Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Hello new hairy beast owners!  My afghan Dija was my only child 25 years ago.  If you are not showing your hound, you don't need to do anything to the saddle.  It will stay short.  To keep the floors a little less muddy in the spring you may want to trim the hair between those graceful long toes and the pads of the feet.  Another very useful item is a snood for dinnertime.  I made my first from a large tube sock with the toe cut off.  Friends who knit or crochet can make a fancy one for you.  Slide the snood over the nose to hold back the hairy ears and topknot while  eating: keeps the hair clean and un-chewed.  To brush, lay the dog down on its side.  A table with a rubber-backed bath mat or a grooming table are much easier on the back than is the floor.  With your non-brush arm, smooth the side hair up over the back in the opposite direction from which it normally hangs.  Let go of a small layer of hair to brush at a time.  That way you will be able to brush all the way down to the skin, which iis the only way to avoid mats.  I managed the coat most easily when I took the time EVERY DAY to brush Dija's hair with a hairbrush made for humans.  I used a pin brush with a non-static pad at the base of the pins.  It only took 5 to 10 minutes to get the day's mess out, and I could do it with Dija standing.  If I let it go a week there would be snarls and it would take forever.  NEVER brush your hound's hair when it is wet!  You risk some serious breakage.  If you want to mist the coat with conditioner in the event of a major brushing with many snarls, do it one small section at a time.  Conditioner will build up and make for a greasy-looking dog over time.  Plan on frequent baths.  There is a mat-loosening product you can find at pet stores to use on really bad ones.  Afghan skin is really tender, so don't try to pull out a bad mat.  Insert the end of a blunt-nosed scissors near the skin and cut in the direction of hair growth to split a mat for easier teasing out.  On another note, never underestimate your hound's ability to climb.  No fence could hold Dija.  She climbed over a 10 foot fence before we gave up and roofed her kennel.  Her drive to chase was incredible.  If I went back in the house for a minute she'd take off after anything, even a bird.  Afghans are wise and goofy and they all think they're human.  Best of luck with your new additions.