Grooming

Dryers, which one?

huskymom — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:16:39 GMT

I'm seriously considering getting a dryer for my dogs. I hardly ever bath them in the winter anyway, but its only half cause they don't get dirty. The other half is that there is no way to get them dry in the winter before they need to go back outside. They have way too much coat! So I was looking at the dryers her on Dog.com. They have 3.

The Commander $129.99

The Quick Draw $99.99

And the Mini Cadet $72.99

I'm writing off the Mini Cadet, but only because I assume the smaller size would not be sufficient for two large dogs, both huskies, one 80+ lbs and the other 40ish lbs. Ok, so Onyx isn't really a larg dog, but she's got enough coat to qualify as one I think. I could get the Commander if that is what is recommended, but I'm leaning more toward the Quick Draw simply because of price. HOWEVER, I've never used one, nor seen one used, and I have no clue about them. So groomers, if I can get some input here...Julie too, I think its you that has one you got on Ebay or somewhere? What would you suggest that I get? If I'm wrong about the little one, let me know. If you think I need the bigger one, let me know. I mean its just 2 dogs, and they'd likely get 3 or 4 baths a year each, to thin coats during coat blowing, and the odd rolled in something dead crisis'.

Oh, and if I'm gonna order a dryer, I might as well get a new rake too, if there is a difference between a good rake and a cheap one. Is there? I know there is a difference between pin brushes and slickers, but rakes look like rakes to me...but then, what do I know?

STINKY dog???? H E L P

KentuckyMommy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:30:09 GMT

My cocker spaniel STINKS.. all the time. it dont matter what shampoo i use she still stinks (even skunk off/gone)

it seems to me to be centered around her face/ears.. but vet states NOTHINGS WRONG??? im lost

when i got her this smell was there and her ears were very matted underneath.. i groomed her up but have never found a way to rid her of the smell.. (i even recently shaved her bald) .. smells still here (although not as strong)

ive read online somewhere once about a home treatment i can mix myself for this .. any thoughts on that? or do you know of anything i can mix for this?

Brushing techniques

Liesje — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:46:17 GMT

I'm wondering about some good brushing techniques for Coke, not your everyday brushing but something I can do a few times a year when I bathe him. If I use a shedding rake and just brush wither to tail, I do get a LOT of hair. But sometime if I look closer, you can still see a lot of gray undercoat sort of clumped near the skin. It's not matted, not an actual mat at all, but...I dunno it just seems like with his length and fullness of coat, just the regular brush strokes doesn't do the job. Today he had a bath, and when he was almost dry I laid him down and with either a pin brush or the shedding rake I went carefully over his entire body and sort of held the hair back against the grain and did quick, flicking strokes with the brush pulling it out from under my hand little by little. I've probably spent 2-3 hours on his groom job. Seems like this technique really fluffed up his coat a lot better and got a lot more of the loose undercoat. There were no mats to begin with but the coat now feels soft, light, and less clumpy. Does this make sense to you grooming folk? How would you go about brushing a Malamute, Chow, Pyr? That's the type of coat he has (except the pants and tail, which I carefully de-mat with a de-matting blade and brush with a pin brush, the de-matting blade seems to break/cut some of the hair but I actually like his pants and tail trimmed and thinned a bit).

Spend $50 for me Groomers..plz

huskymom — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:10:25 GMT

Ok, so $50 is a roundabout number, but basically I want to know, if you were in my situation, what would you buy for grooming supplies.

Quick rundown:

Crusher and Onyx are huskies, but Onyx is crossed with something else, I'd guess BC but who knows. Her topcoat is silky and long, but her undercoat is as dense as Crushers. Her undercoat does not come out on its own like his though. It gets stuck and will matt if I don't take it out. Crusher has a pretty correct husky coat. Its course with a dense undercoat.
Onyx is mostly black. Crusher is black and white, or grey and white in the winter.
Crusher is 80ish pounds, and Onyx is about 40.
I dremel Onyx' nails. I still clip Crusher's. His are thick and hard, and he is only just to the point where he will let me touch the dremel to his nail without screaming. The dremel must be off however. Someday.
I am terrified of quicking a dog. never done it, never want to, but as a result Crusher's nails are longer than I would like. Onyx' are nice and short and nubby now...I like the dremel.

