Dog grooming... tips...stories... questions...etc.

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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.
 
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Hi 'Mom,

Sorry nobody picked up this thread with you.

I will give you a piece of advice stated by my Police dog trainer of years ago who also had a grooming shop on the side.

Says she, "We don't start with cockers, we don't finish with cockers and we NEVER do back to back cockers"

Bb
 
If you have more then one dog, with a double coat, such as husky, chow, aussie, etc. you could invest in a double K blow dryer, it has a small attachnment that is great for blowing out the undercoat, after bathing take your big hairy dog outside, so you don't end up with hair all over your house, and starting against the lay of the coat, start blowwing. Hair goes every where. Honestly I've used this machine on my minis and they love it as it feels like a massage.

Another tip is to dry your dogs without using a dryer that blows out hot air, is to put them in their crate and set a fan in front, it will dry them with the same air temp that is in the house. Good for those guys that don't have a muzzel, like bullies.

For the short haired breeds you can get a rubber curry type brush that has teeth, forgot the name, it pulls the dead hair right out.
 
I had to laugh at the cocker comment, so true. I have to say cocker spaniels are my least favorite to groom. The hair takes forever to dry, always matted and most have "issues" and are not real cooperative. Most owners also have anywhere between 2 and 5 and get them all groomed the same day, ugh!

My short haired dogs -- dachshund and pointer/beagle I Dremel nails once or twice a week.. Curry with a round rubber horse curry comb once a week and.. I may be flamed, I bathe my dogs once a week. I can't handle dog funk or a dirty house. I use a quality oatmeal shampoo OR a baby shampoo (my tip) & conditioner.

I have Dachshunds and a characteristic is those long thick black nails.. Because I trim/Dremel so often my dog's nails don't touch the floor.. Are nice and smooth too -- good for when they decide to jump up on you, hardwood floors, etc.

Two dachshunds are long haired, one just gets a sanitary (private trim) and feet trimmed. The other gets shaved with a #10, but I leave his ears and tail long. Usually in the winter I let him grow out.

My tip is I use horse Laser Sheen on dogs (without known skin allergies) I groom to add shine and it helps when brushing out undercoat -- Poms, Huskies, Retrievers, etc. just a light mist.
 
Shorthorsemom,

While I have your attention..

Remember Spencer my 1.5 yr old Dachshund (female spayed at 3.5 months) and issues on housebreaking (preferred her wee wee pad vs outside) sometimes would have an accident beside her wee wee pad, on throw rugs.. She came from the breeder wee wee pad trained and we never crate trained her, instead she had an x pen when we weren't home.. My mistake.

Anyways, we went to dog training classes, mostly just socialized her with other dogs. DTrainer really didn't teach much else except for Spencer learning her name. We progressed to only one wee wee pad in the house instead of three..

I took it upon myself to 'train' Spencer. She now sits, stays and when I say "bed" she goes in her crate.. All of this she picked up on in about 20

minutes and I am continuing to work with her, but she is very smart and eager to please. My GF doesn't really work with her and feels bad making her do stuff. My other doxies (got them before the GF) are like soldiers due to my training.

So here's my new issue, she pees on my GF.. Twice yesterday. GF is standing in front of the mirror getting ready, Spencer stands between hers legs and pees. Then hours later GF is standing in the kitchen and Spencer sits on her foot and pees.. These were not excited pees, they were actually pees. Both times the GF wasn't even acknowledging Spencer.. Spencer loves her to death and Spencer knows she is "fun time and cuddle mommy". Is she claiming her or demanding attention? Or ? She has peed on the couch three times after the GF had taken a nap on the couch too.

We're getting a new couch this week and all the carpet in the house is being replaced this weekend with wood floors. I shampoo the carpets often but I am getting rid of any urine scent that makes her think its okay to pee inside.

THANKS!!

Added: forgot to add, she still doesn't like going to the bathroom outside. And will often hold it until she goes inside to her wee wee pad. The other day I got home, took her straight from her crate and we went on a few mile walk to the park.. She held it until we got home and she did it on her pad. She doesn't have any accidents in her crate.
 
