Grooming?
Although the breed has a very attractive and heavy coat, they require only a small amount of grooming (about 0.5 hour a week should be adequate.). The main areas on which to concentrate being around the ears,
and the tail and long feather on the legs and under the tail. No trimming is required, although some owners may prefer to trim around the feet and under the pads to reduce the amount of mud bought into the house! Bathing is also up to personal preference – too much bathing will soften the coat and strip out the protective oils, often a good brushing will remove the dirt and dead hair sufficiently to avoid the need for a bath – but if your ‘best friend’ smells then a bath with suitable pet shampoo should be fine. If your dogs has a tendency to roll in nasty smelly substances – then it is a good idea to rub tomato ketchup into the smelly area and rinse off, ketchup seems to be the only substance that will neutralise the smell!