AGE REQUIREMENT (DOGS & CATS):
5 months - 5 years
(4 months are accepted providing the kitten or puppy has had 2 sets of the 3 in 1 or 5 in 1 vaccine)
SURGERY PRICES:
CATS
(Includes Rabies, 3-in-1 Vaccines and pain injection)
Spay (female) $75
Neuter (male) $50
DOGS
(Includes Rabies, 5-in-1 Vaccines, pain injection, take home meds and E-collars for males)
Spay (female) $115
Neuter (male) $115
OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE DURING SURGERY
Microchipping $25 (includes registration)
Earmites $20
FeLV/FIV (Leukemia/Aids) Testing $35
ADDITIONAL CHARGES
Dogs in heat - additional $45.
Dogs pregnant (less than 4 weeks) - additional $45.
Crypt dogs and cats: additional $45. No abdominal exploratory surgery.
Male dogs over 100 pounds incur an additional $20. charage for every 10 pounds.
No female dogs weighing over 70 pounds.
There may be additional charges based on medical conditions. Some examples are weight, pregnancy, undescended testicles, etc. This applies to dogs and cats.
All services must be paid prior to surgery. Operating on a pre-payment basis helps us keep our fees affordable.
Chronic no-shows could cause future denial of services.
*We accept cash, major credit cards and debit cards
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
DogHouse STuff
Things You'll Need:
Nine 2-by-4-by-30 inch boards
Four 2-by-4-by-26 inch boards
Five pieces of 1/2-inch treated plywood, 30 by 30 inches
One piece 1/2-inch treated plywood, 15 by 30 inches
Saw
3/4-inch nails, 200
3-inch nails, 30
Screws 6 half-inch
Three 1-inch hinges
Two latches, such as eye-and-hook
Hammer
Screwdriver
•Cut the 2-by-4 inch boards and plywood as indicated in supplies needed to build a doghouse with a flat roof.
•2
Frame 4 of the 2-by-4 inch boards into a square frame by placing 2 of the 30-inch boards across from each other and 2 of the 26-inch boards 2 inches inside the edges of the 30-inch boards so that the edges are smooth. Repeat this process to create a second square.
•3
Hammer 3-inch nails into the 30-inch boards so that the nails go into the 26-inch boards, securing the square frames. Be sure to use at least 2 nails in each board.
•4
Hammer 3-inch nails into one 2-by-4-by-30 inch board into the inside of each corner, creating a cube. Also, hammer one 30-inch board 15 inches from one corner to create the door of the doghouse.
•5
Attach the 1/2-inch treated plywood squares using the 3/4-inch nails to the bottom of the cube creating the floor, the top of the cube creating the roof, and three sides of the cube. Do not yet attach the plywood to the side of the cube where you will make the door; this is the side that has a board attached at the 15-inch mark.
•6
Use the three hinges and screws to attach the smaller piece of 1/2-inch treated plywood, 15-by-30 inches, to the corner of the doghouse on the side you left open. Place the two latches on the board at the 15-inch mark. This will allow you to open the doghouse if necessary to clean it or to add bedding
Read more: How to Build a Doghouse With a Flat Roof | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4883005_build-doghouse-flat-roof.html#ixzz16AaS4jOw
Read more: How to Build a Doghouse With a Flat Roof | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4883005_build-doghouse-flat-roof.html#ixzz16AaM0Fbz
http://www.woodvendors.com/index.php/lumber.html
8 pieces to make a fence (a piece of fence) to hold a dog. (if i wanted to ahold dogs and sell them (like a animal control place). a total amount of money 172 dollars. thats 0.48 cents board a foot for a wooded a fence. so far the cheapest. a five piece by 2 piece.
4x8 ceder 67 dollars..... http://www.hooverfence.com/wood/dog-ear-spaced.htm
18dollars for wire mesh fence
t post anywhere from 9 dollars to 17dollars.
Nine 2-by-4-by-30 inch boards
Four 2-by-4-by-26 inch boards
Five pieces of 1/2-inch treated plywood, 30 by 30 inches
One piece 1/2-inch treated plywood, 15 by 30 inches
Saw
3/4-inch nails, 200
3-inch nails, 30
Screws 6 half-inch
Three 1-inch hinges
Two latches, such as eye-and-hook
Hammer
Screwdriver
•Cut the 2-by-4 inch boards and plywood as indicated in supplies needed to build a doghouse with a flat roof.
•2
Frame 4 of the 2-by-4 inch boards into a square frame by placing 2 of the 30-inch boards across from each other and 2 of the 26-inch boards 2 inches inside the edges of the 30-inch boards so that the edges are smooth. Repeat this process to create a second square.
•3
Hammer 3-inch nails into the 30-inch boards so that the nails go into the 26-inch boards, securing the square frames. Be sure to use at least 2 nails in each board.
•4
Hammer 3-inch nails into one 2-by-4-by-30 inch board into the inside of each corner, creating a cube. Also, hammer one 30-inch board 15 inches from one corner to create the door of the doghouse.
•5
Attach the 1/2-inch treated plywood squares using the 3/4-inch nails to the bottom of the cube creating the floor, the top of the cube creating the roof, and three sides of the cube. Do not yet attach the plywood to the side of the cube where you will make the door; this is the side that has a board attached at the 15-inch mark.
•6
Use the three hinges and screws to attach the smaller piece of 1/2-inch treated plywood, 15-by-30 inches, to the corner of the doghouse on the side you left open. Place the two latches on the board at the 15-inch mark. This will allow you to open the doghouse if necessary to clean it or to add bedding
Read more: How to Build a Doghouse With a Flat Roof | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4883005_build-doghouse-flat-roof.html#ixzz16AaS4jOw
Read more: How to Build a Doghouse With a Flat Roof | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4883005_build-doghouse-flat-roof.html#ixzz16AaM0Fbz
http://www.woodvendors.com/index.php/lumber.html
8 pieces to make a fence (a piece of fence) to hold a dog. (if i wanted to ahold dogs and sell them (like a animal control place). a total amount of money 172 dollars. thats 0.48 cents board a foot for a wooded a fence. so far the cheapest. a five piece by 2 piece.
4x8 ceder 67 dollars..... http://www.hooverfence.com/wood/dog-ear-spaced.htm
18dollars for wire mesh fence
t post anywhere from 9 dollars to 17dollars.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
American Pit Bull Terrier
This strong dog has a short, flat and harsh coat needing very little grooming.
Massage or brush your Pit bull terrier at least once a week.
Pit bulls should become accustomed to grooming practices as puppies. If you haven't done this, you'll probably need a good, strong leash, a muzzle, and a pair of helping hands.
Brushing:
. Removes dirt and debris
. Invigorates skin
. Spreads oils to moisturize skin and keep a shiny coat
. Prevents mats and tangles which are irritating painful and can harbor bacteria, fungus, other infection
. Keeps your house cleaner especially during shedding seasons
. Bonding, massaging, loving interaction
. Early detection of fleas, ticks, eczema, infection and smells that may signify sickness
Tools: Rubber curry comb or chamois.
Use the rubber curry comb, always in the direction of hair growth, to stimulate your American pit bull's natural oils and buff him to a glossy shine with a chamois.
It's important to clean between the folds and wrinkles on your dog's face and tail: dampness here can breed bacteria and lead to infection. There is a specific lotion developed for this issue that can be applied within folds.
Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Ears: Check ears once a week.
Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.
Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution. There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.
