Shineillusion- grooming question, help.

[puttin510]

I know a gal that brought her shihtzu to be groomed. Groomer says, your shih is getting its adult coat and I will have to cut its coat very short probably this time and next time. Is this true that they have to cut short becasue of adult caot coming in? I've never heard of that.

[MollysMom]

That's me and Molly.
I was wondering about this ...considering I'm new to having to take a dog to the groomer, and am pretty clueless about the whole thing. The groomer said she was "molting" and losing her undercoat/puppy coat. She's part Bichon also, and I know that they can go through a motley stage with their coats.

[puttin510]

Molly, she will answer it sooner or later. She is great at these things.

[Shineillusion]

No, it is not true that you HAVE to clip the coat short just because the pup is going through a coat change, unless it's heavily matted. I never, ever clip a coat short on any dog unless it's the owners request or the coat is heavily matted. On occasion, I've suggested a short clip for elderly pets who can't tolerate a heavy grooming session, but never for puppies.

You do have to be very dilligent about brushing/combing the coat clear to the skin. I've seen some dogs that are beautifully brushed on the surface, but matted to the skin underneath. You have to lift the coat in layers, and be sure you're getting right down to the skin. If you don't know how to do that, your groomer can show you.

I may be stepping on toes here, but I'd at least talk to a different groomer. Groomers are like veterinarians. Some are good, some are bad, a few are exceptional.

[MollysMom]

Well, that answers that question.
My only issue is that in order to go to another groomer, I have to drive 30 miles away....as the one who clipped Molly is the only one in our little town.
I guess I'll have to reconsider my options next time.

[puttin510]

Molly just tell her how it is. Tell her you do not want your dog cut down again. Period. End of story. You are the boss. Its your dog. If she wants your business she will do it your way.

[Shineillusion]

Exactly correct. It's your dog, your call as to how it's groomed. Of course, this is presupposing the dog is not matted.

You gotta watch out for what we call 'Raw Hide Groomers. Bring 'em in, strip 'em down, head 'em out, Raw Hide! Some groomers don't know anything else.

If she's already clipped the dog short, when she gets almost to the length you want, take her back in, ask for a bath/brush/nail trim with a sanitary clip and neaten the face/feet. Mention this is the length you want the body, and please make note of it on her grooming card so next time there will be no missunderstandings.

Now, I know 30 miles is quite a distance to drive just for grooming. But perhaps you could call a few shops and see if you could drop the dog off, go do a little shopping or maybe lunch, then pick the dog up in an hour-hour and a half. I do this for many of my clients who have to travel to get their dogs groomed by me. A good groomer should be willing to accomodate you.

And seeing as your new to having a dog groomed, here's what you should expect from a good groomer. They should be willing to take as much time as you require to answer questions and discuss how you want the dog groomed. They should be willing to set up a time for you to view their facilities.

They should explain what a full groom incudes; i.e. a bath with conditioner, brush out, check the anal glands, check the ears, pluck or clip excess hair from the ear canals, clip or grind the nails, clip or scissor the coat to your specifications, affix bows and/or a bandanna if you want them. Cologne is optional, but most groomers offer it at no extra charge. You should expect to pay extra for flea treatment or extra comb-out time for excessive matting.

When your dog is returned to you, the groomer should point out anything that seems unusual; irritated ears, skin conditions, lumps and bumps, or coughing, sneezing, wheezing. In the event a minorl injury occurs (sharp tools + wiggly animal = nicks, sometimes) the groomer should also point that out, along with whatever first aid they may have administered and recommendations on observing the injury and when to seek veterinary care.

In most areas, the groomer is 100% liable for veterinary care of an injury sustained while the animal is in their care. Even if you sign a waiver, that does not absolve them of that liability. But you should contact the groomer as soon as you observe a problem, inform the groomer of your intention to seek medical care for your dog, and be sure the vet only treats that injury. The groomer is not responsible for charges incurred should your vet decide to update vaccinations at the same time. The groomer is also not responsible for old injuries or skin conditions uncovered at the time of grooming.

Your groomer should also be happy to discuss home coat care between grooms, things like tear staining, flea control or any other coat issues you may have questions about.

