Coat shine for dogs?

[MagicMelon]

At agility the other night I stroked one of the other dogs who was so soft! They use horse coat shine on it apparently to help repel mud and keep tangles away. Our labradoodle is always getting matted bits so I wondered if any old horse coat shine was ok to use on her? Or if dog stuff is better?

 

[satinbaze]

Be careful of products that contain silicone as they can break the coat. Poodle type coats tend to have a woolly texture rather than I silky one. When grooming mix a little conditioner such as Pantene with water and put in a laundry spray bottle use this in the matted areas to help untangle them.

 

[Equi]

I used fairy on my poodle.

 

[PucciNPoni]

I agree that overuse of silicone can break coats - especially if you allow the product to build up over time. With regular usage of any conditioner, it's a good idea to now and again clarify the coat with a product that strips it off back to "naked" hair.

Also, when using a conditioner of any type - especially as a dematting agent, what can happen is that it builds up and dirt can cling to it, making it even more prone to matting.

Your best bet to keep mats from forming in the first place is a good wash to clean the hair, a good rinse to ensure that the hair is free of any product, blast and brush out right down to the skin. This might need to be done rather often, even as much as weekly especially if the dog is going through coat change (approximately 9 months to 2 years of age).

It's hard work, but there are no short cuts when keeping a coat in good condition.