The Coat

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Foreword
A Lhasa’s coat is a jewel, AS LONG AS IT IS WELL CARED FOR! This occasionally doesn’t happen and that is something most dog groomers can tell you about. Often it isn’t because owners are “lazy”, but because they don’t know what to do or how to do it. Perhaps the breeder hasn’t been too clear about how to look after the coat, or they may simply have no know the best way to use a grooming brush. What’s more, a lot of Lhasas today have “big”, soft coats, and this can mean that people will very soon sit with their hands - literally and figuratively - in their hair.

You must get your Lhasa used to being groomed while it is still a puppy. The best way is to have him stand or lie on a table. It is best if you always use the same place, so that the dog knows what is going to happen. Grooming is not a game and you will have to teach him that from the very start. So don’t allow him bite the brush or play games with you. Grooming is a serious business and hard work for both dog and owner.

If you don’t start brushing your dog when he is a puppy but leave it until he is older, the coat will be longer and there may already be mats or knots and that can make it all very unpleasant. You can avoid this by starting to groom him when he is still young, really from the moment the puppy comes to live with you. Even though you may think it isn’t any use with all those short hairs, you and your dog will both gain experience in it right from the start. You learn how you have to deal with the coat, because it gets longer almost without you noticing it. And your Lhasa learns how to remain quiet and behave himself.

You brush the coat in layers, beginning from the bottom and working in layers upwards. You should be able to see the skin between the layers and make sure you brush from the skin outwards. Try to follow a fixed pattern. The easiest method is as follows: Start with a rear leg, at the foot. Work upwards in layers to the body. Do the same from a front foot up to the head. First one side and then the other. Finish with the tail. In this way, your Lhasa will quickly know exactly how much has been done and what is still ahead. Every time he behaves well, praise him. If he misbehaves, let him clearly know that you are not pleased. But always finish every grooming session by praising him and telling him how beautiful he looks.

Brush carefully, but not too carefully. If he has a lot of undercoat, you can brush it out. (Other standards apply to a show dog, but their owners are generally fully aware of what they are doing.) We are talking here about a pet, and they feel fine if there is less undercoat. That is, in fact, where the knots and mats form fastest. Despite all the best tips about grooming, it can often go wrong. When your dog is a puppy, everything seems fine, but as the dog gets older, problems arise, often because owners underestimate just how much work is involved.

Most Lhasa’s will shed their puppy coat between the ages of 8 months and one year. In this period, you will really need to make sure you brush thoroughly. And it is better to groom your dog thoroughly and properly once a week than to do it incorrectly and not thoroughly enough every day. There’s a chance, if you do things wrong, that the coat will turn into a matted mess and you will need the help of the professional dog groomer. Or you decide from the very start that the coat will be “styled”. That’s a choice everybody must make for themselves. Remember: it is better to have a carefully clipped or shaved Lhasa than a Lhasa with a strange Rasta hairstyle or, even worse, a coat that is totally matted.

Lhasa Apso with a totally matted coat Same Lhasa after a visit to the grooming salon