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Hi Michelle. The peeing story is funny (and not). I had a min pin exactly like your spencer. More than once peed on my husbands pillow. Imagine laying down at night all clean from your shower and laying down in pee. We were only dating then and he was a very good sport about it, knew he was mr. right with how he handled the dog pee on the head issue. lol. I swear she was claiming him. She did it for awhile and then she claimed him as hers and never did it again. She eventually loved him more than me. Some dogs pee on their toys too. If your GF is the fun time and cuddle mommy she is actually making herself lower in the pack. I read it as you are gaining ground and coming out on top.. Spencer is in the middle and your GF is now lower in the pack and Spencer is making sure she knows it. She can LOVE your GF but since she only does the cuddle and love and no dicipline, she is being treated as a lower pack member by spencer..Congratulations on working with Spencer by the way.

I would use the crate, take the pee pee pad outside with you on your walk...drop it down outside and take away all the pee pee pads in the house. Temporary extra confinement in the house might work, although as a disclaimer I did have a minpin that peed in her crate for her entire life. In other words, Spencer is either on a leash or crated in the house.. All pee pee pads are gone, but you can take one outside with you and drop it down in the grass. Establish a Potty location. No walkie until potty in the potty location. Its hard to be tough, but during training stage, I pick a day... Take dog out, potty location, if no potty, back in crate or on leash in house.. try again... and again. Few mile walk is reward for peeing in potty area. Might even get the idea and potty more on walk. Pee pee pad is in designated potty location but no longer in house... use a potty request word like " hurry up" or "go pee" .. Once Spencer pottys, reward is a walk, play with a toy, or a treat but do not take spencer right into the house to the crate after potty or spencer will think potty equals crate and you leaving.... Walk first, then come in and give treat in crate. Use leash in house. You can clip leash to your belt with one of those carbinger thingys. Dont trip on spencer. (safety tip)

My new pup Molly is either crated or on a leash on house. We had a potty location to start with, now she doesn't need it because she does not associate going potty with me leaving or going into crate. Lots of owners that need to go to work return to house after potty and crate dog and leave. Gotta stop that mind set for dog. Also, if you go out with dog you know if they have gone outside. Molly gets run free time in house if she has pooped and peed outside.

If dog needs privacy, get a longer lead for outside walking for the potty time, then put on walking lead and go for a walk. Once the mindset is established. Pup will hurry up with potty business so they can get to go for the walk. Imagine spencer working out in brain that pee pee pads have disappeared in house. Once you get the mind set of going outside to pee and well established, you can reduce the size of the pee pee pad. My Bonnie (tibbie) was never housebroken and was 7 years old when she came. She thought furnature was a pee pee pad. I had to set up an Xpen outside for her and pee pee pad in the xpen and a tarp over the xpen for rainey days. She wanted to come back to the house to pee. I didn't let her back in house until I had seen her pee, then her reward was to come back to the house once she went potty. She didn't care about the leash walking, but had never learned to go outside. I would sit on porch and wait and wait. Sometimes took hours. When I saw her potty in xpen I would do the happy dance and immediately go and praise her and let her out of the pen. She learned and is very reliable now. Took patience and will power. She still will occasionally go on furnature, but usually my fault for too long of expectation or if a storm is brewing up and she is scared.
Ill write more later... just blasting out a bunch of ideas here but I have to go to the barn to do the cows and my old crested is barking to go out. I will write more.

PS, comment about the cocker was hilarious.

My new pup has little grooming requirements. How I ever got into the dilema of so many dogs needing major grooming.

No flaming on the once a week bathing... My cresteds do better with frequent bathing and I rarely go longer than 2 weeks on one of them. Nice having clean dogs, better than being too dirty and stinky and matted. I tell folks, if you find a matt on one of my dogs, I am probably sick or something. haha. take care. stay tuned. Thanks for checking in folks.
 
Hey,,.., run over to "adventures of new puppy and training" thread and check out my new boston puppy Molly. I learned how to post photos:) been on here for years and never could post photos until recently. Love my new pup and so do my doggies. One photo of Molly after her first grooming and bath. Start young. good idea.

take care.
 
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Any grooming tips for a Newfie? Man oh man he sheds like mad! And he gets stinky fast!!!!

Thanks!
 
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I'm impressed that you were able to do so many in one day!

I've seen some great tips on these posts.
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The only tips I can contribute right now is for shampoo I use a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of the white dawn dish washing liquid and johnsons baby shampoo to bathe my Dolly. This mixture leaves her very clean and soft, I was using "mane and tail" and that worked well but this really makes her really white and soft and it doesn't make her skin red and itchy.

