is more of a squeezing action like washing a fine wool sweater. If you get the soap too sudsy then you can be in the bath forever trying to get the soap out of the cords, so be sure to use a low sud-sing shampoo or dilute until it is low sud-sing. If soap is left in the coat it can cause skin irritation and worse yet a Puli that because of the irritation feels like he needs to scratch. This is why I like conditioners as they can break down the shampoo that is left behind...Chris Christensen's After Bath is one of the best I have found to break down the soapy effect left behind.

I also teach my youngsters (not younger than 6 months) to lie down in the bath. This comes in very handy for stinky Pulis that you are soaking the coat and better yet on the last rinses to make sure all the suds are out. I fill the tub/sink with clean clear water up to just under their chin. As they are laying down I am swishing their cords back and forth all the while squeezing the cords making sure all the soap is out .... sometimes we have to do three of these type of rinses.

So Speaking of STINKY PULIS:

I sometimes do a final rinse soak in Baking Soda.

Coat Handler also has a powder called The Oder Handler... this is done the same way as a Baking Soda soak. (Puli laying down in bath water.)

Apple Cider Vinegar can also be used by pouring over the body (Puli standing)...squeezing into the cords and then doing a light final rinse to get some of the vinegar smell out.

Some Puli owners swear by Lemon Juice.

There are also products that you can spray on the furnishings (legs and flanks where male dogs accidentally hit themselves with their urine) These are actually sprayed on the damp clean coat as the dog is drying; they have a silicone effect so that dirt has a hard time clinging to the coat... one I have used is Ice on Ice by Chris Christensen. There are also a few such products made for horses with a heavier silicone effect that are really good. Be careful not to spray these products on/near the floor as they will make your floor very slick.

For vermin such as fleas...but in this day and age with Frontline and such hopefully no fleas. Just in case, a good flea bath killer is Joy Lemon dish soap. Others have used Dawn but to me Dawn is more for getting out tough oils as this detergent has been known to be used many times on birds caught in oil slicks. and speaking of Fleas...a more natural flea determent is Avon Skin So Soft diluted with water and sprayed on the coat. years ago before frontline this was used. I found the skin so soft to be too oily and attracted dust making for one dirty Puli. Just thought it worth mentioning.

Two good sprays to spray on stinky coats that can't be bathed right away:

A.O.E. Animal Odor Eliminator www.thornell.com (this is also the company that has K.O.E. they also have a newer product for spraying on your dogs called dog odor-off which has a cedar fragrance.)

XO (Xout) A lot of people still use Xout

Both products AOE and XO take out the smell rather than covering up the smell. AOE I think is more friendly for the dogs coat.

For small ouchies...broken skin. small wound:

I like to wash area with the original Listerine. If you have a spot that looks like it is going to become a hotspot, go easy with the Listerine as it will burn a little...I douse it in the Listerine, wipe dry and then keep a drying agent on the spot until healed...SuperH powder by Brickmore or Gold Bond medicated powder are both good products for hotspots.

I always like to have on hand in case of tummy upsets/diarrhea off food:

Fastrack Canine Gel/ Canine IGY Plus gel/ NutriCal/ Nutristat/ STAT/ and Pet Nutri drops.

A must have for great techniques on grooming/Clipping your Puli is a booklet written by Stephanie Horans, a long time Puli Breeder called Striking The Right Cord...to have a look see here is the link to the web site http://users.xplornet.com/~horans/Immerzu_Puli_Kennel/Grooming_Guide.html

I did forget to mention about "eye buggers"...this is accumulation of goop that sits right at the tear ducts, some Pulis seem to accumulate more goop than others...but I make it a habit to check every day and this can be wiped with a soft damp rag or just picked away with bare fingers.

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