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Rescue a
Bergamasco Grooming the Bergamasco It's not as hard as it looks, very easy in fact. No brushing, No Shedding and virtually no bathing - Courtesy of Silver Pastori Bergamascos and Artos Bergamascos
When people first see a fully coated,
mature, Bergamasco their initial reaction usually is, (How do you take care of
that coat, and do you really sit there and weave the hair to make it look like
that?)
The Bergamasco's coat is made up of hair, not fur and is considered to be non-shedding. I would like to make it clear that the Bergamasco hair does not cord, (cording is the twisting of hairs together to create a spiral strand). The Bergamasco coat is very different, in that the strands of hair weave together creating flat layers of hair, (called flocks). The definition of a flock is (a tuft or lock of wool or hair). Each flock of hair ranges in width anywhere from inch and half to three inches wide.
Before we can discuss each stage of coat development, one must first understand the formation of the coat. The coat is made up of three types of hair: 01. The Undercoat, fine dense and oily (not greasy) to the touch which forms a waterproof, protective layer. 02. The Goat hair which look like thin gray strands is strong and harsh similar to coat of a goat. 03. The Woolly top coat, which is finer and softer to the touch. The combination of the wooly hair mixed with the goat hair weave together to create the flock.
Different Stages
Of Coat Care
Each dog develops at their own rate depending on the dogs genetics. Whether you have a gray or black coated puppy, coat care is still the same. It is okay to wash your puppy once in a while or when the need arises, however, frequent bathing will dry out your puppy's skin and coat by removing the protective essential oils that keep the skin healthy and the coat clean. It is also important to keep your puppy free of any tangles or matting especially in the beginning, when the puppy coat is still present and the change over has not occurred. A monthly brushing with a pin brush will remove most tangles and debris. At around 8-10 months you will begin to notice the development of the longer smooth gray goat hair. This is the age the coat begins to get thicker especially around the base of the tail. You will begin to notice thin smooth strands of gray hair along the back and base of the dog. This is what we call the goat hair. Now the beginning stages of flocking can occur.
The goat hair together with the under coat
and the wooly coat come together to form shapeless clumps of immediate concern
for the first time Bergamasco owner. All of a sudden most Bergamasco owners
panic at this initial matted, flocking that can be felt near the skin, more than
seen by the eye.
This is the reason the Bergamasco Sheepdog
is not plagued with skin problems. (It also important to note at this stage one
must limit bathing to necessity only, when the coat gets wet the hair will
become tighter and tighter to the skin almost like a wool sweater shrinking),
which makes it very difficult to separate into smaller groupings. What one must
do to the clumps of hair, (new flocks) if larger than 2-3 fingers wide, of if
there are different areas of hair binding together,( literally creating matting
and skin pulling), is to simply tear the flocks by your fingers from the loose
end, (hair not attached to the skin) down to the skin.
A Bergamasco with a lot of wooly coat can
be a quite an adventure, constantly splitting and re splitting the coat to help
set up the initial flocks. Many Bergamascos have coats that require minimal
initial or ongoing care. Believe it or not once you have set the initial flocks
they are taking shape everyday as your dog matures. Remember each flock will be
different in width and texture depending on how the ratio of the three different
type of hairs intertwine together. Two - Three Years Old
This is the period when the dog's flocks begin to appear separated and will have a flat fan like appearance in shape and are visibly noticeable on the top line, although short in length. One must watch carefully for the flocks not to become to thick or wide or to thin. If the flocks become to wide it is important to separate them into the chosen width using the previously discussed method of tearing from the loose top end, down to the skin. The splitting of the too large flock should always be done by the hands, however, if need be a scissors will work as an extreme last resort. Three Yrs Old +++
Someone may actually come up to you and
comment, is that a Komondor or a Puli, Ah you say to yourself finally my
Bergamasco is becoming a Bergamasco!
On the chest the wooly coat is not as thick, therefore the flocks should be thinner and not as wide as those on the trunk of the dog. One must remember that the amount of wooly coat and goat hair various on different parts of the dog creating different size flocks throughout the dogs body as well as the dogs limbs, where the flocks should all be uniformed in size hanging loosely to the ground. On the head area around the eyes and muzzle, the hair is softer hanging loosely over the eyes. The hair should always cover the eyes creating a visor which protects the eyes from the sun rays. It usually takes up to five years for the Bergamasco coat to fully develop into layers upon layers of flocks that extend from the dogs shoulders to their paws.
Bathing, Brushing.
When washing the coat use plenty of warm water wetting all the layers of the coat especially the underneath layers. While rinsing, it is important not to leave any cleaning residue in the coat by constantly flooding the flocks with water while squeezing or twisting the flocks to help remove as much water as possible. The flocks, like a sponge absorbs a lot of water, the more water you can squeeze the faster the drying process will be. It is always best to bathe your dog on a breezy warm day, so drying time can be kept to a minimum, otherwise it can take two to three days to dry a full coated Bergamasco. If you use a hair dryer, never use a dryer designed for humans, the heat is too hot for dog hair and can severely damage the coat. It is best to use a commercial grooming dryer that offers different air flow attachments and have various temperature ranges.
Brushing There is nothing more beautiful then the watching the movement of the Bergamasco with all it their flocks flowing through the air. I have always said that the Bergamasco unlike other breeds is always changing year after year, from the adorable, fluffy puppy stage, to the tangled youthful rebel stage, to the Beautiful Mature Majestic Bergamasco, as we have come to know and love. Lazy leg lifter and boys who urine over their long flocks:
- Spot cleaning or flocks that have been
sprayed: I have a technique that works amazingly (it's also the best think to do
if the dog is sprayed by a skunk), and it does not require repeat as other
shampoos might:
Bergamasco Sheepdog Pictures 1
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