This article will help you learn how to groom and bathe your silky terrier. I have two silky terriers Dash and Diamond. They are both two years old. We brought Diamond into our lives and we instantly fell in love with the breed. We had her neutered, and then we brought Dash, the male into our family. They are wonderful pets, and surely an important part of our family.
Among the many wonderful trait's of this breed such as, incessant playfulness, undying loyalty, and extreme intelligence, the Silky terrier is definitely high maintenance in the grooming department. Their coat is their distinct pride and glory, however, keeping it that way takes work. With these great tips you will have an easier task. You will actually come to enjoy this ritual, and I do mean ritual, Silky terriers require daily attention.
Not willing to spend a fortune on grooming costs, especially with two dogs, that require so much care, I am the one who does the grooming on these dogs. It took patience, forethought, a calm state of mind, and repetition to be successful.
At first it was disastrous. Silky Terriers really hate to get wet, at least mine do! After they are done with their baths, they go into what I call demon mode. They run about the house and try and dry themselves off. They chase each other and attack each other too. It is really funny. They don't hurt each other, they just chase and taunt each other.
I have finally found a method that works well. I use the laundry sink that has a hose attached.
Prepare for bath
At sink you will need the following items:
Dog shampoo
Dog hair conditioner
Dog towel (I use an old beach towel which works perfectly. I then wash it separately)
Hair cutting Scissors
Comfortable water temperature
Start with a comfortable water temperature. Test on your hand and make sure it is not too hot or cold. If you start off shocking your dog, that may cause trouble ahead in taking future baths. Check an recheck. Let the water run and in a gentle yet confident manner remove the dog's collar and place dog into sink. Have their front paws on the sinks edge while they stand on their hind legs. Reassure you pet and talk in a clam manner to him.
Run the warm water over the back of the coat form the head to the tail. Get the coat nice and wet. Open shampoo bottle and run shampoo along the center of the bag starting at the head and down to the tail. Lather and wash the dogs. Gently wet the face and with shampoo from anther area careful wash the face area. This area gets very dirty from feeding. Get the belly area, and hind area also. Rinse the dog well. Repeat shampoo if necessary.
Apply conditioner with same method as shampoo. Wait a few minutes and let it set in. Some conditioners you can condition the hair and then dilute some conditioner with water and apply over coat and leave in. This can help keep the coat very shiny and well conditioned.
If there are any matted areas, or junk in the coat use the scissors to remove at this time. Be careful. Do not cut the hair if your dog is nervous and jittery. Wait for them to be calm, and you remain calm. If you are anxious the dog will sense it.
In large towel dry the dog. I like to wrap the little silky up like a baby. Especially in winter and calmly spend a few minutes with them praising them, and loving them. I cannot help myself. They turn me into a complete idiot but if you have a Silky, you already know how this can happen!
I mentioned grooming early on in the article. That is because your Silky needs constant brushing. If you brush them every day or so, it will be easy. If you do not, the poor things easily get matted and you may want to consider just keeping their hair short. Half of the battle is finding the right brush.
The perfect dog grooming brush for the Silky Terrier is a tight bristles nylon, Brush it against your skin. If it hurts you, it will probably hurt them. Once you find a brush the dog likes, you are there! If the brush is comfortable and they are enjoying it, you will have your way with them. They will enjoy the grooming and give you a chance to relax with your pet.
If you plan ahead, prepare the temperature, make the experience pleasant, and are consistent, bathe time will be a pleasure for you and your Silky terrier. Regular grooming will make them be the best they can be!