FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS

Maria Willis is a published author, mom, wife, dog owner and multiple business owner including Unicorn Dog Grooming LLC which she started because of her love of animals. She is a privately trained groomer, trainer and animal health expert that enjoys brushing her dogs and working on the next great american novel. She lives in Yazoo City Mississippi with her husband and daughter. Instagram: @unicorngroomer

The question I get the most is how do I keep my dog from shedding so much or matting?

I didn’t start grooming overnight nor was I born a groomer but something in me even as a child said that animals especially dogs need a bath. If you ask my mother she would tell you about the times after school and the weekends I would spend bathing and brushing some stray wetting down the porch and coming in smelling much worse than the dog I “saved”. So when I tell my clients to brush their dog I am super passionate about it. I myself own several dogs with different coat types and I use different brushes and combs for each of them. For Akuma and Taz (American Akitas) I use a bristle brush or a deshedding blade. The latter I recommend because it helps to pull out what is called the undercoat. Hershey (long haired Mixed breed) his coat also sheds much like any other dog but because he is more prone to matting due to his longer coat, I use a metal comb and bristle brush for him. My bristle brushes I purchase tend to be either silicone or metal. They are high quality but trust me they are worth every penny. Now this is the part that gets most pet owners. Time. They never have the time to brush their pet properly and that can lead to matting and if you bring them to a professional such as myself either shaving or at the very least a fee for the extra work of dematting the coat. If you have time to watch a television show you have time to brush your dog. That’s my greatest bit of advice: brush your dog. You, your dog and your local groomer will love you for it.

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