There are many different aspects of king charles spaniel care, and one aspect is coat grooming. Caring for the coat of your cavalier is quite inexpensive and easy as long as you make a habit of keeping it brushed and free of mats. The fur of a king charles is naturally clean, fine, silky and has a gentle wave. The coat also features long feathery fur on the ears, feet and tail. However, due to the furs silky texture, knots and matting can sometimes occurs, especially in the more feathery areas.
You can prevent mats and keep your king charles spaniel care coat cleaning to a minimum with a few simple steps:
Step 1 – Obtain all of the supplies you will need to groom your cavalier’s coat. These items can be purchased at your local or online pet store and typically include:
- Slicker brush
- Metal comb
- Pet grooming scissors or clippers
- Doggie detangling spray
- Dog shampoo and conditioner
- Hair dryer
Step 2 – Brush your cavalier’s coat 2 – 3 times per week with the slicker brush and metal comb. Use the brush for the fur on the body, and the metal comb on the feathery tail, legs and ears, which are more prone to knots. Be very gentle with combing, and brush in the direction the hair grows, not against it.
Step 3 – Carefully attend to knots. If the comb snags on a knot, do not pull. The best king charles spaniel care you can apply in this situation, is to gently brush out knots and pull apart hair that is matted together with your fingers. You may also find that using detangling spray will be helpful.
Step 4 – Once a month trim hair between paw pads. Using your special dog scissors, clip away excess and long hair that grows between the pads on your pet’s paws. You do not need to trim any other fur from their body.
Step 5 – Wash the coat once every few months. Unless you are showing your cavalier spaniel, or there coat is exceptionally dirty you do not need to wash their fur more than once per month. In fact, good king charles spaniel care is to only wash them every 2 – 3 months. This allows natural oils to protect the skin and coat to keep skin from drying out, preventing health problems. Wash the coat with a small amount of dog shampoo and conditioner using tepid water. Make sure both cleaning products are thoroughly washed out of the hair. Fully dry your cavalier king charles with a towel and hair dryer. Finish with combing.
Step 6 – Reward all grooming sessions with treats. Praise your dog when you are finished the cleaning process to let him know you are pleased with him and to help establish a positive memory. In addition, it’s also a good idea to talk to your pooch gently or even sing to him while you groom to keep him comfortable.
As you can see, king charles spaniel care in regard to coat grooming is very easy when done regularly, and is a good bonding experience for you and your dog. If you’re lucky, you may even find he’ll enjoy it!
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