Before I start explaining the coat care of the Dutch Sheepdog, I would first like to introduce you to my favorite tools. Without the right combs, brushes, and scissors, grooming can be quite challenging.

My personal favorite brand for brushes and combs is by far Bass. Their products are made from natural bamboo, which makes them not only eco-friendly but also durable and very comfortable to use. For example, my favorite brush has been in constant use in the grooming salon for 8 years now, and it’s still going strong. Their products aren’t the cheapest, but they are absolutely worth every penny. Besides BASS, I am also very pleased with the purple/grey Le Poosh brush, which in my opinion is an essential tool for grooming a Dutch Sheepdog.

Okay, now that you know which combs and brushes I like to use, let’s move on to scissors, because there’s quite a bit of choice there as well. My personal favorites are the scissors from Tools to Groom, which are also very reasonably priced for home use. The ones I use for our dogs are the Rainbow razor 5.5' (mint) A small, handy scissors for trimming between the paw pads. And i love the Rainbow Razor single efi 7' (orange) as a fine thinning scissor for a neat finish.

Then there are a few small items you don’t necessarily use every time you groom your dog, but that are handy to have, such as a proper nail clipper, a tick remover, an ear cleaner, a good-quality shampoo, and a water blower (not essential, but highly recommended).

Okay, that’s enough for now. You now know what I like to use, and next we’ll dive deeper into the coat care itself.

Coat Care for a Dutch Schapendoes

Over the years, the coat and the grooming that comes with it in the Schapendoes have changed considerably. The coat has become somewhat thicker and longer, which naturally also means that a certain amount of grooming is necessary for this breed.

In the past, the Schapendoes lived with the shepherd, practically always among the livestock and the farming life. There wasn't time to properly comb a dog, and therefore, Schapendoes were often shorn or quickly trimmed at the same time as the sheep. Over the years, the realization slowly grew that the Schapendoes definitely needed its coat during its work, and Schapendoes were shorn less and less. The sheep's wool shears made way for a simple comb.

Meanwhile, the coats of the Schapendoes have undergone a true transformation, and we prefer to keep our Schapendoes with a beautiful long coat, as it originally should be and as it is described in the breed standard.

With those beautiful, lush locks, of course, comes the necessary coat care, and below we will explain to you step by step how to keep a Schapendoes's coat in top condition. In addition to the necessary grooming that you as an owner dedicate to your Schapendoes, it is also recommended to regularly visit a grooming salon with your dog to prevent matting, which can result in a completely shaved Schapendoes!

Learned as a puppy is perfect adult

By repeating these kinds of things a few times a week or perhaps even daily, your puppy learns that this care isn't actually scary or exciting at all, but rather relaxing. The grooming of the Schapendoes really needs to become a quality time moment between owner and dog, and if you build this up step by step from day one, it will eventually become a relaxing moment for both of you as long as it is taught properly.

From Puppy to Adult Coat

At an age between 5 and 12 months, it's time for a beautiful adult coat to develop. The timing varies per dog and is also related to the season. The puppy coat is replaced by the adult coat, and this often coincides with the seasonal shedding. During this period, mats "shoot" in, and you will need to brush them more often to keep your Schapendoes mat-free (you really get the feeling that as soon as you've turned your back, you can start all over again). It may even be (again, varying per dog) that you need to brush almost daily for a while, but there's one consolation: after this period, it really does get better!

During this time, the Schapendoes is also right in its puberty, which sometimes makes it very difficult to brush, because everything he/she used to do so nicely seems to have suddenly been forgotten...

To prevent the dog from getting matted during this period, it's a good idea to enlist the help of an experienced groomer. If the dog suddenly doesn't lie still so nicely anymore, combing can become very difficult... so an extra pair of hands is ideal then.

The Adult Coat

The adult Schapendoes actually only needs to be thoroughly combed once every 2 to 3 weeks, and some can even manage with less. This depends on the type of coat, as there is quite a bit of variation in the Schapendoes's coat, and the color of the hair also plays a role.

The technique for combing a Schapendoes is to do it in layers. So, start at the bottom of a leg, stroke the hair upwards against the direction of growth, and then comb it out layer by layer in the direction of hair growth, always combing over the already combed hair so that you don't get stuck in the hair that still needs to be combed.

Comb all the way down to the skin, so that the undercoat is also thoroughly combed, because it often sticks together and that's where matted pieces are often found.

There are places that tend to mat more than others, such as the beard and around the ears, where the collar or harness sits, between the hind legs and at the elbows, and don't forget to comb the feet thoroughly as well.

Video About Coat Care By Kayleigh