# Keeping dust off back legs and tail



## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

Hi all!

Quick grooming question - Klaus has a great shiny coat - especially over his shoulders and down his back. 
However, I've noticed the fur on his back legs, tail, and right above his tail doesn't look so shiny or nice. Especially on his tail, the fur looks kind of frazzled, almost like split ends or something. Part of it, I guess, is he has less guard hairs there, especially on his tail, and the other thing is that the ground here is pure dust, so when he sits outside not in the grass, his tail and hind legs get super dusty. This happens multiple times a day.

Obviously I don't want to give him a million baths (though if he had his way I would - I can't get that dog out of the bathtub :laugh2, so I wondered if anyone had any advice to deal with this.

Right now I brush him every other day first with a rake, then a slicker brush. I tried a rubber curry comb but it didn't do much for him. The brushing doesn't seem to fix the dustiness as the dust is very fine.

Does anyone have a good way to get dust out of the hair without a bath? 

TIA! :smile2:


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## CarrieJo (Oct 1, 2016)

It would be a nice question to know the answer too! LOL


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

Wet and dry vacuum on blow setting.


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## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

Traveler's Mom said:


> Wet and dry vacuum on blow setting.




Interesting, thank you! Do you think a blow dryer on the cool setting would work similarly?


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

I really like this product.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Stuff-16oz-Conditioner-Detangler/dp/B0002H3RLU

I was introduced to it by a farmer. It certainly doesn't repel ALL the dirt and nasty stuff, but it does make a difference. If I'm going to run my dogs in tall grass/thistles/exceptionally bad mud, spraying them beforehand seems to minimize the amount of junk that they drag back inside. And when they do get into burs/thorns/mud clods, it brushes right off.


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## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

WIBackpacker said:


> I really like this product.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Wow that looks perfect! I'll have to try to find a way to get some! Thanks a bunch 


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

telavivgsd said:


> Interesting, thank you! Do you think a blow dryer on the cool setting would work similarly?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't think a typical blow dryer would have the velocity a shop vac has. I guess you could try it.

I like the shop vac for drying Traveler off after a bath so it manages to get a workout. They have doggie dryers specifically made for that purpose but I'm cheap!


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

I used The Stuff on my Rough Collie when herding due to her having to work through briars and bramble. She was 'real' herding, not just on an open field. The Stuff is silicon based and used on a regular basis it will cause coat breakage. It will allow you to easier brush out briars and picked up branches, etc. your dog runs through. Whether or not it will stop dust, I don't know. It should help you brush it out easier. We have a lot of red clay dust here right now due to lack of rain in months, I just brush it out. I quit using The Stuff when it wasn't needed. A good conditioner, that's not washed out completely, should work just as well.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

the dust on the dog's tail may be skin scurf --- add essential fatty acids to diet


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## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

Deb said:


> I used The Stuff on my Rough Collie when herding due to her having to work through briars and bramble. She was 'real' herding, not just on an open field. The Stuff is silicon based and used on a regular basis it will cause coat breakage. It will allow you to easier brush out briars and picked up branches, etc. your dog runs through. Whether or not it will stop dust, I don't know. It should help you brush it out easier. We have a lot of red clay dust here right now due to lack of rain in months, I just brush it out. I quit using The Stuff when it wasn't needed. A good conditioner, that's not washed out completely, should work just as well.


I'll just try some extra conditioner in that case until I could find the other stuff. As we're getting into the rainy season, hopefully the problem will kind of resolve itself too.

I wondered about corn starch (maybe that's stupid) since it helps to get sand out, but at the same time it's like adding more dust to dust.

Carmspack - Right now he gets an egg and two tablespoons of yogurt a day, plus high quality kibble, and cheese and chicken for treats. Do you think I should add fish oil, or is there a better source of fatty acids?


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Rainy season = mud! It's never ending, is it?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

telavivgsd said:


> I'll just try some extra conditioner in that case until I could find the other stuff. As we're getting into the rainy season, hopefully the problem will kind of resolve itself too.
> 
> I wondered about corn starch (maybe that's stupid) since it helps to get sand out, but at the same time it's like adding more dust to dust.
> 
> Carmspack - Right now he gets an egg and two tablespoons of yogurt a day, plus high quality kibble, and cheese and chicken for treats. Do you think I should add fish oil, or is there a better source of fatty acids?


Chances are high that the "high quality kibble" is NOT. It may be popular, intensely advertised , even Vet recommended ---- but in actuality could be on the top 10 of worst products available.

You do need to add essential fatty acids . None of the extras you listed are good sources.

I remember diet being a topic relevant to your dog (down ears) and stomach upset .


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## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

carmspack said:


> Chances are high that the "high quality kibble" is NOT. It may be popular, intensely advertised , even Vet recommended ---- but in actuality could be on the top 10 of worst products available.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




We're feeding Natural & Delicious Ancestral Grains Chicken and Pomegranate LB by Farmina. It gets a top score on Dog Food Advisor and I found recommended here in the forums: https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=583706&share_fid=91555&share_type=t

(Don't know if the link above will work)

Regardless I've ordered some fish oil, so I'm just waiting for it to come!



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## telavivgsd (Jul 6, 2016)

Deb said:


> Rainy season = mud! It's never ending, is it?



Exactly! Time to prepare the back seat of the car for disaster!


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