Gracie's coat is long. I always use a 6" Maden comb to comb her out in the morning. She tends to like to sleep under the covers so she is a bit messy in the AM. After I have all the tangles out she gets brushed. For her at least, brushing first tends to be too harsh on her coat. I always use a conditioning spray on her ends as I groom her. In the winter months she needs that even more.
I have never cut down any of my long haired dogs. I don't mind doing the daily grooming. If you keep up with the coat it does not take very long to keep it looking nice. |