Place a few drops of ear solution into the ear of your pit bull. Rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.
Teeth: Regularly. 80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.
Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.
Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.
Starting your dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.
Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.
Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.
Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.
Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.
If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.
Nails: Every two weeks.
Nail care is very important for your pit bull.
Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.
Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.
Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.
Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.
Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.
Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.
If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.
Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.
If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.
Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.
It's better to clip the nails of your pit bull more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.
Paws: Check daily It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.
Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks
This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.
These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).
There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.
Tools: Warm cloth
Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.
Bathing: As needed
American pit bull terriers do not need regular bathing. This strips the natural oils that protect and repel dirt from the skin. Frequent bathing dries out the skin and is a detriment to a healthy coat.
A rubdown with a damp towel can remove dirt.
With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odour will remain minimal.
Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate.
The exceptions to this is when your dog manages to find something less than pleasant to roll in, or during its shedding season. A bath can help to remove a large amount of shedding hair.
Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.
Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.
A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
If you choose to bathe your pit bull outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.
Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
Massage the shampoo into a lather.
Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.
Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.
Dry with a towel.
Massage or brush your Pit bull terrier at least once a week.
Pit bulls should become accustomed to grooming practices as puppies. If you haven't done this, you'll probably need a good, strong leash, a muzzle, and a pair of helping hands.
Brushing:
. Removes dirt and debris
. Invigorates skin
. Spreads oils to moisturize skin and keep a shiny coat
. Prevents mats and tangles which are irritating painful and can harbor bacteria, fungus, other infection
. Keeps your house cleaner especially during shedding seasons
. Bonding, massaging, loving interaction
. Early detection of fleas, ticks, eczema, infection and smells that may signify sickness
Tools: Rubber curry comb or chamois.
Use the rubber curry comb, always in the direction of hair growth, to stimulate your American pit bull's natural oils and buff him to a glossy shine with a chamois.
It's important to clean between the folds and wrinkles on your dog's face and tail: dampness here can breed bacteria and lead to infection. There is a specific lotion developed for this issue that can be applied within folds.
Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Ears: Check ears once a week.
Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.
Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution. There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.
Place a few drops of ear solution into the ear of your pit bull. Rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.
Teeth: Regularly. 80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.
Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.
Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.
Starting your dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.
Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.
Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.
Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.
Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.
If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.
Nails: Every two weeks.
Nail care is very important for your pit bull.
Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.
Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.
Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.
Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.
Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.
Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.
If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.
Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.
If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.
Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.
It's better to clip the nails of your pit bull more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.
Paws: Check daily It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.
Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks
This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.
These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).
There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.
Tools: Warm cloth
Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.
Bathing: As needed
American pit bull terriers do not need regular bathing. This strips the natural oils that protect and repel dirt from the skin. Frequent bathing dries out the skin and is a detriment to a healthy coat.
A rubdown with a damp towel can remove dirt.
With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odour will remain minimal.
Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate.
The exceptions to this is when your dog manages to find something less than pleasant to roll in, or during its shedding season. A bath can help to remove a large amount of shedding hair.
Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.
Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.
A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
If you choose to bathe your pit bull outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.
Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
Massage the shampoo into a lather.
Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.
Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.
Dry with a towel.
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback has a smooth, glossy short coat with a distinctive ridge of hair on its back that grows in the opposite direction of the rest of the hair. This dog is an average shedder requiring minimal grooming. An occasional brushing is all that is needed to keep the coat shiny. Baths should be given only when needed.
Tools: Rubber curry comb, chamois weekly.
Rub your Rhodesian down with a curry comb or chamois to pick up hair and dirt and give its coat shine.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Tools: Rubber curry comb, chamois weekly.
Rub your Rhodesian down with a curry comb or chamois to pick up hair and dirt and give its coat shine.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Chow
AREA BLADE #
Body #7
Pads #15
Stomach #10
Slicker brush, metal combs (wide and regular tooth), scissors, clippers, blades (if clipping, see below) and matt splitter (as needed).
Regular brushing and combing several times a week is essential in order to remove substantial wooly hair shed from the dense undercoat, and not only the outer coarse guard coat which protects the undercoat. The density of the hair coat can be misleading to novice groomers or owners of this breed; it is very dense.
The comfort of the Chow Chow through the professional grooming process is significantly increased when the dog owner has maintained proper regular brushing and combing. Detangling products may work well on this type of wooly under coat when matted or heavily-undercoated. Allow extra time to groom these dogs with poor coat conditions.
Hair shed not removed from the undercoat as well as any in the outer coat easily invites tangling and matting with time, and whenever the dog gets wet, even damp. Remove the hair shed from the under coat before bathing with a thorough brush and comb out. Wetting the wooly undercoat causes matting and tangling effects to increase almost immediately. Experienced groomers may choose to remove some of the last under coat hair shed after bathing, and after adding a conditioner to make final under
Some groomers are cautious to very cautious about grooming Chow Chows. They are very loyal to their owners and may be aggressive with groomers unfamiliar with them. Hopefully the Chow Chow pet owner will start grooming their dog at an early age as well as introducing them to professional grooming in order to ease any aggressive tendencies. We know some experienced groomers that have eased the problem by having the owner of the aggressive Chow Chow stay during the first two grooming appointments and show their approval for the groomer working on them. Thereafter, the same groomer should groom the adapted Chow Chow. Only very experienced groomers should handle any aggressive dog regardless of breed.
Body #7
Pads #15
Stomach #10
Slicker brush, metal combs (wide and regular tooth), scissors, clippers, blades (if clipping, see below) and matt splitter (as needed).
Regular brushing and combing several times a week is essential in order to remove substantial wooly hair shed from the dense undercoat, and not only the outer coarse guard coat which protects the undercoat. The density of the hair coat can be misleading to novice groomers or owners of this breed; it is very dense.
The comfort of the Chow Chow through the professional grooming process is significantly increased when the dog owner has maintained proper regular brushing and combing. Detangling products may work well on this type of wooly under coat when matted or heavily-undercoated. Allow extra time to groom these dogs with poor coat conditions.
Hair shed not removed from the undercoat as well as any in the outer coat easily invites tangling and matting with time, and whenever the dog gets wet, even damp. Remove the hair shed from the under coat before bathing with a thorough brush and comb out. Wetting the wooly undercoat causes matting and tangling effects to increase almost immediately. Experienced groomers may choose to remove some of the last under coat hair shed after bathing, and after adding a conditioner to make final under
Some groomers are cautious to very cautious about grooming Chow Chows. They are very loyal to their owners and may be aggressive with groomers unfamiliar with them. Hopefully the Chow Chow pet owner will start grooming their dog at an early age as well as introducing them to professional grooming in order to ease any aggressive tendencies. We know some experienced groomers that have eased the problem by having the owner of the aggressive Chow Chow stay during the first two grooming appointments and show their approval for the groomer working on them. Thereafter, the same groomer should groom the adapted Chow Chow. Only very experienced groomers should handle any aggressive dog regardless of breed.
