Owning a Chow Chow dog means taking on a lot of dog grooming responsibility. Start grooming your Chow Chow early to get them used to the task. Once you get a daily system down you and your dog will enjoy a bonding experience during the grooming process.
Tools: slicker brush, wide-toothed steel comb, short and long mat breaking tools, ear cleaner, ear swabs, cotton balls, eye cleaner, toenail clippers, styptic powder, towels, blow dryer, thinning shears
1. Beginning at the head use the slicker brush and steel comb on the dog in sections. Comb through a small area then start on the next to get all the way down to the skin. Push the hair forward as you go to start each section.
2. Break mats with the mat breaking tool best for that area of the dog. On the back use a long tooth comb style mat breaker. Near the feet or any short haired areas use a very short toothed mat breaking tool and a comb. Start at the top of the mat first and try to move your way down through it all the way to the skin. Use care when you get close to the skin.
*Optional: Use a #10 blade on dog clippers to shave a strip around and down from the anus. Use care to never touch the anus with the clipper blade.
3. Clip the Chow Chow's toenails using heavy duty toenail clippers. Use the styptic powder on any nails that are clipped to short. Check for any broken or chipped nails to report to your veterinarian at the next visit.
4. Bathe the Chow with properly diluted quality dog shampoo. Rub the shampoo all the way to the dog's skin. Rinse until the water runs clear. Use a properly diluted quality dog cream rinse, if needed, rubbing in the direction of hair growth. Rinse until the water runs clear.
5. Towel dry the dog to get maximum water off before leaving the tub. Allow the dog to shake several times. Use a cage dryer on a well ventilated cage to dry the bulk of the Chow's coat. Use a hand blow dryer and a slicker brush to finish drying.
6. Comb through the dog's entire coat with the wide-toothed steal comb. Remove any small mats that formed in the water.
7. Trim the fur growing between the pads of the dog's feet to even with the pads. Trim any fur sticking up between the toes to give the foot a rounded appearance.
8. Trim the fur on the hocks (the area between the foot and the lower leg) to the owner's desired length.
9. Trim away any stray hairs on the dog. Don't forget the tail! Comb through the tail and make it as poof-y as you like.
Some owners may want the whiskers and eyebrows scissor off as well. The Chow Chow should be groomed every four to six weeks. With proper grooming it's easy to keep your Chow looking gorgeous.
Photo credit: "01 Chow Chow" by Prayitno/more than 2.5 millions views: thank you! - Flickr: Chow Chow. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:01_Chow_Chow.jpg#mediaviewer/File:01_Chow_Chow.jpg
I would recommend that you watch as many youtube videos as you can find until you feel completely comfortable in grooming your Chow Chow!
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