So, what would you buy if you had my dogs, and wanted to keep it at about $50? And if you had more...what would you add? Groomers here are rediculously expensive. I can't afford it.

Polyurethane on Coat

Moonlight — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:22:23 GMT

Okay, so I was polyurthaning some shelves for the house. It was drizzly today, so I did them in the shed and left the door open so they could dry.

Welllll....... Kya decided to crawl under them. She looked fine afterward, so I thought that it was okay.

I just checked on her where she was sleeping and ***SIGH*** she's got patches along her back. I've washed her about a dozen times with dog shampoo and some dish detergent and combed it out. I think I have most of it.

I was wondering if there is anything else I can use for when she decides to get into something gross, sticky, or shiny?

flea allergy

Arearis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:57:16 GMT

So my JRT has a nasty flea allergy. About a month ago my brother brought his dogs over to visit and he doesnt treat them for fleas so overcourse Chloe got attacked by them and before i knew it she has dug her butt raw. So we gave her a does of frontline and washed all of her bedding and what not but it has been 3 weeks and she is still digging and I find a couple fleas on her everyday. So I gave her a bath and have been brushing her with a flea comb a couple times a day but it seems nothing has helped to get rid of them. She can have another does of frontline in a week so I am hoping that helps but until then she is left scratching all the time. I know I can give her benadryl to help but I am looking for a way to just get rid of the fleas and the problem. I get myself freaked out because I am worried she is going to have severe reaction though I dont even know if that is possible. But anyway I was hoping for some tips on getting rid of the pest until we can apply more frontline.

BioSpot Flea Control?

mehpenn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:01:21 GMT

Has anyone used this product, any opinions?

Clippers

Jewlieee — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:43:42 GMT

I've always used scissors to cut the paw fur on my dogs. I'm thinking clippers are prob better but I've never used a pair in my entire life and don't even know where to begin. So, help me out :) what kind to buy (would prefer to shop locally)? How to use them without cutting pads? Any tips, tricks, etc? My dogs are noise sensitive so the quieter the better. What should I expect to pay? (The cheaper the better of course!) Tia

These nails............ argh!

kpwlee — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:50:59 GMT

I've complained before about how hard Bugsy's nails are and how fast they grow well it is soooooooooo bad now that he isn't being exercised via walking/running/ biking. Holy poop his nails are massive and grow overnight. And even though he is very short-haired the hair is also growing. Do I need to do anything about the hair?

I guess for his nails I may have to go back to a heavy duty clipper as the dremel just doesn't seem to take enough off. The poor thing dies after two feet

ProDen PlaqueOff?

Krissim Klaw — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:49:02 GMT

Anyone familiar with this product or ever used it before? Several people were talking about how well it worked on another forum I go to and it got me curious. Even though Kirby's teeth are currently good, I'm always on the look out for anything that promotes healthy tarter free teeth since Papillons are known to have teeth problems. I already brush his teeth with PetzLife gel but what got me interested in this one is it is suppose to be purely systematic and you just add a touch to their food each day with no need to brush.

Dog nail painting...is it safe? Am I a hypocrite if I let him go ahead with this?

Abbeyroad86 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:19:53 GMT

Personally I feel its a waste of money. And I had a dog as a child that my mother would always have her nails painted when she was groomed and she would chip it off within 2 days.

I'm taking my dog for a nail trim and ear cleaning at the groomers, maybe even a bath. Before her charity costume contest and the groomer asked my husband if we would like her nails painted....and he told her sure that would be cute and to do them in red to go with her costume.

She goes tuesday morning for he spa day and then she has her contest that night.

I feel like such a hypocrite if we have that done but my husband is excited and thinks she is going to look so sweet in her costume with her painted nails.

I think she might look a little weird being that shes a 20lb Terrier dog and not the most girly looking. She is beautiful, toned, and has just the right amount of muscles. And I know she is a nail biter so she would probably have them ruined by the time she got home.