...and a few years back someone told me to wipe the inside of ears with a pad dipped in witch hazel to not only keep them clean but stop ear mites. For cleaning the ear it works well. Since it worked on my Chewy I also use this with Dolly.

Oh one more thing ! I bought some Adams flea and tick spray once for the cats and it was water based. When you spray that on it has the BEST smell ever and it lasts and lasts. I spray a little of that on Dolly or her curry when I brush her and at the vets office they would ask me how I kept her smelling so good!

I have not seen the water based in our Wal Mart in a year or so and NO the oil based does not work at all, wish I has some of the other.
 
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Thanks Shorthorsemom!!

For a Newfie -- brush, brush and brush! They are also susceptible to skin allergies and yeast infections -- you can use plain Head and Shoulders shampoo too.

My tip for an ear cleaner -- peroxide or Listerine.
 
Thanks Shorthorsemom!!

For a Newfie -- brush, brush and brush! They are also susceptible to skin allergies and yeast infections -- you can use plain Head and Shoulders shampoo too.

My tip for an ear cleaner -- peroxide or Listerine.
Thanks Michelle!

I have some Blue Listerine in the barn, I was using it for lice on the horses but now I'll bring it up here for cleaning ears! I wonder what else that stuff is good for? Teeth, breath, horse lice, cleaning ears..... sounds like a "magic" product!!!! I love it!!!
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For ears my vet gave me Epi-otic advanced. earcleaner by virbac animal health. Says cleansing, drying,non irritating, antiseptic.

I love it, keeps my basset hound ears and everybody elses ears clean and dry and not stinky. It will work even if you don't use Qtips to swab, just squirt and go. Was particularly helpful when my basset first came and he had sore ears and would bare his teeth when I tried to work with his ears. He got confident and happy using just the squirt and now I can clean his ears with no problem and no teeth. he also looks forward to his belly rubs and treats for letting me do his ears. Tip for the day, always make an unpleasant job associated with praise and food and soon they will forget the unpleasant part and associate the job with praise and welcome it.
 
Bossmare.. here is a photo of my groomed tibbie. Still weird under the collar chest area, and wishing I took a before photo though, you can't imagine how much smoother this is than before I started. Imagine her with a bucket full of hair added and all curly and 10 times more unruly than her chest. Can't see her tail too good in this photo, but it really looks better than ever before and plumes nicely.

Do you have any grooming tips for getting out eye tear stains. I don't like putting that stuff in the food and the commercial stuff you qtip on doesn't remove the orange tint. On my cresteds I just shave it off, but curious as to how a groomer deals with it.

ps ... did her with scissors, she won't let me touch her with clippers, rescue dog, Got her when she was 7 years old, she is around 10 now and enjoys playing with our new boston puppy Molly. PSS, nails not done yet when photo taken. she can be a bear about her feet, I was just tickled to get so much of the slipper stuff off. You inspired me to try harder.

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attached wrong photo. will try again later.
 
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Aw, she is cute and you did a fine job! The puppy is cute too! Both are lucky to have you as their mommy. :)

Thank for all the help and info on housebreaking Spencer. We are making slow progress, but progress -- even progress in just the past couple of days.

As for tear stains, kind of a tricky situation some dogs are more prone than others; diet, genetics, etc.

I have heard everything over the years from only offering distilled water, Angel Eyes, pet wipes, avoid dyes (food & treats).. Etc.

For me as a groomer during the bath I use the warm water to loosen the crusts and goop, use a tearless shampoo and a flea comb. The water softens and the fine teeth in the flea comb gently pull out the crusts.

As for as day to day maintence, an unscented baby wipe and a dot of Desitin.. Yep! (Tip continued at bottom)

When your Tibbie allows you can shave some of the staining off with a #10 -- I've done this to Cavaliers & other spaniels and it still looks natural when done lightly but removes more staining than you'd expect - and most don't think to shave the corner of the eye because the hair appears short to begin with. (On a breed like a Tibbie)

Tip: Desitin for tear stains.. Ever notice the goop or odor? Cause by moisture close to the skin, can lead to a yeast infection.. Desitin helps keep the area dry and the zinc oxcide is a protectant / helps heal. Also great for breeds with wrinkles on their face; Boston Terrier, Bulldogs, Pekes, etc. Clean & apply inside wrinkles!
 
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Thanks boss mare for tips and compliment. Shucks ... I wrote a nice responce and blew it away, forgot to post it. now I am out of time, my horses are calling me for breakfast. will write more later.
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