American Cocker Spaniel
Supplies Needed
Large pin brush Slicker brush Matting comb
Steel comb Ear powder (medicated) Nail clipper
(guillotine type)
Oster Clipper A5
(recommended) Lanolin coat conditioner Scissors
# 10 blade # 7 or 8 1/2 blade Thinning shears
Artificial tears eye drops
Large pin brush ....Brushing the coat
Slicker brush/Matting comb..... Removing mats
Ear powder ....Inside of ears
Nail clipper.... Nails (use caution)*
Scissors.... -between pads of feet
-leg feathering
-feet
# 10 blade -about 1/2" around the anus (never directly on anus)
-underneath tail
- pelvis (navel to groin)
-front neck
-top upper 1/3 of ears (inside & out)
- head
Steel comb ......Entire coat
# 10 or 8 1/2 or 7...... Entire back & tail (from back neck to tail)
Thinning shears --blending uneven hair at shoulders and hindquarters with -leg feathering
-blending uneven hair on chest
-under chest (if necessary)
-front legs
Lanolin coat .....conditioner Entire coat
Artificial tears eye drops ..... Use during and after clipping to remove any hair blown into the eyes
Large pin brush Slicker brush Matting comb
Steel comb Ear powder (medicated) Nail clipper
(guillotine type)
Oster Clipper A5
(recommended) Lanolin coat conditioner Scissors
# 10 blade # 7 or 8 1/2 blade Thinning shears
Artificial tears eye drops
Large pin brush ....Brushing the coat
Slicker brush/Matting comb..... Removing mats
Ear powder ....Inside of ears
Nail clipper.... Nails (use caution)*
Scissors.... -between pads of feet
-leg feathering
-feet
# 10 blade -about 1/2" around the anus (never directly on anus)
-underneath tail
- pelvis (navel to groin)
-front neck
-top upper 1/3 of ears (inside & out)
- head
Steel comb ......Entire coat
# 10 or 8 1/2 or 7...... Entire back & tail (from back neck to tail)
Thinning shears --blending uneven hair at shoulders and hindquarters with -leg feathering
-blending uneven hair on chest
-under chest (if necessary)
-front legs
Lanolin coat .....conditioner Entire coat
Artificial tears eye drops ..... Use during and after clipping to remove any hair blown into the eyes
Havenese
Grooming
Tools Required
medium round toothed steel comb
small, close toothed comb (or small flea comb)
Pin brush
Small blunt-tipped scissors
Nail trimmer
Hair Dryer
Grooming table
Lots of towels
Spray bottles
Mineral oil in dropper (for eyes)
Cotton balls (for ears)
Brushing
Havanese have a long, soft and wavy coat. Brushing daily or every second day is important if you don’t want to fight with matting in the hair. Even though a pup doesn't require as frequent a brushing, it is good to make it a routine early. With constant gentleness, praise and rewards afterwards, grooming will become a pleasant time for both of you.
I found a Pin brush more effective that a bristle brush because of the thickness and waviness of the Havanese coat. Always wet hair using a spray bottle filled with water, or a water/detangler/conditioner mix before brushing. Wet any tangles or mats and gently tease them apart with your fingers or a comb. Always brush a long coat in sections, working from the roots (close to the skin) out. When brushing is finished, run a medium comb through the hair to check for hidden knots.
Bathing
A clean coat is less prone to tangles. How often you need to bath your pup depends on his environment and also his color. Dogs kept in clean surroundings may not need as frequent a bathing.
Being prepared for the bath makes things go a lot smoother and easier. Always brush out hair well before bathing. Putting a drop of mineral oil in each eye protects the eyes from the soap and putting a half a cotton ball in each ear helps keep the water out of the ears. It’s best to try to keep the ears dry inside so as not to cause problems with infections. Keeping the hair from the inside of the ears by gently removing it by pinching it out with your fingers prevents problems as well. Make a habit of pulling the hair out just before you put in the cotton ball so then it becomes routine and doesn't have a chance to build up. Last of all make sure to have a nice big towel ready for afterwards.
Use warm water (body temperature) and wet the entire dog except for his head. Apply shampoo with a spray bottle (mixture of shampoo with water) to help to spread the shampoo and rub in gently so as not to tangle the coat too much. I usually wash the areas such as the feet, butt and front neck area twice in order to get them good and clean. Rinse very well and apply conditioner (some conditioners you can leave in to save time). Once you have finished with the body you can start bathing the head. This is the part that the pup dislike the most, and so I leave it to last.
The inner corners of the eyes get a buildup of gunk. Wetting first with warm water and then gently combing them out should loosen the crusty. I use a flea comb to do this. If you want to prevent serious tear staining, eye cleaning should be done daily. This website has quite good information on this subject http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
When washing the ear, even though you have put cotton in them to protect them from the water, be careful not spray water directly into them.
Blow-drying prevents tangles that occur if the coat dries naturally. Start by separating the hair with your fingers as your dry and as the coat becomes less wet, use the pin brush to separate the hairs and keep the tangles out - this also helps to speed up the drying time.
Monthly Maintenance
Trimming the nails is an important part of grooming and if you start slowly – simply holding the pup still and separating the toes without clipping for the first few times – this helps the pup to adjust to the ordeal. Then try cutting only one nail and with much praise and a treat, next time he may allow you to clip two. Soon you’ll be able to do the whole job at once.
I like to take small clips rather than a large amount at once, just to make sure I don’t cut into the nail ‘quick’. It causes the nail to bleed even though it isn’t serious and it heals quickly.
In addition to keeping the hair out of the ears, it is necessary to keep the bum area and piddle area clean of hair. This helps the pup stay tidy when he is eliminating. I use a good quality blunt tipped pair of scissors for this.
Tools Required
medium round toothed steel comb
small, close toothed comb (or small flea comb)
Pin brush
Small blunt-tipped scissors
Nail trimmer
Hair Dryer
Grooming table
Lots of towels
Spray bottles
Mineral oil in dropper (for eyes)
Cotton balls (for ears)
Brushing
Havanese have a long, soft and wavy coat. Brushing daily or every second day is important if you don’t want to fight with matting in the hair. Even though a pup doesn't require as frequent a brushing, it is good to make it a routine early. With constant gentleness, praise and rewards afterwards, grooming will become a pleasant time for both of you.
I found a Pin brush more effective that a bristle brush because of the thickness and waviness of the Havanese coat. Always wet hair using a spray bottle filled with water, or a water/detangler/conditioner mix before brushing. Wet any tangles or mats and gently tease them apart with your fingers or a comb. Always brush a long coat in sections, working from the roots (close to the skin) out. When brushing is finished, run a medium comb through the hair to check for hidden knots.
Bathing
A clean coat is less prone to tangles. How often you need to bath your pup depends on his environment and also his color. Dogs kept in clean surroundings may not need as frequent a bathing.
Being prepared for the bath makes things go a lot smoother and easier. Always brush out hair well before bathing. Putting a drop of mineral oil in each eye protects the eyes from the soap and putting a half a cotton ball in each ear helps keep the water out of the ears. It’s best to try to keep the ears dry inside so as not to cause problems with infections. Keeping the hair from the inside of the ears by gently removing it by pinching it out with your fingers prevents problems as well. Make a habit of pulling the hair out just before you put in the cotton ball so then it becomes routine and doesn't have a chance to build up. Last of all make sure to have a nice big towel ready for afterwards.
Use warm water (body temperature) and wet the entire dog except for his head. Apply shampoo with a spray bottle (mixture of shampoo with water) to help to spread the shampoo and rub in gently so as not to tangle the coat too much. I usually wash the areas such as the feet, butt and front neck area twice in order to get them good and clean. Rinse very well and apply conditioner (some conditioners you can leave in to save time). Once you have finished with the body you can start bathing the head. This is the part that the pup dislike the most, and so I leave it to last.
