shorthorsemom
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Hi, I decided to start a dog grooming thread since there was so much interested when Boss mare was posting grooming tips on that other thread.. sharing stories.. asking about tipping... how to find a good groomer... how to do grooming yourself...
Yesterday I did some major grooming of all my doggies myself.
I started with the new boston terrier puppy...Not much grooming there, but she sure did enjoy standing still for me to fine comb her hair. I also cleaned out her ears, and examined her teeth.
I next did our collie. She was practically sitting on my head while I was grooming molly and was desperate for me to groom her, she LOVES it so much, considers it concentrated petting. Took me over an hour sitting on my bottom on the floor but I had her so I could fine tooth comb her all the way to the skin. I cleaned up her belly and thinned out her skirts and cleaned up the feet and did her nails and checked all her teeth and cleaned her ears.
Then I started on Chinese cresteds... I got two combed out completely, will try to do the third today. They are groomed frequently so that didn't take too much time. I typically shave faces, clean up feet bottoms and bellys and comb out all the hair all over. I used to let them have full long coats, but now that they are older I have shortened their hair considerably to about 1-2 inches all over.
Then I took the scissors to the tibetan spaniel Bonnie. After Boss mare posted tips, I took up the challenge to tame her hair and get her cooler for summer. After an hour I had quite a bit of hair piled up. The little curls kept popping up and I admit her bottom looks rather funny and bunny like, think I might have gotten that a bit too short. Best was her tail, with the twisting before trimming tip I got from Boss mare... I did get a really nice feathered fluffy tail on her and that looks the best. some of her looks like it needs to grow back out... LOL, but the kids and husband agreed that she looks cooler and her hair shouldn't tangle so much now. Got her feet done too, that was major since this was the first time she has allowed me to take that extra hair off when she wasnt in the bath tub. Got her ears cleaned too.
Finally I tackled the basset hound Fred (aka scoobie doo). You wouldn't think a basset would need so much grooming, but I combed quite a bit of hair with the fine tooth comb out of his coat and tail. He grows nails like no tomorrow so I trimmed them with one of my kids rubbing his belly, and he got his ears cleaned out too. My vet sold me some terrific ear cleaner that really works well for those floppy eared breeds. When he was abandoned on our farm he had terrible yeast infection in his ears and they were swollen and he was really crabby for doing the ear job. Now two years later he has clean ears and he allows me to clean them out for him because he knows there is a big belly rub and treats coming for behaving. Folks that think short haired dogs don't need much grooming, never ran a fine comb through a basset hound. haha. he was moaning in happiness and smiling all over at the fine comb treatment and I had quite a pile of hair on the floor when finished since he is finishing shedding winter coat. Fine coated breeds love brushing too.
I still need to do Bonnies nails and have one more crested to groom today. Not bad... felt like I was a professional groomer for a day but without the pay and tips. haha. Payment was sittiing back and being proud and having a house full of clean and groomed dogs. I take pride in my dogs appearance, it felt good...
anyway... here we go... feel free to share tips, grooming tools.. etc... enjoy..
One of my nicest christmas presents this past year was a professional pair of scissors and thinning shears a gift from a friend of mine. I know they were expensive, the action is superb. Nothing like good tools to make a job easier.
Yesterday I did some major grooming of all my doggies myself.
I started with the new boston terrier puppy...Not much grooming there, but she sure did enjoy standing still for me to fine comb her hair. I also cleaned out her ears, and examined her teeth.
I next did our collie. She was practically sitting on my head while I was grooming molly and was desperate for me to groom her, she LOVES it so much, considers it concentrated petting. Took me over an hour sitting on my bottom on the floor but I had her so I could fine tooth comb her all the way to the skin. I cleaned up her belly and thinned out her skirts and cleaned up the feet and did her nails and checked all her teeth and cleaned her ears.
Then I started on Chinese cresteds... I got two combed out completely, will try to do the third today. They are groomed frequently so that didn't take too much time. I typically shave faces, clean up feet bottoms and bellys and comb out all the hair all over. I used to let them have full long coats, but now that they are older I have shortened their hair considerably to about 1-2 inches all over.
Then I took the scissors to the tibetan spaniel Bonnie. After Boss mare posted tips, I took up the challenge to tame her hair and get her cooler for summer. After an hour I had quite a bit of hair piled up. The little curls kept popping up and I admit her bottom looks rather funny and bunny like, think I might have gotten that a bit too short. Best was her tail, with the twisting before trimming tip I got from Boss mare... I did get a really nice feathered fluffy tail on her and that looks the best. some of her looks like it needs to grow back out... LOL, but the kids and husband agreed that she looks cooler and her hair shouldn't tangle so much now. Got her feet done too, that was major since this was the first time she has allowed me to take that extra hair off when she wasnt in the bath tub. Got her ears cleaned too.
Finally I tackled the basset hound Fred (aka scoobie doo). You wouldn't think a basset would need so much grooming, but I combed quite a bit of hair with the fine tooth comb out of his coat and tail. He grows nails like no tomorrow so I trimmed them with one of my kids rubbing his belly, and he got his ears cleaned out too. My vet sold me some terrific ear cleaner that really works well for those floppy eared breeds. When he was abandoned on our farm he had terrible yeast infection in his ears and they were swollen and he was really crabby for doing the ear job. Now two years later he has clean ears and he allows me to clean them out for him because he knows there is a big belly rub and treats coming for behaving. Folks that think short haired dogs don't need much grooming, never ran a fine comb through a basset hound. haha. he was moaning in happiness and smiling all over at the fine comb treatment and I had quite a pile of hair on the floor when finished since he is finishing shedding winter coat. Fine coated breeds love brushing too.
I still need to do Bonnies nails and have one more crested to groom today. Not bad... felt like I was a professional groomer for a day but without the pay and tips. haha. Payment was sittiing back and being proud and having a house full of clean and groomed dogs. I take pride in my dogs appearance, it felt good...
anyway... here we go... feel free to share tips, grooming tools.. etc... enjoy..
One of my nicest christmas presents this past year was a professional pair of scissors and thinning shears a gift from a friend of mine. I know they were expensive, the action is superb. Nothing like good tools to make a job easier.
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