Do you have a DOG GROOMING question?

[DLBDS]

If you have questions about how to groom your dog or need to know what kind of products/equipment to use, ask here!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, I do, thanks....

We have 2 1yo mixed breeds, that are SHEDDING LIKE MAD!!!!

One is a Lab/Retriever/Shepherd Mix. Think Golden Retriever puppy hair.
One is a Border Collie/??? Mix. Hair is long & a bit wirey.

DD has been daily brushing them but it is like the hair is just falling down like rain.

 

[3princesses4us]

Since you asked, here's one for you. We've had cockers our whole life so we're used to the grooming process. For the first time in our lives, we have a short haired Boston terrier puppy. We have been watching her like a hawk waiting for her hair to grow but it just doesn't seem to want to. Is this a good thing? Will we never have to have her groomed? If so, this is my favorite dog ever!

 

[beckmrk04]

Yes- is there a dog shampoo that will leave my dog smelling like something OTHER than wet dog?! I have bought what seems like a zillion different brands, and she always smells like wet dog afterwards. Then, so does my house. I mean- can we make her smell like wet strawberries? Or even wet apples? Any brand reccomendations would be appreciated!!

 

[JVL1018]

I have a question!

Is there anything I can use, a special comb or something to cut down on the massive shedding my black lab does in the spring?
She sheds all year around, but in the spring it's insane.

Also, is it easy to cut a dog's nails? I bring her to the groomer to get them cut, it's only $8, so I don't mind the price, but she needs then done so often, it's hard to find the time to get over there.

 

[DLBDS]

Yes, I do, thanks....

We have 2 1yo mixed breeds, that are SHEDDING LIKE MAD!!!!

One is a Lab/Retriever/Shepherd Mix. Think Golden Retriever puppy hair.
One is a Border Collie/??? Mix. Hair is long & a bit wirey.

DD has been daily brushing them but it is like the hair is just falling down like rain.

Keep up the brushing! It's that time of year when dogs start shedding their winter coats. Someone mentioned earlier that Petco offers a self-grooming station. You can use their equipment and especially their force dryers to litterally BLOW the excess hair off. I have a schipperke that I do that sheds like crazy. I brush/comb as much as I can BEFORE the bath and then blow out the rest as I'm drying her....followed by another brushing. My friend reported that it worked MUCH better than blowing out and THEN brushing alone. Good luck!

This is the dryer I use. It sounds like a jet engine (most do) but it will dry a dog FAST.
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...12&iSubCat=112&iSubSubCat=119&iProductID=1361

I like this brush for ALL my brushing needs.
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=2074&AS=1

Lots of groomers use this item called aFurminator. I have never used it as I only do small dogs now and it's not needed on the types of dogs I do.
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=4403&AS=1

 

[DLBDS]

Yes- is there a dog shampoo that will leave my dog smelling like something OTHER than wet dog?! I have bought what seems like a zillion different brands, and she always smells like wet dog afterwards. Then, so does my house. I mean- can we make her smell like wet strawberries? Or even wet apples? Any brand reccomendations would be appreciated!!

I swear by this shampoo. BUY IT! You will absolutely LOVE IT! Fresh 'N Clean Shampoo

18 oz:
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...=0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=116&AS=1

Gallon:
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=1636&AS=1

 

[DLBDS]

Since you asked, here's one for you. We've had cockers our whole life so we're used to the grooming process. For the first time in our lives, we have a short haired Boston terrier puppy. We have been watching her like a hawk waiting for her hair to grow but it just doesn't seem to want to. Is this a good thing? Will we never have to have her groomed? If so, this is my favorite dog ever!

You're in luck! Boston Terriers are a short-coated breed and therefore do NOT require grooming other than the basic bath, nail trim and ears cleaned.

 

[stamper]

Well, no questions here...we show our dogs, so I have a pretty good handle on the whole grooming thing!!

I LOVE Pet Edge!

 

[kat3668]

hello there.. is ther any product that I can use to remove thebrown staining under my shih tzus eyes? we have used the tears product but it just does;nt work that great.. thanks in advance

 

[ilovepcot]

I've had Toy Poodles all my adult life but have never gotten into grooming them myself. All of them could easily go 6-8 weeks before requiring professional grooming. Spider (seen below) has the thickest coat my groomer or I have ever seen on a Poodle and he needs grooming every 3-4 weeks. I'd really like to purchase some *very good* quality equipment and learn to at least keep his face and paws clean between his regular professional grooms. Suggestions on where and what kind of equipment to buy?

Wanted to add, after seeing above post, that Spider has the problem with tear staining as well. You can see the tearing under both eyes in his picture. Vet prescribed an antibiotic but he'll have to continue taking it the rest of his life or else stop and have the tearing and staining begin immediately. Ugh!

 

[Pinkprincessmom]

I groom my Miniature Schnauzer myself. Not as pretty as a professional, but cheaper. My problem is that I cannot add the attachements to the razor. They seem to get caught in her furr. When I use the razor without the attachments, the cut is too short and she gets razor burn in places.

Any advice?

Thank you very much!

ETA a photo where she is in need of a hair cut!

 

[DLBDS]

I have a question!

Is there anything I can use, a special comb or something to cut down on the massive shedding my black lab does in the spring?
She sheds all year around, but in the spring it's insane.

Also, is it easy to cut a dog's nails? I bring her to the groomer to get them cut, it's only $8, so I don't mind the price, but she needs then done so often, it's hard to find the time to get over there.