Should I let him have his fun? He thought he did something clever.

Does it make me a hypocrite. I mean I always drew the line at the costume thing.

The only dog we ever have at the groomer is a male so that is why I think he decided to do this, he thought it would be cute on his girl

EDIT: More info:

I didn't set the appointment up he did, and he is the one taking her too. So I just got a call a few minutes ago telling me what he set up

Should I let him have his fun? How will this effect my dog? I'm just iffy on the idea, very iffy

my dog wets itself when i combs its fur

doglover01 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:24:13 GMT

what can i do?

Anyone use Inflight Coat Formula?

spiritsmom — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:31:41 GMT

Well, we found out that Bear is not growing her hair back because I shaved her, not because she has low thyroid. That came back normal. Someone recommended the Inflight Coat formula in the thread about her hair, and I looked it up. It sounds good, but I wondered if anyone has experience with it. Or any other helpful hints that may help the poor girl grow her hair back. I give her a month to have hair, with the supplement or whatever I can do, and then she gets a coat before it gets cold here. Julie

What to break up mats?

griffinej5 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:35:13 GMT

We have a new dog who is a poodle mix, supposedly with yorkie. She was washed twice without being brushed first, and has some significant matting. I brushed most of the matting out of her back with Luke's pin brush. I didn't even try brushing out her legs, the mats are tighter, and I felt like I was going to pull too hard with the pin brush. Is there something I should try to get those out, a certain brush, a conditioner, anything else that might work? Or should I just wait, she's going to the groomer some time in the next week or so, and I guess if they have to, they'll just shave down her legs.

Ear Cleaning

Dudleys Mama — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:31:14 GMT

How often do you clean out your dogs ears?Also what do you use? I do Dudleys every 4 weeks.I put in some R-7 powder to help pull the hair out easier,then I swab out using the R-7 liq cleaner,then I swab out using a dry Q-tip.He has never had any ear issues with my system,so I guess I am doing something right:)

SERIOUS nail cutting issues!

lemonwedge — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:20:44 GMT

Hi everyone, I just joined this site because I am desperate for some help! I have a 7 month old Boston Terrier (named Lemon), who will not by any means let anyone cut her nails. I have tried everything I can think of so I am looking for more suggestions. I got Lemon when she was about 18 weeks old (she had a previous owner), and I was unable to cut her nails from the start. She goes ABSOLUTELY crazy, starts biting and scratching, when she is usually a very very well behaved Boston, she's very friendly, never barks, and is generally a great puppy. I took her to the vet to try and cut her nails, and they were even unsuccessful, the vet tech put her in a muzzle and bear hugged her, while the vet tried to cut her nails, but only got 3 of them. She gets so upset she starts making awful awful sounds and spewing out spit of some sort from her mouth. I have tried covering her other feet with booties so she can't scratch me, while trying to do one foot at a time, no luck. I have tried touching her feet every day many times, for weeks and weeks, and while she was fine with it at first, now as soon as I touch her feet she gets up and runs away. I have tried peanut butter on a spoon to keep her busy while we try and cut, and beggin strips, but no luck. I stay as calm as I can, and try to maintain positive energy, but it is becoming really quite draining! I walk her on pavement so her nails do file down a bit, but she they are still too long and they scratch people (and leather couches!!). Oh I have also tried a dremel but she runs away from the sound of it...she is really quite skiddish, regardless of how much I expose her to the sound (she's also scared of large blue objects...a bit of a strange pup). ALSO, I have heard some people resort to putting their dog out every time they cut their nails because they go so crazy, but Lemon has a heart murmur and I don't want to risk it-- also that just seems nonsensical to me. Plus I'm a student and funds are lowwwwwwwwww. This weekend I am going to try some water therapy in the lake but I'm not sure how that will go either. Any suggestions would be greatly greatly appreciated!

Impatiently waiting

grab01 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:14:58 GMT

After putting it off forever, we've finally purchased a forced air dryer. It takes two of us to keep Aesop on the grooming table at the dog wash, and with our conflicting schedules it's hard to find a time where both of us can go. So, he ends up getting pretty gross before we can get him bathed. And bathing without blowing his coat out is just a no no It should be here Monday With a house full of hairy dogs, it's just something we need to have around.