The inner corners of the eyes get a buildup of gunk. Wetting first with warm water and then gently combing them out should loosen the crusty. I use a flea comb to do this. If you want to prevent serious tear staining, eye cleaning should be done daily. This website has quite good information on this subject http://www.bhejei.com/tearsta.htm
When washing the ear, even though you have put cotton in them to protect them from the water, be careful not spray water directly into them.
Blow-drying prevents tangles that occur if the coat dries naturally. Start by separating the hair with your fingers as your dry and as the coat becomes less wet, use the pin brush to separate the hairs and keep the tangles out - this also helps to speed up the drying time.
Monthly Maintenance
Trimming the nails is an important part of grooming and if you start slowly – simply holding the pup still and separating the toes without clipping for the first few times – this helps the pup to adjust to the ordeal. Then try cutting only one nail and with much praise and a treat, next time he may allow you to clip two. Soon you’ll be able to do the whole job at once.
I like to take small clips rather than a large amount at once, just to make sure I don’t cut into the nail ‘quick’. It causes the nail to bleed even though it isn’t serious and it heals quickly.
In addition to keeping the hair out of the ears, it is necessary to keep the bum area and piddle area clean of hair. This helps the pup stay tidy when he is eliminating. I use a good quality blunt tipped pair of scissors for this.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Shih Tzu
Be sure to begin with a clean, dry coat free of any trace of oil. The basic supplies you will use area good set of clippers with 10 and/or 7 blades, a slicker brush, shears, and a Whippet comb. (see below) and trim the mustache, the ears, and the tail. Trim the feet in a large rounded pattern. A variation on this style is to leave a skirt shown in drawing 2, on the right. You can trim this remaining skirt to whatever length that suits your dog's lifestyle.
The second basic clip shown in drawing 3at right. Begin in the same manner as drawing 1, but instead of leaving the legs long, scissor them to a 1 inch length. To scissor, use a slicker brush and pull the hair out and hold your shears parallel to the plane of the leg. Trim the feet close, also.
The third clip is the puppy trim shown in drawing 4 at far left. This is simply scissoring the dog to between 1 inch and 2 inches all over. To achieve a smooth effect, use a slicker brush and pull the hair out and old the shears parallel to the plane of the leg, as in "second basic clip." There are two variations that can be used on the head. Both variations look cute, with some practice are easy to achieve, and they are are low maintenance. Both of them will require using clippers, trimming from the outer eye to the base of the ear, as shown in drawing 5 at left.
In drawing 6 at left, the "cap" is scissor cut like a bowl, forming a pom-pom. Use curved scissors to create the angles that achieve the rounding effect. The hair on the head can be left longer, so it semi-parts in the center of the head shown in drawing 7, yet still keep the edges of the "cap." In both cases, the hair from the bridge of the nose is removed
The second basic clip shown in drawing 3at right. Begin in the same manner as drawing 1, but instead of leaving the legs long, scissor them to a 1 inch length. To scissor, use a slicker brush and pull the hair out and hold your shears parallel to the plane of the leg. Trim the feet close, also.
The third clip is the puppy trim shown in drawing 4 at far left. This is simply scissoring the dog to between 1 inch and 2 inches all over. To achieve a smooth effect, use a slicker brush and pull the hair out and old the shears parallel to the plane of the leg, as in "second basic clip." There are two variations that can be used on the head. Both variations look cute, with some practice are easy to achieve, and they are are low maintenance. Both of them will require using clippers, trimming from the outer eye to the base of the ear, as shown in drawing 5 at left.
In drawing 6 at left, the "cap" is scissor cut like a bowl, forming a pom-pom. Use curved scissors to create the angles that achieve the rounding effect. The hair on the head can be left longer, so it semi-parts in the center of the head shown in drawing 7, yet still keep the edges of the "cap." In both cases, the hair from the bridge of the nose is removed
mixed breeds
Mixed Breed Grooming?
Learning the art of breed specific grooming is expected of every professional groomer. However, most groomers face many work days when half or more the pets they groom are "mixed breed" pets, a combination of two or more breeds as opposed to "purebred." A strong background in breed standard grooming facilitates the mixed breed groomer.
Sunny Photo: Friends of PetGroomer.com Photo Gallery
There is an art to mixed breed grooming; it just isn't celebrated like the competitive art of purebred styling. More important mixed breed grooming is in demand by millions of pet owners, and that means being a skilled mixed breed groomer is very practical.
Fun Mixed Breed Names
- Cock-A-Poo or Cockerpoo- Cocker and Poodle mix.
- Schnoodle - Schnauzer and Poodle mix.
- Peke-A-Poo - Pekingese and Poodle mix.
- Malt-I-Poo - Maltese and Poodle mix.
- Lhasa-Poo - Lhasa and Poodle mix.
- Pom-A-Poo - Pomeranian and Poodle mix.
- Labradoodle - Labrador and Poodle mix.
Mixed Breed Basics
Since there are no breed standard rules to how to groom any mixed breed, there's a lot open territory to come up with a design. The most important factors are:
Primary Breed Appearance
Pet Owner and Pet Lifestyle
Pet Owner Desires
Coat Characteristics
Of course, as the groomer you incorporate all of these factors, and a dash of creativity, and go for it!
We strongly suggest professional groomers keep a photo album of various mixed breed styles they offer, and share it with pet owners deciding on an appropriate style. You will find a great reduction in disappointed pet owners who thought the "look" you described with words alone was something quite different.
Primary Breed Appearance
A professional groomer looks at the overall appearance of a mixed breed pet and determines what breed is dominant. For example, a "Cock-A-Poo" usually appears more Cocker or more Poodle. Once the dominant breed is determined, consider how the pet would like in a breed standard grooming for the dominant breed. You're not likely going to perform that style, but it helps you to discover the design obstacles and start thinking about other alternatives.
"Lonnie" in the picture above was a Cock-A-Poo and had many Poodle characteristics. Her style was very much like a Poodle, but certainly she didn't have "Poodle feet" (clipped short) and her tail was long and only lightly scissored. Also, her coat was clipped and scissored about 1 inch all over without a "pattern and clipped neck. Still Lonnie had the essence of a Poodle styling, and that matched her dominant breed appearance.
In review, we started with a Poodle-like trim and then subtracted common features of Poodle styling like clipped feet, a pattern and shaped tail.
If a pet looks more like a Terrier than a Poodle, a Poodle-type styling probably won't look right, but using your creativity you may be to add a few Poodle touches. Use the same logic in creating all styling suggestions.
Pet Owner and Pet Lifestyle
Ask about the active lifestyle of the pet owner and their pet. You may discover that they participate in outdoor recreation and sports, or the dog spends most of its time outside. In this case, a shorter maintenance cut might be appropriate for them. If the dog gets wet in a pool at home, playing in sprinklers and other outdoor activities, and the pet has a coat that matts, you have even more reason to suggest a shorter maintenance cut.
Pet Owner Desires
Unless they're a new mixed breed pet owner, most new customers will arrive with an idea of what they want their pet to look like when finished. You need to listen carefully. Of course, you may hear something that is impractical. You need to learn the diplomacy of politely explaining why it would not be appropriate for the pet. You cannot be a groomer that refuses to style their way just because you don't approve.
One of the easiest tests to see how much the mixed breed owner of a Poodle mix favors Poodle-like styling is to ask about their preferences for a short clipped neck, short clipped feet and a pattern. Very few Poodle mixed breed owners favor these styling attributes unless the pet shows little evidence of being anything other than a Poodle.