[MollysMom]

Thanks Shine!
I was looking at the ads for some other groomers today, think I'll see if I can get some recommendations from other people too.
I definately think I'll try somewhere else next time, as I later noticed a bit of a scrape on the underside of Molly's tail...and the groomer didn't say anything to me about it. Maybe she didn't realize it happened, but........

She looks fine this short, my only worry about it is that she may get cold (using sweaters& tees on her now), since we still have some cold weather. Summer will be a different story, may want her a bit shorter to keep her from getting overheated.

[Shineillusion]

Oddly enough, clipping the coat short doesn't make a dog cooler. You must remember, dogs don't perspire the way people do, and their coat acts as insulation from the heat in the same way it acts as insulation against cold.

When dogs pant, they not only cool themselves by taking in cooler air, they also move cooler air through the coat. It's sort of a built in doggy fan.

I've read some informal studies that were done a few years ago. Double coated dogs, like Golden Retrievers, Huskies, and German Shepherds were used. The dog's temperatures were taken, then they were exercised for 20 minutes, their temperatures checked again, and re-checked every 10 minutes until they returned to normal. Then the dogs were clipped short, and were put through the same procedure.

The results were; the dogs temperatures showed pretty much the same rise after exercise both times. But when the dogs coat was long, their temperature returned to normal faster than after they'd been clipped.

What does seem to help, rather than clipping the whole dog short, is to shave the bottom of the dogs feet (they do perspire through their foot pads) and shave their tummy from groin to armpits. That way they can expose their bare tummy skin to cooler surfaces, like a linoleum floor, but their longer body coat will protect them from radiant heat from the sun. It will also protect
them from sunburn.

It's also not uncommon for a dog to experience a bit of clipper irritation on the underside of the tail (also the groin area). That skin is very sensitive. It's also common for a dog who isn't used to being groomed yet to clamp their tail down when the groomer tries to clip the underside, and they can get irritation that way, too. You can put something like Vaseline or Bag Balm on it if it seems to be bothering her.

[puttin510]

Thanks Shiny, that is very interesting. I always thought my poodle was hot. She would stop in the shade. But with her, I think it was her acky(sp) joints. I have been a DIY groomer for the past hmm 4 some odd years. I completely argree with that tail issue. My poodle remembers when I trimmed it too short and looks at me every time I start the clipper back there. I have learned though. My younger poodle is funny, her tail is docked, and she can cover that whole area with her little flipped down tail. Sooo you really think we should keep the coat longer for a cooling affect? What breed of dog do you have?

[Shineillusion]

I currently have a long haired standard dachshund and an Alaskan Malamute. We shave the Mal's tummy in the summer, but never her entire body. I also keep her undercoat stripped out, so it doesn't pack down next to the skin. In the spring, I'll use a high volocity blower to remove as much undercoat as possible. We live in the South. It's hot and humid during the summer. And she's never had a problem with the heat. We do provide her with ice water when the temperatures soar, and give them ice cubes as treats.

If you want to keep your poodle cool and comfy in the summer, I'd suggest a kennel cut or lamb cut with a #3 or #4 blade. Shave the tummy with a 10. If you want something shorter, you can do a #7 bikini cut; shave the body & legs, but leave bracelettes. And be sure to keep them out of direct sun, or they might sunburn.

If you have a lot of trouble shaving the underside of the tail, you can trim it with blunt tipped scissors. It won't be as close as if you'd clipped it, but you can trim pretty close. At least close enough that stool won't be getting caught in the hair.

[puttin510]

Yep, I have used scizzors. Or I make sure the clipper is long enough.

You know just yesterday, on another site,(poodle site) Nope thats the the name of it, Auspet. LOL we were doing the guess this breed game, and alaskan Malamute was one I chose to do. Now did you knw the malamute was named after the Innuit tribe called the Mahlemuts. Mal trivia. LOL

Thanks for the advice on grooming.

[Shineillusion]

Yep, I knew that. Our girl is named Kimuk, which is the Innuit word for dog.

[puttin510]

Oh thats cool. Good for you for knowing. I wouldn't have known had I not looked.