Undercoat Question for Willow

willowchow — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:55:33 GMT

I was just wondering if anyone knows. She went to a new groomer about 3 weeks ago. She's ready to go back. But, I have one thing I've noticed that I had never noticed to this degree with her previous groomer.

Her undercoat is coming out in clumps! And, it should be coming back IN at this point.

I'm wondering if she didn't blow it out properly or if this could have anything to do with her technique or something she's doing or not doing.

I can literally just pull out clumps with my hands.

Willow is healthy right now and on no medications. (knock on wood, knock, knock, knock)

Thanks for any suggestions. I am happy with the job she did but if I can tell her to do something to make this better I'd like too.

Lori

Grooming at Petsmart or Petco...

meilani — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:28:54 GMT

Some of you may remember the story regarding Whisper the Big Fuzzy that I dogsit for and her Petsmart grooming experience. Well, not too long ago, someone read my Sekc's Zoo My Space blog regarding this story and experienced the same situation with her dog. Because of that and other similar stories, I was thinking of making this a webpage on my website. The reason I want to do this because Petsmart/Petco are extremely popular, they always advertise grooming services and most people do not realize that not all groomers are created equally. Now, I'm not trying to bash Petsmart/Petco because I'm sure that there are good Petsmart/Petco groomers out there but what I want to write is basically a warning to do research on groomers because even though Petsmart/Petco are popular does not mean the groomers are qualified or that you're getting your money's worth.

If I'm not mistaken, there are some folks who are groomers on here. Do any of you work for Petsmart/Petco or have any experiences with their grooming? What are the requirements to become a groomer at Petsmart/Petco? I've been reading that Petsmart sends their potential groomers to grooming school? Does anyone know what that entails?

For groomers who don't work for Petsmart/Petco, have you had to fix botch jobs from them? If you had the chance, would you work for Petsmart/Petco? Why or why not?

For those who take their dogs to be groomed, have any of you used Petsmart/Petco for grooming? Were you happy or unhappy with their grooming?

If anyone has any other suggestions or opinions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks everyone!

Grooming Powder

Red Devil* — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:34:24 GMT

I took both my dogs to the groomers yesterday and they are itching like crazy. I think it's the powder. I have soaked their bottoms in cold water but it didn't help. I could give them a full bath with dog shampoo but I don't want to make it worse. Any suggestions? Thanks...

zoom groom, how much is too much?

3girls — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:07:34 GMT

So I've been using the zoom groom on my dogs 2x weeks and still getting massive amounts of hair off of them. They're on good food with supplements so its a major shedding issue, I don't think.

So how much is too much to brush them??

Edited - Spam

Fondak54 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:30:34 GMT

Edited - Spam

Fondak54 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:28:22 GMT

Edited - Spam

Minksheen Pet Shampoo

DawgNabbit — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:49:21 GMT

A friend of mine recently recommended a shampoo called, Minksheen Pet Shampoo. I've read a number of testimonials from customers who rave about it and swear by it. I've tried a number of different shampoos and conditioners but have yet to find "the one." This Minksheen apparently contains a shampoo, conditioner, anti-bacterial agent, and insect repellant all in one formula. It sounds almost too good to be true. Before I decide whether or not to purchase it I was wondering if anyone here might be able to tell me if they've used it and if so what might your thoughts be on it? Thanks for your input.

I removed the first-time customer code I listed previously because I'm not sure if they want me posting it without their permission.

Groomer Job: Petsmart or PetCo?

ShelterDogs — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:03:45 GMT

I'm thinking of working at either Petsmart or PetCo as a groomer's helper, and then eventually a groomer to gain experience. Do you know which company is better to work for as far as grooming goes? I'm leaning more towards PetCo since they only have a one year contract, where as Petsmart the contract is 2 or 3 years. And groomer's helpers get paid commission, where as at Petsmart groomer's helpers do not get commission.