puppy shopping 4

Brushes

For a puppy, any soft brush is best until they get used to it and their coat grows enough to warrant proper brushing.

As adults, they will need 2 or 3 different grooming tools. (Although it goes without saying that some of us have 12 or 13 different ones. Ahem. No, not me. Of course not.)

Stiff bristle brush like a Mason & Pearson. Being the best, these are expensive! About £50-£60 for a medium size one. However, you can get them a bit cheaper than that at the bigger dog shows. These days mine is a cheaper brand of bristle & nylon mix after having good ones stolen from my bench at a show.

Another necessity for the fine hair around ears and under the legs is a comb. I prefer those with varying length teeth, sort of like these. I can't actually find a link to a comb that is like my favorite one, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's no longer available. You need to personalise it, of course - mine has authentic puppy teeth marks all over the handle, making plastic points that are uncomfortable to hold. Ideal.

Finally, for when they moult a rake is the tool of choice. A brush also works, but the rake does it faster & easier. This is not a product like the Furminator! That doesn't only remove dead hair, it cuts the fur. What we use for Lappies is designed to remove undercoat that is already loose without damaging the outer coat. The type with a double row of rotating teeth is best.

Collar & Lead

As advised to me back in the day, I now advise that a Lappy puppy's first collar & lead should be the soft nylon cat collar type. It will take a surprisingly long time for a Finnish Lapphund puppy to outgrow this little collar. It can take a day or two for puppies to get used to a collar & lead, and one of these is much lighter & more pleasant for them to get acclimatised to the idea of being restrained and no longer being free to run amok.

Other Stuff

Bowls, obviously. I use stainless steel - easy to clean & can't be chewed. Keskiyo, however, makes quite a racket with his when he flings it around on the patio or in his crate to get attention.

Nail clippers (yes, it must be done). The guillotine sort are easiest to use & are widely available.