Preparation: First, make sure you have on hand all the equipment that you require before starting: towels, shampoo etc. All pre-bath work should be done at your grooming station. It is important to keep to a regular routine, which will make you and your dog feel more secure about the process.
Check the ears to see if they need cleaning. Use an ear wipe if necessary and then plug each ear with a cotton ball to stop water from getting in.

• Thoroughly brush the coat through before placing the dog in the bath. Use a regular, quality, all-purpose shampoo unless another type of product is required. Get your fingers deeply into the coat, making sure that you massage everywhere down to the roots of the hair with the shampoo, especially under the front legs, around the back of the ears, breeches and groin area, and along the belly. Rinse thoroughly. Put suitable conditioner on the fringing on the back of the front legs, shirt front, tummy, rear of the hind legs and tail fringes. Leave on as long as instructed and then rinse thoroughly.
• Vigorously hand towel dry. Brush hair with the flow of the coat, making sure that the longer fringe hair is free of tangling. Then begin drying with the dryer, set to medium warm, fast speed, again brushing in the direction in which the coat grows to allow it to lie close to the skin. After drying is finished, groom through with a comb.

1. Begin by vigorously toweling the dog dry as it stands on the grooming table.
2. Try to dry the head quite early on as if the ears are left wet, the dog will have a natural tendency to shake.
3. Don’t forget the face and muzzle.
4. As the coat starts to dry, wrapping the towel over the body also allows body heat to have a drying effect.
5. Towel paws and the leg featherings.
6. The next task is to brush all the coat to make sure that it is tangle-free and that any dead hair is brushed out. It helps if you hold the collar for control.
7. Stretch a leg forward to gain access to the friction areas underneath.
8. Continue to brush around the chest and the front quarters.
9. Make sure that the brush penetrates all the way through the coat rather than just gliding through the surface layer. Use fairly short, easy brush strokes.
10. You will find that the slicker brush removes a remarkable amount of hair.
11. Now use a dryer along with the slicker brush.
12. Blow in the direction of hair growth to avoid fluffing up the coat and making it messy. Use an easy wrist action with the brush. Move the dryer around so that it is not directed too long on any one part of the dog.
13. This detail shows the undercoat. The dryer allows you to see where this hair is clumpy. You must brush out any tangling or “felting” here.
14. Finish  off with a thorough combing through the coat and furnishings.
15. Clean, dry and looking good.