Washing and Grooming.
Do not wash your dogs too often, as it removes the natural oil and consequently the gloss, which is so much desired. Careful and daily brushing with a dandy-brush, followed by a rubbing down with mittens made of chamois leather, will keep a dog’s coat in wonderfully fine condition and for a long while. The hound gloves are found to be of great value with smooth-coated dogs, such as Great Danes, pointers, bull-terriers, etc. In the long-haired classes use a brush with one-and-a-half-inch bristles, and a comb with teeth very short and wide apart, not unlike a barber’s comb. When washing, best results are attained with pure Castile soap, and after rinsing off the dog then using the imported German green soft soap. The latter seems to restore the gloss, is better than using eggs, and does not leave the hair so dry. Don’t wash your dog within two hours after feeding, and when you do it, do it as quickly as possible, using lukewarm water. Exercise the dog freely after it has been well dried. Towels made of salt-sacks are the best for drying purposes.
Great care should be taken in washing Yorkshires and toy spaniels, as, their coats being soft, they hold the dampness even after they appear to be thoroughly dry. The best and safest mode is as follows: Place the dog in a little foot-tub of lukewarm water deep enough to reach to its elbows, and cover the body with soap-suds, never putting the soap on the coat. With a soft hair-brush of long bristles brush the hair with the suds, always brushing from the center downward, thus reaching all parts of the body, including the head. When the dog is cleaned gently force all the suds and water out by smoothing the hair as instructed in brushing, then lift it into another tub of clean lukewarm water and with a soft sponge rinse well. Stand the dog on a table, envelop the body in a soft towel or cloth, and gently press the hands over it until the water and moisture are all absorbed by the cloth. Never ruffle or rub the hair; simply smooth it.
Now with a comb of short and widely separated teeth comb out the hair, and with about three brushes, always kept dry by being laid before the fire, brush the hair till it is perfectly dry. Then lay the dog before the fire, where it will be very warm, thus insuring it from catching cold. Such prominent breeders as Senn, Burkhardt, et al., dry their dogs in an oven made especially for the purpose.
After the dog is thoroughly dried, brush it, let it run about the house for an hour or so, and then let it rest on a linen-covered cushion, which is far better than velvet or plush, as the coat does not adhere to it. A very little fine oil in the palm of the hand rubbed over the coat will generally restore the gloss after washing.