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The Coat Handler products are well known for satisfaction on long-coated breeds but are equally successful for short- and medium-coated breeds (cats, too!). To see optimum results, select one dog and commit this dog exclusively to Coat Handler products for at least two months. It is best to shampoo this dog at least four times, but preferably eight times during these two months. It takes about five or six baths using the 15 to 1 Shampoo Concentrate to really get through the buildup of other products used on them. If the coat is a softer texture, using the Premium Shampoo for general bathing and Groomer's Shampoo once a month will help bring back texture and strength to the coat.

Coat Handler products are designed to bring coats back to their natural state, and will not disturb texture. Use the Premium 5 for 1 Shampoo, and instead of diluting it 5 to 1, try it 10 to 1. Terrier breeders and handlers have found that this weakened dilution of our milder shampoo allows them to bathe the hard body coat on the terriers without any softening of the coat. A cleaner coat is stronger and shinier as a result. Afghan breeders use this same recipe and get great results also. You won't get a lot of suds, but most people know that heavy sudsing indicates a harsh detergent shampoo with color stripping and softened hair. RINSE! Since our shampoos rinse faster and better, many groomers save money on hot water bills. May we still insist that you take special care to rinse thoroughly and then rinse again. Sometimes groomers get spoiled by the fast rinse and start to cut corners. Don't use the conditioner to counteract the shampoo, as some have tried. There is no substitute for "squeaky clean" and the conditioner can do its job more effectively.

Our 15 to 1 Shampoo Concentrate can be diluted much further if the water is at all soft. Many groomers are able to dilute it 30 to 1 and are very happy with it. Remember that shampooing twice is the key to a really clean animal. One bath will not get the skin thoroughly clean but only starts to lift the surface dirt and dead skin.

If you need an insecticide shampoo, you can dilute a Pyrethrum Concentrate with the Groomers Concentrate. I do recommend that you use plain diluted Groomer's Shampoo for the second shampoo, as this will get rid of chemical residue to stop irritations and prepare the coat for using the Coat Handler Conditioner for best results.

Don't Use Oily Products!

Remember that oil sprays are best used on dusty furniture to grab dirt and lint, and the healthiest coats are always the cleanest coats. The moment you put an oily product on a coat or on skin, you have now determined that only a harsh stripper will get this dog clean again. You must use harsh chemicals to undo the damage you have just done. These harsh chemical detergents will also strip out all natural oils and begin to lift the top layers of molecules from the cuticle of the hair itself.

A similar situation can be seen when a harsh dish detergent makes your fingernails spilt and peel in layers, causing the nail to become weak and permanently damaged.

Use of oils can also cause dandruff by holding dead skin on the surface rather than the normal sloughing when new skin is generated. This dead skin combines with the oil (many of these oils can become rancid and break down with exposure to heat and oxygen) and when bacteria and dirt join in, you have all the ingredients for dermatitus and infections (i.e., hot spots).

I have heard reports of dogs having difficulty regulating their own body temperatures when they are in "in oil." Small dogs then become chilled in the winter or in cold conditions or they become overheated and cannot get cool in hot conditions. Apparently, the oil prevents the skin from "breathing," and holds in body heat at a higher rate than they can compensate for by panting.

The Coat Handler products have been designed to avoid the things that do damage to coat and skin. Static is a major cause of damage and can be virtually eliminated when you use Coat Handler Conditioner. Weepy eyes are occasionally the result of shampoo residue that irritates the eyes causing continuous tearing. The tearing then triggers a wet face, sores, discoloration, mildewing, and weakening of the hair shaft surrounding the eyes. Chewing feet and ankles is an indication that the animal is possibly allergic or sensitive to residues left by other shampoos.

With continued use of our Groomer's 15 to 1 Shampoo Concentrate, many dogs suffering from this condition are relieved and will gradually discontinue the chewing. Using the Skin Works will help to soothe the irritation and assist in healing. If chewing has started an infection, then it should be treated with proper medical care, but remember that the cause is a sensitivity based on the bathing. Many times, dogs are treated with steroids to relieve symptoms rather than determining the cause and making changes in the environment to stop the chain reaction from the source. Use of steroids should be a last resort, since it interferes with the animals' immune system and opens them up to infections and other complications.

All of the Coat Handler products are deliberately "as mild as possible," and still get the job done. Our shampoos do not get thick again when diluted and for good reason. This thickening process used by other shampoos can cause these products to bind up in the coat or in clumps or mats. This makes them much harder to rinse out and, therefore, can cause hot spots. Other shampoos can cause buildup of residue in pipes and septic systems, setting the stage for poor drainage and plumbing problems. They get thick in the hoses of shampoo diluting machines, causing problems with compressor breakdowns and clogged hoses.

Because of the residue and film left by many shampoos, mats become harder to work out and hair growth is retarded by the buildup left on hair and skin. I suspect that "leather skin" may be a result of this, as continuous use of the Coat handler products has caused decided improvement in many cases.