Coat Characteristics
The dominant breed appearance is usually evident from the coat, but with mixed breeds be prepared for exceptions! Part of the body may have a Terrier-like coat, and the rest a Poodle-like coat.
You need to determine the coat characteristics and try to plan a style appropriate to the coat. Don't fight the coat characteristics to produce a style. It won't work out in the long run.
Blade Chart for Mixed Breed Grooming
Straight & Soft Coat Blade #
Long trim - "puppy trim" #30 and #1 Comb
Short trim (not strip) #4F
Very matted strip #7F or #5F
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Wiry & Hard Coat
Blade #
Heads and ears #10 or #9
Body #7 or #5
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Curly Coat
Blade #
Face #10
Body #4F
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Learning the art of breed specific grooming is expected of every professional groomer. However, most groomers face many work days when half or more the pets they groom are "mixed breed" pets, a combination of two or more breeds as opposed to "purebred." A strong background in breed standard grooming facilitates the mixed breed groomer.
Sunny Photo: Friends of PetGroomer.com Photo Gallery
There is an art to mixed breed grooming; it just isn't celebrated like the competitive art of purebred styling. More important mixed breed grooming is in demand by millions of pet owners, and that means being a skilled mixed breed groomer is very practical.
Fun Mixed Breed Names
- Cock-A-Poo or Cockerpoo- Cocker and Poodle mix.
- Schnoodle - Schnauzer and Poodle mix.
- Peke-A-Poo - Pekingese and Poodle mix.
- Malt-I-Poo - Maltese and Poodle mix.
- Lhasa-Poo - Lhasa and Poodle mix.
- Pom-A-Poo - Pomeranian and Poodle mix.
- Labradoodle - Labrador and Poodle mix.
Mixed Breed Basics
Since there are no breed standard rules to how to groom any mixed breed, there's a lot open territory to come up with a design. The most important factors are:
Primary Breed Appearance
Pet Owner and Pet Lifestyle
Pet Owner Desires
Coat Characteristics
Of course, as the groomer you incorporate all of these factors, and a dash of creativity, and go for it!
We strongly suggest professional groomers keep a photo album of various mixed breed styles they offer, and share it with pet owners deciding on an appropriate style. You will find a great reduction in disappointed pet owners who thought the "look" you described with words alone was something quite different.
Primary Breed Appearance
A professional groomer looks at the overall appearance of a mixed breed pet and determines what breed is dominant. For example, a "Cock-A-Poo" usually appears more Cocker or more Poodle. Once the dominant breed is determined, consider how the pet would like in a breed standard grooming for the dominant breed. You're not likely going to perform that style, but it helps you to discover the design obstacles and start thinking about other alternatives.
"Lonnie" in the picture above was a Cock-A-Poo and had many Poodle characteristics. Her style was very much like a Poodle, but certainly she didn't have "Poodle feet" (clipped short) and her tail was long and only lightly scissored. Also, her coat was clipped and scissored about 1 inch all over without a "pattern and clipped neck. Still Lonnie had the essence of a Poodle styling, and that matched her dominant breed appearance.
In review, we started with a Poodle-like trim and then subtracted common features of Poodle styling like clipped feet, a pattern and shaped tail.
If a pet looks more like a Terrier than a Poodle, a Poodle-type styling probably won't look right, but using your creativity you may be to add a few Poodle touches. Use the same logic in creating all styling suggestions.
Pet Owner and Pet Lifestyle
Ask about the active lifestyle of the pet owner and their pet. You may discover that they participate in outdoor recreation and sports, or the dog spends most of its time outside. In this case, a shorter maintenance cut might be appropriate for them. If the dog gets wet in a pool at home, playing in sprinklers and other outdoor activities, and the pet has a coat that matts, you have even more reason to suggest a shorter maintenance cut.
Pet Owner Desires
Unless they're a new mixed breed pet owner, most new customers will arrive with an idea of what they want their pet to look like when finished. You need to listen carefully. Of course, you may hear something that is impractical. You need to learn the diplomacy of politely explaining why it would not be appropriate for the pet. You cannot be a groomer that refuses to style their way just because you don't approve.
One of the easiest tests to see how much the mixed breed owner of a Poodle mix favors Poodle-like styling is to ask about their preferences for a short clipped neck, short clipped feet and a pattern. Very few Poodle mixed breed owners favor these styling attributes unless the pet shows little evidence of being anything other than a Poodle.
Coat Characteristics
The dominant breed appearance is usually evident from the coat, but with mixed breeds be prepared for exceptions! Part of the body may have a Terrier-like coat, and the rest a Poodle-like coat.
You need to determine the coat characteristics and try to plan a style appropriate to the coat. Don't fight the coat characteristics to produce a style. It won't work out in the long run.
Blade Chart for Mixed Breed Grooming
Straight & Soft Coat Blade #
Long trim - "puppy trim" #30 and #1 Comb
Short trim (not strip) #4F
Very matted strip #7F or #5F
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Wiry & Hard Coat
Blade #
Heads and ears #10 or #9
Body #7 or #5
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Curly Coat
Blade #
Face #10
Body #4F
Stomach #10
Pads #15
Golden Retreiver
Trimming the tail is accomplished using Thinning Shears as described and illustrated with photos below.
Don't let this task daunt you, it isn't that hard, just do a little at a time, over a period of several days, until you have the effect you desire. The Breed Standard reads that the tail should just reach the dogs hocks, and though some dogs will have a slightly longer tail, your goal is to trim the tail to that length as closely as possible, and still not have the tail look noticeably sculptured. The Goldens' tail has a rounder, fuller look when groomed, and the triangular wedge seen on an Irish Setter with a "break" at the base of the tail, is NOT the look desired. The area at the base of the tail is customarily not groomed to separate the tail from the feathering on the butt, as is done with the Setters in particular for the show ring, although on a heavily feathered dog, some shortening of the length can be done to keep the dog cleaner.
Brush the tail thoroughly, making sure all traces of tangles or matts are removed. Hold the tail down to the hock and place your thumb at the point where the end of the tail meets the hock to mark the length you will trim the tail to match. Note: in the photo, an imaginary line drawn from my thumb will just meet the top of the dogs hock.
This will be the final length of the tail.
Using the thinning shears, start trimming just past that point, giving yourself some leeway, especially if you are a beginner.
Lift the tail and begin thinning, rounding the length of the tail feathering slightly as you go toward the base. The dog in the illustration had his tail trimmed not that many weeks prior to the photo, so you need to look closely to see that I am trimming about 1" of feathering off. On the majority of dogs, especially if having never had their tails trimmed before, you will have quite a ragged edge of sometimes quite lengthy feathering, often much longer at the tip, and also very long at the point in this photo that my thinning shear is just beginning to come to. I make the initial cut of length this way, then come back, moving side to side across the tail breadth, making light and fleeting cuts to blend up the sides of the tail, so blunt cuts are not glaring at you. More extreme length of the feathering at the tails' base, should be trimmed a little also, this particular dog does not have an abundance of tail feathering or coat at this time.
The final two photos below, show the finished tail. I also do some rounding and blending very carefully at the very tip of the tail, so that when the tail is hanging naturally down, it doesn't look like someone cut it straight off with a blunt knife.
The thinning shears are also used, inserting the blade underneath the coat and "into" or "with" the direction of coat growth as in the red lines shown on the photo. A small amount of trimming is done under the ear on the neck area and under the dogs chin where the two red lines are above.