You could try the Furminator but it's not cheap. I have no experience with it myself as I only do small dogs these days (poodles, shih tzus, westies, schnauzers etc.) and I just don't need a tool like this. However, I have seen where other groomers swear by it. Otherwise get yourself a really good brush and brush, brush, brush. I use this one for everything and always have (even when I was doing large dogs). Make sure you get the right size for your needs:
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/pro...0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=2074&AS=1

As for nails....YES. Nails are a cinch to cut. Get a pair of nail clippers and purchase a styptic powder (such as Kwik Stop) to stop any bleeding that may occur. Start by taking off a little bit at a time on the first nail so you'll know how much to take off on the others without them bleeding. If the center of the nail (where you cut) looks pink then that's far enough. Any closer and it'll bleed. If you do cut the nail too close and it bleeds, NO WORRIES, just dip it into the powder. What I do sometimes is stick my finger in their mouth (to wet my finger) and then stick my finger in the powder and then press my finger to the tip of the nail. The bleeding will stop instantly in most cases.

Here's a page with the two different types of nail clipper (Guillotine or Pliers) and the styptic powder. I prefer the guillotine (Resco) type myself. Just decide which style would be more comfortable for you in your hand. Just click on each to see what's available.

http://www.petedge.com/jump.jsp?itemType=GATEWAY&itemID=177

 

[DLBDS]

Well, no questions here...we show our dogs, so I have a pretty good handle on the whole grooming thing!!

I LOVE Pet Edge!

ME TOO!

 

[TheRatPack]

Any good steps in grooming yorkies? We want him to have the puppy cut, but I can't find any decent pictures or instructions.

 

[DLBDS]

hello there.. is ther any product that I can use to remove thebrown staining under my shih tzus eyes? we have used the tears product but it just does;nt work that great.. thanks in advance

I've been asked this question many times by my clients and, unfortunately, I don't know of a product that REALLY works. I HAVE heard where folks have used peroxide on a DAILY basis to bleach it out but that takes a lot of discipline. You can use a q-tip or cotton ball to apply it but be careful not to get it into their eyes. Also, one of my clients that used this method bleached her dogs nose by accident so be careful there also. Her dog's nose went from black to light brown but the peroxide worked on the tear stains. I'm sure that folks into showing dogs have many trade secrets. Maybe there are some lurking about here that could help with this dilemma?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Well, no questions here...we show our dogs, so I have a pretty good handle on the whole grooming thing!!

I LOVE Pet Edge!

Same here, and Pet Edge has the best prices. Our grooming involves the wire coat stripping (Airedales), so are quite different than most of these questions so far.

 

[DLBDS]

Any good steps in grooming yorkies? We want him to have the puppy cut, but I can't find any decent pictures or instructions.

Puppy Cut is a very general term when it comes to describing a haircut. Is this something you want to do yourself or are you trying to get information to translate back to your local groomer?

What I like to do to (some) yorkies is cut (shave) them the same length all over (leaving 1/2" or so on the body, legs, tail, top of head and sides of face) leaving a short, trimmed beard. Yorkies usually get their ears "tipped" (shaved on the tip) so with this particular cut I like to shave the entire ear with a #10 blade. They really look spiffy like this. However, it's not for EVERY body type. A standard yorkie trim would be to just brush out, trim the feet and around the eyes, shave the vulva/***** and rectum, even up the "skirt" all around and tip the ears. Leaving the coat long. I have another yorkie that I shave his back with a #7 blade (picture a cocker's back) and leave a full skirt and legs with a full head (scissored round: picture westie) and tipped ears. It's the perfect style for him because he has very thin hair and he's slender.

You mentioned "puppy cut" though and that makes me think you want the dog left short but full all over. Maybe a scissored style? Get back to me on that...

 

[TheRatPack]

Yes, by puppy cut I mean short all over but still full (not the shaved look). He doesn't have a silky coat, so it grows in curly on his back section...no point in letting it get long as it just doesn't grow out straight and pretty like the show Yorkies. We like having his ears tipped though, and keeping his face pretty rounded (with his beard).

We've only found one person that trimmed him correctly, and she's since moved so we're trying to learn to do it ourselves. Out of the 6-10 cuts we've had done on him, once he was shaved down to the skin in some spots...and even had a few placed on him that were red and raw OUCH. And sometimes you can't even tell he's been trimmed.

We do well with brushing him, so the mats aren't really an issue....we'd just like to keep him trim/short though since there is no point in letting it get long like the skirt on most Yorkies.

Thanks!!

 

[DLBDS]

Same here, and Pet Edge has the best prices. Our grooming involves the wire coat stripping (Airedales), so are quite different than most of these questions so far.

I'm STRICTLY a PET groomer trying to offer advice for your run-of-the-mill pet owner. Pet groomers cut corners by using the clippers and SHAVING the hair off. Show dogs are hand stripped. I never got into that area of grooming. I would never help someone in preparing their dog for an upcoming show. I wouldn't know what to do or where to start! However, I CAN help folks in grooming their PET Airedales.

I was with Pet Edge back when they used to be New England Serum. I STILL refer to them as NES. Back in those days it was mainly between NES and RC Steele.

If my fellow DISers learn only one thing from me, I hope it's that they start using Pet Edge instead of buying from their local Petsmarts. They'll save a lot of $$.