# Grooming Basics



## MamasSparkyBoy83 (Jan 21, 2015)

Hey everyone! I'm brand new to this forum, as well as a first-timer Havanese Mama and may have missed this somewhere, but was wondering:

1: what is the preferred grooming brushes and tips on brushing teeth too. How often? I am currently using the Chris Christensen Buttercomb and just ordered the 20 mm wooden pin brush on Sparky's puppy fur each day and it's doing great, just wondered if I should add more to my collection as his coat comes in. 

2: favorite shampoo/ conditioners. I'm so used to bathing once a week with my yorkie, but the hair texture on a Havanese has shown to be completely different. 

Thanks in advance for any tips :ear:


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## harmony (Jan 18, 2015)

Can I piggyback on your thread? 

We have a bunch of grooming tools that work pretty well on Luna's curly coat. We have a fairly coarse rotating pin comb, a small pin brush (I think it has plastic tips?), a small flea comb we use for her eyes and face, and an undercoat rake (which we never use, but I thought I'd mention  ). None of them are the Chris Christensen brand I've seen mentioned here over and over again, they're inexpensive no-name brands. But they work just fine at keeping Luna mat-free. Will these work as well on Kepler? Or am I going to need to buy different supplies?

Also, I've never had to use a conditioner on a dog before, only dog shampoo, and certainly never leave-in conditioner. My husband has allergies to scents (he's also pretty allergic to many dog breeds, too, hence why we have stuck to the bichon and poodle families - some breeds give my husband hives), is there a conditioner and conditioner spray you can recommend that is fragrance-free?

If it matters, we are planning to keep Kepler in a medium to long puppy cut.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MamasSparkyBoy83 said:


> Hey everyone! I'm brand new to this forum, as well as a first-timer Havanese Mama and may have missed this somewhere, but was wondering:
> 
> 1: what is the preferred grooming brushes and tips on brushing teeth too. How often? I am currently using the Chris Christensen Buttercomb and just ordered the 20 mm wooden pin brush on Sparky's puppy fur each day and it's doing great, just wondered if I should add more to my collection as his coat comes in.
> 
> ...


You'll probably want to add a face comb to your collection to clean goobers from the corners of his eyes. You should be otherwise good to go until he starts blowing coat. Then read all the "blowing coat" threads on the forum. (there are many  )

Best practice is to brush teeth daily, using enzymatic dog toothpaste. (not human toothpaste, as it contains xylitol, which is deadly poison to dogs) But AT LEAST brush 3 times a week. With a puppy, if he won't accept the brush yet, you can wrap a piece of terrycloth around your finger and use that. The important thing is to spread the toothpaste on the teeth. You don't actually have to scrub them clean.

My personal favorite shampoo is BioGroom SuperWhite, because it keeps Kodi's mostly white coat sparkling clean. My favorite conditioner is Chris Christensen Spectrum 10.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

harmony said:


> Can I piggyback on your thread?
> 
> We have a bunch of grooming tools that work pretty well on Luna's curly coat. We have a fairly coarse rotating pin comb, a small pin brush (I think it has plastic tips?), a small flea comb we use for her eyes and face, and an undercoat rake (which we never use, but I thought I'd mention  ). None of them are the Chris Christensen brand I've seen mentioned here over and over again, they're inexpensive no-name brands. But they work just fine at keeping Luna mat-free. Will these work as well on Kepler? Or am I going to need to buy different supplies?
> 
> ...


The pin brush with the plastic tups and the undercoat rake are not appropriate for a Havanese coat, and will break the hair. The best tool for a Havanese coat is a good comb. Most of us here prefer the Chris Christensen #5 Buttercomb, but since you are keeping him cut short, you may be able to get away with a locally store bought comb. You can try it and see.

I believe that Coat Handler's shampoo and conditioner are supposed to be only mildly scented, although I haven't used them. Chris Christensen shampoos and conditioners are EXTREMELY mild in terms of scent, though not, perhaps, totally fragrance free. I just put "fragrance free dog shampoo" into Google though, and it came up with a whole BUNCH of options for both shampoos and conditioners.

I'd just buy small bottles until you decide what you like best. Honestly, every Havanese coat seems a little different, and almost everyone finds a different product that they like best. Just experiment until you find what works best for both the dog and your husband.


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## MamasSparkyBoy83 (Jan 21, 2015)

*Great! *



krandall said:


> You'll probably want to add a face comb to your collection to clean goobers from the corners of his eyes. You should be otherwise good to go until he starts blowing coat. Then read all the "blowing coat" threads on the forum. (there are many  )
> 
> Best practice is to brush teeth daily, using enzymatic dog toothpaste. (not human toothpaste, as it contains xylitol, which is deadly poison to dogs) But AT LEAST brush 3 times a week. With a puppy, if he won't accept the brush yet, you can wrap a piece of terrycloth around your finger and use that. The important thing is to spread the toothpaste on the teeth. You don't actually have to scrub them clean.
> 
> My personal favorite shampoo is BioGroom SuperWhite, because it keeps Kodi's mostly white coat sparkling clean. My favorite conditioner is Chris Christensen Spectrum 10.


Great advice  Thanks Karen & Kodi! I will try brushing more often. I currently have the finger toothbrush as well as a doggie toothbrush, but those puppy teeth are quite sharp ha! Thanks for all of the advice. I will add the face comb to my list.

Thanks-
Laura & Sparky


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MamasSparkyBoy83 said:


> Great advice  Thanks Karen & Kodi! I will try brushing more often. I currently have the finger toothbrush as well as a doggie toothbrush, but those puppy teeth are quite sharp ha! Thanks for all of the advice. I will add the face comb to my list.
> 
> Thanks-
> Laura & Sparky


It's just like toddlers. In the beginning, it's more about getting them used to it than anything else. Keep working on it in bits and pieces, without turning it into a battle, and eventually it will become routine. There is no need to force something that you're going to need to do regularly for the next 15 years!


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