Grooming Your Newf

Notice I say combs first, with a Newfoundland a good quality comb can make your grooming job a whole lot easier, there is no point wasting your energy only brushing the top coat, yes they will look pretty for a minute but there's still a lot of hair you are missing. A coarse tooth metal comb and a little patience will make quick work of line brushing your dog.

The pictured Colin Taylor combs are by far my favourite but they can be difficult to find. A good beginner alternative are the Pet network coarse comb or coarse/fine which will help those mats behind the ears

A pin brush to remove the dead coat, Bass Stainless Steel Pin Brush 27mm

A good quality rake

You can buy a million different shampoos and sprays for your Newfies coat but there are some basics that I keep coming back to for my maintenance baths.

Newfies have a natural oil to their coat, more so than other breeds due to their waterproof nature. To bathe them properly when they are actually dirty you need to use a clarifying shampoo to break down that oil to clean the skin before your regular shampoo and a light conditioner 

Plush puppy Deep Cleansing and Chris Christensen Clean start are both good for this. 

Plush puppy 

Chris christensen

Magic tails

Sprays 

Never brush a dry coat, mist the coat slightly with a product like the ones in the links to stop coat breakage and make it a little more manageable 

TLC  coat conditioner 

Secret weapon hydrating spray

For knots and small matted areas, these 2 are a good choice

Hypknotic detangling spray

Cowboy Magic used very sparingly as it can get oily

This depends heavily on your budget and how much of the grooming you would like to do yourself. 

A table is a must for both your back and your dog's training.  

All too often we hear dogs won't stay still for grooming, or they keep running off. Training them to stand and sit on a low table for grooming limits their opportunities for misbehaving and teaches them what sort of behaviour gets them the treats while we groom.

A cheap solution is a 120cm blow moulded table from the hardware store with a non slip matt glued to the top, this however whilst being light can go flying when the 60kg teenager decides he doest want to stay on the table but run around with the girls instead.

A portable table like the pupkus giant table (or if you can find one a short liberty table) are the most stable options but if you are like me and cant stop at one newf something like the deluxe hydraulic table will be worth the investment in the long run.

A dryer is another must-have, 

I use mine daily to blow out dirt, dead hair and dander to keep the dogs skin clean and check for prickles or grass seeds. this will also cut down your brushing/combing time during the week.

It is impossible to properly dry a Newfoundland without one, flaky skin, hotspots and itching can all be caused from the damp coat and skin causing a moist humid environment for bacteria. 

Again this come down to what you would like to spend and how many dogs you have. You do get what you pay for with dryers and while the cheaper ones are good they can also take double the time of the higher priced choices

Single motor heated dryers- the Lazor is good for its price and the Animal House double motor is a good entry level one but if you want to spend a little more the Double K Challengair is well worth the extra.