Following the line of the shoulder, if a heavy "shelf" exists as shown in photo, careful thinning of undercoat in the direction shown by the arrows, and combing out, will blend the coat in and reduce the heavy or "over-loaded" look to shoulders and neck. Groom over a period of several days
and "Stop, look, assess" as we did when doing the ears.
On some dogs, similar thinning at the base of neck at the withers is also necessary.
Note: topcoat is NOT removed in any of these area's, we are just thinning undercoat to remove some bulk.
Over zealous grooming in these areas, whether done with thinning shears, or a stripping knife will not preserve the natural look of the dog, nor will it enhance the dog or cover up lessor qualities. The dog should not have an "hourglass" look when looking straight at the front when done grooming.
Don't let this task daunt you, it isn't that hard, just do a little at a time, over a period of several days, until you have the effect you desire. The Breed Standard reads that the tail should just reach the dogs hocks, and though some dogs will have a slightly longer tail, your goal is to trim the tail to that length as closely as possible, and still not have the tail look noticeably sculptured. The Goldens' tail has a rounder, fuller look when groomed, and the triangular wedge seen on an Irish Setter with a "break" at the base of the tail, is NOT the look desired. The area at the base of the tail is customarily not groomed to separate the tail from the feathering on the butt, as is done with the Setters in particular for the show ring, although on a heavily feathered dog, some shortening of the length can be done to keep the dog cleaner.
Brush the tail thoroughly, making sure all traces of tangles or matts are removed. Hold the tail down to the hock and place your thumb at the point where the end of the tail meets the hock to mark the length you will trim the tail to match. Note: in the photo, an imaginary line drawn from my thumb will just meet the top of the dogs hock.
This will be the final length of the tail.
Using the thinning shears, start trimming just past that point, giving yourself some leeway, especially if you are a beginner.
Lift the tail and begin thinning, rounding the length of the tail feathering slightly as you go toward the base. The dog in the illustration had his tail trimmed not that many weeks prior to the photo, so you need to look closely to see that I am trimming about 1" of feathering off. On the majority of dogs, especially if having never had their tails trimmed before, you will have quite a ragged edge of sometimes quite lengthy feathering, often much longer at the tip, and also very long at the point in this photo that my thinning shear is just beginning to come to. I make the initial cut of length this way, then come back, moving side to side across the tail breadth, making light and fleeting cuts to blend up the sides of the tail, so blunt cuts are not glaring at you. More extreme length of the feathering at the tails' base, should be trimmed a little also, this particular dog does not have an abundance of tail feathering or coat at this time.
The final two photos below, show the finished tail. I also do some rounding and blending very carefully at the very tip of the tail, so that when the tail is hanging naturally down, it doesn't look like someone cut it straight off with a blunt knife.
The thinning shears are also used, inserting the blade underneath the coat and "into" or "with" the direction of coat growth as in the red lines shown on the photo. A small amount of trimming is done under the ear on the neck area and under the dogs chin where the two red lines are above.
Following the line of the shoulder, if a heavy "shelf" exists as shown in photo, careful thinning of undercoat in the direction shown by the arrows, and combing out, will blend the coat in and reduce the heavy or "over-loaded" look to shoulders and neck. Groom over a period of several days
and "Stop, look, assess" as we did when doing the ears.
On some dogs, similar thinning at the base of neck at the withers is also necessary.
Note: topcoat is NOT removed in any of these area's, we are just thinning undercoat to remove some bulk.
Over zealous grooming in these areas, whether done with thinning shears, or a stripping knife will not preserve the natural look of the dog, nor will it enhance the dog or cover up lessor qualities. The dog should not have an "hourglass" look when looking straight at the front when done grooming.
Austrailian Cattle Dog
•Brush out the topcoat with a natural bristle brush. This smooths out the top coat and removes loose shed hair from the undercoat. Starting with a wide tooth comb may also be helpful in removing mats and tangles from the thick undercoat.
•2
Apply a protein coat conditioner to aid in the removal of hair from the undercoat. This can make the process much less painful for the dog. Australian Cattle dogs shed substantially once or twice per year, depending on the climate and the sex of the dog.
•3
Bathe only when necessary. These dogs produce natural oils which help make their coats water-proof and bathing them too often strips away these oils and can potentially damage the coat.
•4
After bathing, use a high velocity dryer to help dry the coat quickly. Use a pin brush for a final comb out, as dirt can get stuck in the undercoat during the drying process
Read more: How to Groom an Australian Cattle Dog | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2103737_groom-australian-cattle-dog.html#ixzz15ZglONfs
Originally named as Blue heelers, this dog breed is also known as Australian Cattle Dogs or Queensland Blue Heelers and its origin can be recorded back to the year 1897. This dog breed is a mixture of Scottish Collie, Australian Dingos, Bull Terriers and Dalmatians. They have a sturdy and well built look in spite of its short stature. Grooming plays an important role in their good upbringing and training.
A Blue Heeler is an energetic dog breed which can perform various roles in a day to day routine proving themselves to be good as:
•Guard Dogs
•Rescue Dogs
•Cattle Chasers
•Friendly House Pets
To play its role efficiently, Blue Heelers need extensive training, regular exercise and a little share of pampering and grooming. 17-20 inches in height, this dog breed is comparatively shorter than the normal dogs and comes with a double coated fur with a handful of colors. Many Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) breeders make extra efforts to keep their dogs well maintained as they know the importance of a well groomed Blue heeler.
Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) puppies are generally easy to handle due to their patience and flexibility. Thus, it is highly important to train them strictly to tackle their dominance and to ease their grooming session.
Three most important things you can do to make your dog’s grooming sessions effective are:
•Firstly, make your dog used to water and bathing, as often dogs, when less trained and less groomed, tend to run away from water which can make cleaning them a tough job. Also, you don’t want them to spray all the water on you, for which, it is necessary to make your dog friendly with water right from its puppy stage. You can do this easily by taking him to the beach with you in evenings or give him his own small bath tub. Do not avoid the need of making your Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) puppy’s bath time a special one, as this will ensure a discipline towards its bathing session in grooming at a later stage.
•The second most important grooming step or stage is brushing. This breed has a double fur coat which can cause problem for many Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) breeders. The fur coats of Blue Heelers are double coated and come in variety of shades and thus it requires brushing thrice a week to maintain its look and fluffiness. This brushing also helps in removing any tick or dust particle on its fur coat which could go on to cause future skin problems. Compared to the other dog breeds, it is easier to brush or comb a Blue Heeler due to its smaller size.
•Thirdly, a healthy diet should always be a big part of an Australian Cattle Dog’s routine, as this breed is one of the most energetic and active breed and is also known as a “Working breed”. To make them fit and healthy for their daily routine, a good diet plays a special role in their dog care and grooming. Also, a healthy and hearty diet ensures a shiny coat!
Good pet grooming always affects a dog’s obedience, temperament, health and dog care. If this dog breed is well trained and well groomed, it is expected to live up to 13 to 15 years.
Bathing, brushing, massaging and healthy eating, all are necessary for a Blue Heeler and it’s bringing up. Remember, grooming takes a lot of patience and attention, and thus, if you wish to be an Australian Cattle Dog breeder, good pet grooming is something you need to adopt to make sure that you give your pet the right dog care he deserves.
The Australian cattle dog has a straight, flat and smooth double coat. This coat does not shed all year round but blows its coat(shed their undercoat and regrow it again as colder weather comes in) once a year.
