Shiny Coat - How to Develop and Maintain Coat?

[terp]

What do most people do to maintain a nice, chiny coat on their boxers? I've heard a lot of it is diet, but do most people, for example, brush the coat every day/once a week, use special (gentle, i assume) conditioners, etc?

...just wondering what the secret is.

 

[DogCrazy]

Lilith I brush every night so she'll get used to it. Demon I brush once a week. I've heard fish oil or coconut oil supplements help made their coat shiny.

 

[terp]

Thanks. Will look into that. I also heard eggs before, too.

I wasn't sure if some handlers spray a 'doggy detailer' on them or what they are doing to get coats like that...

 

[SabrinaMN]

We give two raw eggs a week and give flaxseed oil.

 

[samsons]

u are what u eat ..

DIET , DIET , DIET .....

we feed a 6 star kibble ( dogfoodanalysis.com) wellness core/grain free. lots of members feed Taste Of The Wild... and all my babys have super shinny coats & low shedding. you can also do supplements as mentioned by other members. I also add some cheese, yogurt, eggs , fresh meet, ect to the kibble a few times a week.

I dont think I would be ok with spraying my pup with something.

 

[Caney Creek]

For a naturally shiny, healthy coat, a good diet, omega-3 supplements, and regular brushing will do the trick. Our pups get brushed about once a week, unless it's shedding season, then I will try to brush them daily. Boxers don't need to be bathed too often since their coats are very short, simply wiping them down with a wet cloth does the trick most of the time. Plus, bathing too often strips the natural oils from the coat and skin making it dull and dry. We use a gentle, soap-free shampoo (Earthbath) when our babies need to be bathed, in between baths if they get mildly dirty they get wiped down with a wet cloth.

I wasn't sure if some handlers spray a 'doggy detailer' on them or what they are doing to get coats like that...

Probably something like that, but that's more to make them really stand out in the show ring. In other words, more for cosmetic purposes than health. If you are going to be showing your dog you can probably ask other handlers what they use on the coat.

We use a spray on our dogs' coats for the purpose of repelling fleas and other biting insects. It contains tea tree oil (bug repellent), aloe, and chamomile (to soothe itchy skin). I'm sure it has conditioning properties to some extent but it's not a "high-gloss" spray.

 

[C D Burley]

My Opinion, for what its worth

I agree with the diet, that is the single biggest factor. I don’t even brush maximus anymore. I use lint removers from the dollar store to remove the loose hair. Bath him around twice a month with baby shampoo. After he has been outside we wipe his paws and coat with baby wipes that contain shea butter. Right wrong or whatever his coat shines like a new penny, all the time. I have had many people accuse me of armor all. But IMHO it’s mainly diet. A good quality kibble and I mix a can of tuna or salmon sometimes hamburger. Let’s face it all this stuff has to be better for him and it’s cheaper than canned dog food.

 

[vonsteinboxr]

I brush my dog's coat once a week with a rubber brush. The real secret weapon though is Salmon oil. I add Salmon oil to my dog's breakfast every morning and they have the shiniest, silkiest coats you can imagine and no dry skin or allergies at all! I use the brand Grizzly Salmon Oil. I only bathe them every 3 weeks. In between baths I use a waterless shampoo I just spray on them and wipe off. Also, make sure you are feeding a high quality dog food. If you have problems keeping weight on give them high quality meat as well (can be cooked or raw). For snacks I give meat or hard-boiled eggs.

 

[terp]

I brush my dog's coat once a week with a rubber brush. The real secret weapon though is Salmon oil. I add Salmon oil to my dog's breakfast every morning and they have the shiniest, silkiest coats you can imagine and no dry skin or allergies at all! I use the brand Grizzly Salmon Oil. I only bathe them every 3 weeks. In between baths I use a waterless shampoo I just spray on them and wipe off. Also, make sure you are feeding a high quality dog food. If you have problems keeping weight on give them high quality meat as well (can be cooked or raw). For snacks I give meat or hard-boiled eggs.

Thanks so much!

We went with the salmon 'Taste of the Wild' for kibble, so he's getting some decent omegas, I hope.

I didn't know they made a waterless shampoo, so thanks so much - will look into this ASAP, as our little 11 week old boy is just like most boys and having way too much fun in the yard when raining/wet.

We've been putting him in the tub, but only using water for now...still trying to figure out the whole shampoo timeframe stuff.

 

[Caney Creek]

Thanks so much!

We went with the salmon 'Taste of the Wild' for kibble, so he's getting some decent omegas, I hope.

I didn't know they made a waterless shampoo, so thanks so much - will look into this ASAP, as our little 11 week old boy is just like most boys and having way too much fun in the yard when raining/wet.

We've been putting him in the tub, but only using water for now...still trying to figure out the whole shampoo timeframe stuff.

Regular shampoo is just fine for youngsters, you just want to use something that's very gentle. I'd highly recommend the Earthbath line of dog shampoo, it's soap-free (so not overly drying) and has no harmful chemicals. There are several formulas, we use the Oatmeal and Aloe kind since Caney has sensitive skin/allergies, but they make one especially for puppies too that's tear-free. I get Earthbath from PetCo, but I've seen it at just about all of the smaller pet supply chains and independent stores near me too. PetSmart on the other hand has stopped carrying Earthbath products (at least all the stores in my area have). :(