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Grooming Your Puppy
Most likely your breeder will refer you to a groomer in your area or provide you with instructions and/or a chart on proper trimming of a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. However, you should know the basics and you should certainly be able to bathe the puppy, clip his/her nails, and perform routine trimming and clearing of hair at the ears, bottom, and between the pads of your puppy's feet.
Whether you have a show or pet Wheaten, most breeders would agree that you should keep your dog groomed in a manner that best represents a Wheaten. An overgrown coat is very difficult to get mat free and makes a Wheaten look like a sheep dog. When a Wheaten is trimmed too short it takes away from the natural beauty, which is one reason you purchased a Wheaten in the first place. Also, when the hair between the eyes is cut away, exposing the dogs beautiful, dark eyes and mascara coloring, the eyes will then appear very close together, which is very unbecoming.
Here are the Basics:
Light colored dogs show dirt easily; bathe your Wheaten as needed (every 1-3 weeks), use your best judgment, being careful of over bathing, which can strip the coat of natural oils and dry it out.
Never bathe a matted dog; comb out the mats first.
Spot cleaning when necessary (washing only the muzzle, belly or feet) is best if the dog has recently been bathed. Dry corn starch worked into a dirty spot then brushed and combed out works pretty well. But, don't use on large areas or at the neck or back because it can dry the coat out.
Avoid harsh shampoos and dips, especially those that kill fleas (stick with Advantage® to kill fleas!). These products can get into the eyes and can cause serious burns even blindness! They can also dry the coat out. I use tear-free products- even on adult Wheatens.
Please don't let your puppy take a bath with the kids. Ingested or inhaled soapy water can hurt or even kill your puppy! On a recent trip to the vet we had to witness a couple that were making a decision to pay a very large vet bill to save their new puppy or put the puppy down. The puppy was in the tub with the kids and drank/inhaled a small amount of soapy tub water. This resulted in a chemical imbalance within the puppies body causing him to go into a seizure. We left hearing the vet tell the owners, "Even if I perform the necessary treatment, the puppy may not recover or may have permanent damage.
Make sure you don't get water into the ears. This can cause an ear infection. Be extra careful or place cotton or lambs wool in each ear while bathing. Don't push it in too far and remember to take it out when the bath is finished.
Use Crème or Balsam Conditioners. Most any product is good (even human products like Pantene® are fine) because they leave the coat shiny, smelling fresh, and easy to comb out. Make sure you rinse conditioner out completely, or the coat will attract dirt more easily.
Use a telephone shower head (shower massage head on a hose) in a tub/shower. Put a towel on the floor to soak up splashes and have 2 clean ones ready for drying your puppy. Bath time started for Katie in the kitchen sink, then at 6 months old she began taking showers with us. Taking a shower with your Wheaten is one way to keep the water mess down, but it requires a shower head on a hose.
Make sure you use warm water. Never use cold water as dogs have a higher body temp. than humans (about 101.5°) and you may give your puppy a chill.
You can use an electric blow dryer to dry your puppy's coat. Brush him/her out while you are drying. This results in a smooth finish, is faster, and avoids chilling your puppy. Use only the warm setting.
Use your pin brush while blow drying, then follow up with your Greyhound comb. Use the large spaced end first, followed by the smaller spaced end of the comb to finish up.
Cut your puppy's nails weekly ( long nails can cause pain or ruin the gait). I use a Miller Forge® (guillotine type). I cut the curved part of the nail off at the quick. Make sure you have styptic powder readily available in case you trim too close.
Using blunt nosed scissors, trim away at hair under the ears (keeping ear canals free of wax), between the pads and around the anus and vulva for cleanliness.
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