Tools: Rubber curry comb, slicker
The curry comb will rid your dog of dirt and loose hair. Use the slicker as needed.
Eyes: Check dog's eyes daily.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Ears: Check ears once a week.
Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.
Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution.
There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.
Place a few drops of ear solution in ear and rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.
Teeth: Regularly.
80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.
Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.
Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.
Starting your Australian cattle dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.
Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.
Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.
Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.
Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.
If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.
Nails: Every two weeks.
Nail care is very important for your Australian cattle dog.
Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.
Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.
Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.
Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.
Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.
Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.
If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.
Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.
If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.
Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb. It is better to clip your dog's nails frequently as this encourages the quick to recede farther away from the tip.
Paws: Check daily
It is very important to check your cattle hound's feet for foreign objects that may have wedged there, and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infections.
Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks
This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.
These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).
There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.
Tools: Warm cloth
Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.
Bathing: As needed
Australian cattledogs do not need regular bathing. It has natural oils in its coat to moisturize its skin and coat.
If it so happens that it becomes a necessity, use a shampoo that won't dry out the skin and is made for a harsh coat.
Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, leash, towels.
Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.
A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
If you choose to bathe your Australian cattle dog outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.
Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
Massage the shampoo into a lather.
Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.
Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.
Dry with a towel.
•2
Apply a protein coat conditioner to aid in the removal of hair from the undercoat. This can make the process much less painful for the dog. Australian Cattle dogs shed substantially once or twice per year, depending on the climate and the sex of the dog.
•3
Bathe only when necessary. These dogs produce natural oils which help make their coats water-proof and bathing them too often strips away these oils and can potentially damage the coat.
•4
After bathing, use a high velocity dryer to help dry the coat quickly. Use a pin brush for a final comb out, as dirt can get stuck in the undercoat during the drying process
Read more: How to Groom an Australian Cattle Dog | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2103737_groom-australian-cattle-dog.html#ixzz15ZglONfs
Originally named as Blue heelers, this dog breed is also known as Australian Cattle Dogs or Queensland Blue Heelers and its origin can be recorded back to the year 1897. This dog breed is a mixture of Scottish Collie, Australian Dingos, Bull Terriers and Dalmatians. They have a sturdy and well built look in spite of its short stature. Grooming plays an important role in their good upbringing and training.
A Blue Heeler is an energetic dog breed which can perform various roles in a day to day routine proving themselves to be good as:
•Guard Dogs
•Rescue Dogs
•Cattle Chasers
•Friendly House Pets
To play its role efficiently, Blue Heelers need extensive training, regular exercise and a little share of pampering and grooming. 17-20 inches in height, this dog breed is comparatively shorter than the normal dogs and comes with a double coated fur with a handful of colors. Many Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) breeders make extra efforts to keep their dogs well maintained as they know the importance of a well groomed Blue heeler.
Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) puppies are generally easy to handle due to their patience and flexibility. Thus, it is highly important to train them strictly to tackle their dominance and to ease their grooming session.
Three most important things you can do to make your dog’s grooming sessions effective are:
•Firstly, make your dog used to water and bathing, as often dogs, when less trained and less groomed, tend to run away from water which can make cleaning them a tough job. Also, you don’t want them to spray all the water on you, for which, it is necessary to make your dog friendly with water right from its puppy stage. You can do this easily by taking him to the beach with you in evenings or give him his own small bath tub. Do not avoid the need of making your Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) puppy’s bath time a special one, as this will ensure a discipline towards its bathing session in grooming at a later stage.
•The second most important grooming step or stage is brushing. This breed has a double fur coat which can cause problem for many Australian Cattle Dog (ACD) breeders. The fur coats of Blue Heelers are double coated and come in variety of shades and thus it requires brushing thrice a week to maintain its look and fluffiness. This brushing also helps in removing any tick or dust particle on its fur coat which could go on to cause future skin problems. Compared to the other dog breeds, it is easier to brush or comb a Blue Heeler due to its smaller size.
•Thirdly, a healthy diet should always be a big part of an Australian Cattle Dog’s routine, as this breed is one of the most energetic and active breed and is also known as a “Working breed”. To make them fit and healthy for their daily routine, a good diet plays a special role in their dog care and grooming. Also, a healthy and hearty diet ensures a shiny coat!
Good pet grooming always affects a dog’s obedience, temperament, health and dog care. If this dog breed is well trained and well groomed, it is expected to live up to 13 to 15 years.
Bathing, brushing, massaging and healthy eating, all are necessary for a Blue Heeler and it’s bringing up. Remember, grooming takes a lot of patience and attention, and thus, if you wish to be an Australian Cattle Dog breeder, good pet grooming is something you need to adopt to make sure that you give your pet the right dog care he deserves.
The Australian cattle dog has a straight, flat and smooth double coat. This coat does not shed all year round but blows its coat(shed their undercoat and regrow it again as colder weather comes in) once a year.
Tools: Rubber curry comb, slicker
The curry comb will rid your dog of dirt and loose hair. Use the slicker as needed.
Eyes: Check dog's eyes daily.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Ears: Check ears once a week.
Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.
Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution.
There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.
Place a few drops of ear solution in ear and rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.
Teeth: Regularly.
80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.
Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.
Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.
Starting your Australian cattle dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.
Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.
Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.
Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.
Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.
If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.
Nails: Every two weeks.
Nail care is very important for your Australian cattle dog.
Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.
Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.
Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.
Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.
Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.
Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.
If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.
Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.
If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.
Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb. It is better to clip your dog's nails frequently as this encourages the quick to recede farther away from the tip.
Paws: Check daily
It is very important to check your cattle hound's feet for foreign objects that may have wedged there, and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infections.
Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks
This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.
These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).
There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.
Tools: Warm cloth
Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.
Bathing: As needed
Australian cattledogs do not need regular bathing. It has natural oils in its coat to moisturize its skin and coat.
If it so happens that it becomes a necessity, use a shampoo that won't dry out the skin and is made for a harsh coat.
Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, leash, towels.
Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.
A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
If you choose to bathe your Australian cattle dog outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.
Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
Massage the shampoo into a lather.
Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.
Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.
Dry with a towel.
Bischon Frise
Bichon Grooming: The Pet Cut
by Marilyn Clark
The Bichon Frise (bee-shon free-zay) the "Curly Lap Dog" is a wonderful, little, white-coated dog. White-coated dogs seem to have more sensitive skin than dogs with darker-coats, so you should be careful about brushing, bathing, and grooming. I bathe my Bichon every two weeks with a mild, tearless shampoo made only for dogs. It is also very important that the shampoo is rinsed completely out of the coat. If shampoo is left in the coat it can become dull and cause skin irritation.
These instructions are for the shorter pet cuts and for the novice groomer. If you would like to attempt the all hand-scissored style, refer to Kiyomi's Bichon Trimming instructions. These instructions include wonderful color pictures. The Michael Kemp Bichon Show Grooming video, produced by Sonnen, is also a good source for the hand-scissored style. The Bichon is hand-scissored in great detail in this video and it has excellent head detail. The Oster Bichon grooming video is also good, and shows a hand-scissored pet cut and a pet cut using clippers, but the video does not go into great detail.
These instructions will seem overwhelming at first, but once you start it will all fall into place. If you groom now, or have only basic knowledge of grooming, you’re one step ahead, and my instructions may help you further. If you haven’t a clue about how to go about grooming, but would like to learn, I suggest first reading several books on grooming and getting a video. Try your library for the books. Otherwise, both are available through catalogs. In any case, read these entire instructions before beginning. Don't get discouraged, even professionals need many hours of hands-on to get good. The more you groom the better you will get, and remember, if you make a mistake it’s only hair and it will grow back.
