Grooming Your Afghan Hound

Initially when you think of grooming your afghan it may be a little intimidating at first but believe me with some few simple techniques keeping your hound in a beautiful show coat is very easy. 

Lucky for you if you are reading this you probably secured your afghan from me and my hounds have very silky coats.  Meaning the upkeep is fairly easy.

When I first started out in Afghans a few years ago I ran across some great info on keeping your hounds coat in tiptop shape.  It will benefit you also to read this information for yourself in addition to this webpage.  Here are those web addresses for you to view at your convenience:

AKC grooming site address:  http://clubs.akc.org/ahca/Grooming.htm

Grandeur grooming site address:  http://www.afghansofgrandeur.com/pubs/coatcare.html

  In order to keep your afghans coat in it’s best shape you will need the following tools:

1.      A pin brush with rounded bristles on the ends to prevent scratching the skin, Chris Christensen Systems makes a great brush that will achieve the desired effect;  http://www.chrissystems.com/

You will also find an array of wonderful shampoo's , conditioners and styling products that will keep your hounds coat in optimum condition.  Take some time to review his hair care systems.  I know my coats are very soft and silky.  The silk proteins used in his conditioners will  keep the dogs coat shiny and silky.

In between baths I use Christensen's Ice on Ice grooming spray.  An Afghans coat should never be brushed completely dry.  This spray can be used to touch up your dogs coat when you're going out or anytime between baths.  The spray helps to reduce the coat from matting and it also repels dirt.  It's really a gem to have around.  It should be a staple in your grooming repertoire.

2.      Metal Styling comb with large end and small end, this comb is very important when you need to shape an area when showing.  I also use this comb after a full grooming session to make sure that there are no mats or tangles left in the coat;

3.      A slicker brush, which should only be used on a puppy coat---NEVER  use a slicker brush on an adult afghans coat unless you want to pull out all the luxurious silky coat that you took the time to grow.  The puppy coat is denser than the adult coat and can withstand the bristles on a slicker.  However, be advised that all puppy coats aren’t able to handle a slicker brush either.  You need to identify your hounds coat type before using this brush.

4.      Hair Clips, you will need several of these clips in order to groom your afghan to perfection.  The purpose of the clip is so you can dry and brush the hair out in sections.  You should always work from the bottom up on an Afghan.  The grandeur website explains this in detail.  When working in this manner the clips help keep the hair that’s higher up out of your way until you complete the section you are working on.

5.      Pumous Stone, You will have to find this at a store that specialized in equestrian supplies.  It is used to keep the mature afghans saddle clean.  I also use this tool when I start working on the saddle when the afghan is going through it’s coat change from puppyhood to adulthood.  For the inexperienced this is your best bet so you don’t ruin the look of your afghan.  However, once you get used to utilizing this tool you will be able to advance to the next tool I’m going to tell you about;

6.      Stripping Knife – Not to be used by the inexperienced.  Technically an Afghans coat should not require this at all.  However, some bloodlines have a high concentration of English blood.  Many English hounds don’t have a saddle.  You will notice when looking at pictures that these hounds have a part down the center of their back.  There isn’t a noticeable saddle.  Here in the states a saddle is required in a mature hound and sometimes you have to help it along.  The bloodline that I am working with dogs have pretty natural saddles but from time to time you will find stray hairs poking through and a stripping knife will help you clean those out.  Be sure to consult with a professional groomer before taking on the challenge of using a stripping knife.  You can do more harm than good if you don’t.

7.      Cowboy Magic – Concentrated Detangler and Shine, this is an awesome product to use on your hound while between shows.  It’s primary purpose is to keep out mats and repel dirt.  The repelling dirt part is the primary reason I like to use it.  I apply it on the dog after it’s completed a bath and conditioning treatment.  I put it on the coat prior to blow-drying to make sure that it’s brushed all the way through the coat.  I also use it in-between baths around the third day.  I apply it to the coat prior to brushing the dog out.  It really helps to keep the dirt from actually getting onto the hair.  Let me explain a little further.  The cowboy magic covers the coat strand.  When dirt gets on the coat it is actually on the product and not the coat itself so when washing the dirt literally just goes down the drain without much work on your part.  It’s sort of like a clear silicone coating.  However, the cowboy magic product needs to be washed out with a clarifying shampoo before shows.  Usually what I do before taking a dog to a show is I wash the dog 3 days before the show with the clarifying shampoo to get a head start.  I don’t reapply the cowboy magic because I’m trying to get it out of the coat at this point.  The day before the show I rewash with a clarifying shampoo again and then I use my show products to give the coat the look that I want.  If I add anymore Cowboy Magic to the dog it is usually on the saddle and the face to give the dog a nice shine, but not heavy because you don’t want the judge to go over your dog and pull back an oily hand.   Once applied you can go over the dog to make sure it isn’t too heavy and if it is just take a warm cloth over the saddle to lighten the load.  Works like a charm J

http://www.cowboymagic.com/

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