The C.O. should be groomed to look very natural! Natural does not mean unkempt. In a natural environment his coat would be shed out by his normal day to day actions. Moving through brush and small tree would help pull out undercoat. His smell would not be offensive to his flock but would be a warning to his enemies that he was around. Now that we have decided to bring him into a more social environment we need to help the shedding process and make him more presentable to our style of life.

During the shedding process use the following method: Using a slicker brush, start systematical brushing layer by layer against the growth of coat. Have a spray bottle with water in it. Keep the coat slightly misted as you brush. This helps keep the coat from breaking and also keeps the under coat from flying about. Brush all the way to the skin. When brushing is completed, shampoo with an appropriate shampoo that fits your need such as flea, conditioning or medicated shampoo. Use shampoo instruction. Use a soft slicker such as the Warner or Ever Gentle to work the lather into the coat. Rinse. Then apply a mixture of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon water over the coat (watch out for eyes). Work into coat with soft slicker. This will take out any leftover suds, aid in further removal of undercoat and help deodorize. Then follow with a good conditioner such as Coat Handler or Mane and Tail using direction on product. It is great if you have a high velocity dryer as this will finish off the coat nicely. Whichever method you use to dry, finish by brushing the coat against the growth except the rump area that should be brushed down to prevent a high in rear look. The sooner you get out the old undercoat, the sooner a new coat will emerge. This will also relieve the tendency to chew the coat out.

Method for preserving the coat such as when you want to exhibit the C.O.: Brush in the same manner as above but use a porcupine brush to prevent coat damage and loss of coat. Spray with water or a coat conditioner as you brush each layer. When bathing, work the shampoo into the coat by squeezing and pulling the coat gently. Follow with a good coat conditioner. Dry as above. You can promote coat growth and prevent coat damage by brushing daily and misting with water and a small amount of Mane and Tail or Coat Handler mixed in.

Dry cleaning your C.O. method:

Mist lightly with water and then brush through the coat the following substance that best fits the coat condition of your C.O.: For dry coat, use corn meal. For irritated skin, Oatmeal (grind to a powder in blender or coffee bean grinder) is excellent and soothes the skin. A good mixture for dry cleaning is made by mixing dry Faultless Starch and a cup of borax (not Borateen) together and working into coat either damp or dry. Naturally this must be done outdoors. Let dry and brush out.

After cleaning the C.O., scissor around feet to give a more compact look. You can use thinning shears to shape up tops of feet by brushing up hair and lightly trimming uneven or bulky hair off. Scissor with growth or hair. Tidy up the hock area the same way by combing the hair straight out from hock and evening up the hair. Pasterns can be trimmed the same way.

Nails should be kept shortened also to prevent foot problems.

Ed. note: To order Coat Handler call: 1-800-869-8225