Anyone groom their own puppy?

rusch1595 · New member Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 12

Just wondering....I have a four month old male shihpoo who went to the groomer for the first time yesterday. She did a great job, but I don't love the thought of spending the money every month on it and wondered if I could do it myself. Has anyone attempted the grooming themselves?

Shineillusion · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:20 am Post subject:

A lot of people chose to groom their own dogs. If you're dillegent about keeping the coat brushed, combed, and mat free, you could probably extend the period between grooms out to every other month, or even every three months.

But, there are some procedures your groomer might be preforming that you'd be uncomfortable doing. Like expressing anal glands. Your groomer probably also has a wider variety of tools that you may find expensive to purchase, but would make the job much easier.

If you intend to clip your pup, you'll need to purchase a good quality clipper and a variety of blades or guard combs. One size does not fit all where blades are concerned. You can purchase a professional grade, single speed clipper with a #10 blade included for around $100, and if you're only grooming your own pets, it should last you for the lifetime of your dog. Additional blades will run between $20 and $30 apiece.

The #10 blade is for short clipping. Use it for armpits, under the tail, and the tummy. If you want a longer body clip, use either a #3 or a #40 with a guard comb. Remember, where clipper blades are concerned, the higher the number, the shorter the clip. A #40 with no guard comb will leave your dog bald. And remember; blades and scissors are sharp. They will cut skin as easily as hair.

You'll also need scissors. Good ones are expensive. Cheap one's don't cut well, and need to be sharpened often. Mid range scissors will run in the neighborhood of $50-$100 each. Most groomers have at least one straight scissor and one curved. Also, blunt tipped 4 inch scissors for trimming tight areas, like ears, between the pads, and the face.

You should also have the following:
Soft slicker brush
Greyhound comb, medium/fine
nail clippers
styptic powder for nails that are cut too short and bleed
tweezer or hemostat for pulling ear hair
ear powder, for pulling ear hair
ear cleaner
Good quality shampoo and conditioner. It's ok to use people shampoo, but either way, you must rinse, rinse, rinse. And rinse again.
Detangling spray for combouts. There are several good ones. I like 'The Stuff'
Blow dryer. You can use your own, but watch out for the heat. Too hot is not good. Professional dryers will do a better job, but they can run as high as $300...or more.

If you bathe your dog, you MUST brush it dry or risk mats. Mats are difficult to remove, and cause the dog a lot of pain.

Ok, is a trip to the groomers sounding better now, LOL?

rusch1595 · New member Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 12

Uh, yeah! I didn't think it was quite that involved. I was thinking a little shaving, a little trimming, lol! I'll definitely think some more on this, but I'll likely stick with the groomer, but try to stretch out the trips with my own brushing and bathing. Thanks for all the info.

h3artfish · New member Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 1

I find that puting my dog on a glass table, he will stand still for me to cut his hair.

DeLaUK · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 2:04 pm Post subject:

Ill never forget the first cat I 'had' to shave for a groom (as opposed to a surgical shave which Id done many times). The groomer, after slipping and breaking her arm on the tub, had just had an older cat sedated to remove some really bad matts. She had to go to the hospital and I was the only one available to shave the cat Confused

the last thing she said was "make sure, when you shave under the legs that you dont 'slice' it with the blade" I got almost the whole cat shaved and was on the last leg, front, and sliced it Sad

. Had to have 2 sutures....I felt soooo bad. The cat was fine though and had no lasting effects. Got to be so careful with the loose skin under the legs.

Shineillusion · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 2:21 am Post subject:

Oh, I just love shaving cats. NOT! Of course, I've learned to be really carefull with the loose skin, but those danged nipples ...I seem to get at least one if the tummy hair is really matted.

DeLaUK · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 5:25 am Post subject:

Oh yeah....makes me cringe every time I do that, there is one thing worse than shaving a cat though....A BUNNY Shocked

weve had quite a few in for neutering, I used to think other techs were cruel for plucking the hair out but after Id seen a couple of shaved ones I ended up plucking, theyre skin is like paper...

Shineillusion · Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:08 am Post subject:

Funny you should mention bunnies. I did one yesterday, a Netherland dwarf, and it freaked me out. She came in to have her private parts plucked (fecal mats were starting to form), and just an all over combing/plucking.

Well, I'm plucking away, not paying that close attention, as it was just blown undercoat, and all of a sudden a whole handfull of coat came off at once, leaving a HUGE, completely bald spot. And I mean completely bald. I couldn't have gotten it that bald with a 50 blade. In over 30 years, I've never, ever seen coat peel off like that. Her owner said her other rabbit does the same thing, no big deal. I'm still thinking something isn't kosher here. The rabbits skin was bright red, and sort of oozey, and I think there's more to it than just blowing coat.