29/05/2026
Earlier this year, our neighbourhood community group, LIFCO, hosted a raffle ticket fundraiser to assist with the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the area. As a way of giving back to the community, I donated a complimentary grooming service.
Naturally, I expected the winner to have a small breed — perhaps a Maltese, Yorkie, or Pekingese. Instead, we met Bear… a beautiful Newfoundland!
Bear arrived with what appeared to be a regularly maintained coat. Unfortunately, that was not entirely the case. Through no fault of his owner, Bear’s coat had only been surface brushed during previous grooming appointments, rather than properly line brushed. This caused significant matting beneath the top layer of fur, even though the coat looked brushed on the surface.
For double-coated breeds like Newfoundland dogs, proper line brushing is essential to remove loose undercoat and prevent painful matting. (For those interested in learning more about line brushing, here is a helpful demonstration video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRmsuoe6z6s)
After 4 hours of grooming on the first day, followed by an additional 2 hours on the second day, we were able to carefully work through most of the matting. Bear was bathed in warm water and thoroughly blow-dried to help lift the coat, loosen the undercoat, and reduce future matting.
Throughout the entire process, Bear was incredibly patient and tolerant. However, grooming sessions like this should never become the norm. Severe matting can create discomfort and anxiety for dogs, making future grooming experiences increasingly stressful and difficult.
Some may ask why we didn’t simply shave him down. While that may seem like the easier option, shaving double-coated breeds can create several long-term coat and skin issues — something I’ll explain in a future post.
Thank you again to the LIFCO community for the opportunity to contribute, and well done to Bear for being such a gentle giant throughout his transformation.
Here are some before-and-after photos of Bear’s grooming journey.