One thing I suggest is to take notes, you’ll be glad you did. Get a notebook and as you groom, jot down anything that you think will help you further. You may be able to write something I’ve written in a way that you will better understand it. Draw yourself little pictures. Next time refer to your notebook as well as the instructions.
GROOMING SUPPLIESYou can order your grooming supplies from a grooming catalog. Click here for a list of catalogs. You may want to get several catalogs to compare prices. Some pet supply stores have some of the same products but I find they are more expensive.
In order to have your efforts look professional you should have professional grooming equipment. It will make a big difference in the appearance of your dog. Yes, it's expensive, but once you have the equipment it will last for many years. I use the Oster A-5 Clipper and the blades I refer to are Oster blades (one exception is the Andis 3-3/4 blade). Other clippers have their own blades, but the sizes are universal and supposed to be interchangeable.
You will need these items for doing the basics:
Nail Clippers. I use the guillotine type.
Kwik-Stop or Styptic Powder, it stops bleeding if nails are cut too short.
Ear Powder for cleaning the hair out of the ears. Liquid ear cleaner for cleaning dirt and powder out of the ear is optional.
Hemostats (also called hairmostats) used for pulling ear hair out you can’t reach with your fingers.
Comb — I prefer a steel comb. These combs are called Greyhound or one like it. One end has teeth closer together, the other further apart.
Slicker Brush or a good quality Pin Brush. Both types of brushes should have a rubber base that gives. Be sure and get a soft-wire slicker brush. I use the Ever Gentle brand that has an aqua handle. Some slicker brushes have very hard wires that can hurt your dog. The stiff wire brushes should only be used by experienced groomers, or those who know how and when to use this type of brush.
Shampoo. Use a mild, tearless shampoo made only for dogs. I use Coat Handler shampoo. I do not use any shampoo that has bluing or a bleaching agent. I find that my shampoo gets the coat just as snowy white. There are other shampoos also that are excellent for a white coat.
These items for clipping and grooming:
Clipper. A professional clipper either Oster, Laube, or Andis.
Blades: #10 for the belly and around anal opening, vulva of females, penis on males, or an #81/2 if you know your dog has sensitive skin.
The next blades are called skip tooth blades and they come in two versions. The 4, 5, or 7 used on the first pass to "rough in" a pattern. The #4F, #5F, or #7F (see note below) are Oster finishing blades. If you don’t want to spend the money for both versions buy the "F" blades. Choose #4F which leaves hair approx. 3/8" long and is used on sparse coats or for those that want leave the hair a little longer, #5F which leaves hair approx. 1/4" long, or the #7F which leaves hair approx. 1/8" long. These lengths are approximate. Dogs with straighter hair will look shorter because the coat lays flat. The #7 blade gives the closest cut. Depending on the coat type, profuse, sparse or in-between, and the kind of cut you prefer will determine the size blade you use. The #4F or #5F would be the first choices. The #7 may give a closer cut than some would like but it is a good blade to use on a heavily matted dog. The skip tooth blades are only for body work and under no circumstances are to be used on your dog’s face, ears, or genitals.
Note: Andis #3-3/4 blade leaves the hair longer than the #4F (3/8") blade and I use this blade for my sparse-coated bichon.
#40 or #30 (see Cut #3 for explanation of these blades) for between the foot pad and for use with the snap-on comb ONLY.
Snap-on Combs: If you want to have an all-over fluffy appearance, described in Cut #3, you can use a snap-on comb over the #40 or #30 blade. Snap-on combs come in a variety of sizes. When you order one choose the one that cuts the length that you prefer. These combs are inexpensive, so you may want to get several different sizes. The combs are easy to use. Experiment a little.
F.Y.I. - The higher the number blade (or snap-on comb) the closer the cut. My combs are labeled #1, #1-1/2, and #2. The #2 snap-on comb on a #40 or #30 blade cuts closer than the #1-1/2, and the #1-1/2 cuts closer than the #1. The #7F blade cuts closer than the #5F, #5F cuts closer than the #4F, etc. The Andis #3-3/4F blade will leave the hair the longest, and my snap-on comb #1 leaves the hair the longest. There are some combs that will leave the hair even longer. If none of the blades or combs leave the hair as long as you would like, then you must hand-scissor the coat to the desired length.
Cool Lube. Spray it on a hot blade and it will cool it immediately.
Blade Wash to clean your blades. Directions are on the can or see the end of these instructions. You should wash and oil your new blades before use. After each grooming I vacuum any hair off my blades, and wash them with the blade wash periodically.
Scissor. A quality scissor made of stainless steel. A good length would be from 7" to 8-1/2". Stay away from real cheap scissors, they will not last and most importantly they do not cut hair properly. If possible, try the scissor, feel how it feels in your hand. You may need to get rubber hole inserts that will give your thumb and finger a snug fit for better control.
Thinning Shear. I would strongly recommend getting a thinning shear. This shear is a must for blending and thinning. They also are great for cutting out mats and gives a more natural appearance. Use a thinning shear just like a regular scissor. How many teeth a thinning shear has determines the amount of hair that is cut out.
Your scissor must be very sharp to give a good cut. If you know a barber or a groomer you can ask them where to get your scissors sharpened. There are also ads in the back of dog magazines. Be very careful you don’t drop your scissors as this can put a nick in the blades and get them out of alignment.
Dryer. A high velocity dryer will make all the difference in the world in the look of the coat. At the very least, try one of the smaller dryers such as Super Duck. A human hair just dryer does not do the job and you must be very careful that it does not blow HOT air and burn your dog's skin.
Grooming Table. A grooming table with grooming arm and noose is a must to control your dog. A kitchen table, washer, or dryer is too dangerous if you cannot restrain your dog properly. Consider even making your own grooming table.
So, for Basics you’ll need:
Nail Clipper, Kwik-Stop, Ear Powder, Hemostats, Comb, Brush, Shampoo
And, the Equipment you’ll need:
Clippers, Blades, Snap-on Combs, Cool Lube, Blade Wash, Scissors, Dryer, Grooming Table
To see some of these products I use Click here.
Choose a spot for grooming that has good lighting. Let your dog know that this spot is for grooming not playing. Ok, let's start, you be the boss. This is not playtime. Be firm, use a firm tone of voice.
DOING BASICSClip Nails. Do this always before the bath, if nails should bleed the blood won't get on a clean coat. If you do get blood on a clean coat, peroxide and water will get it out. Also, Kwik-Stop can stain the coat. Most Bichons have white nails so you can see the pink quick through the nail. If you’re afraid of clipping the nail too short just clip the tip of the nail where it begins to hook. Be aware though, that each individual dog’s nails grow differently, so it’s best to clip nails more often, rather than take the chance of hurting the dog by clipping too short. Believe me, they will not forget it, and it will take a long time to regain their confidence.
To clip the rear nails I like to stand on the left side of the dog (I am right handed), facing the rear, I reach over with my left hand and pick up the foot. You can support the paw with your fingers. Never bend your dog’s legs in an unnatural angle. Before you pick up your nail clipper use your free hand to pull the hair away from the nail so you have a clear view. Clip the nails being careful not to clip into the quick, clip a little at a time until you see a dark round spot in the nail, that will be the quick. If you do clip too close, use your Kwik-Stop to stop bleeding.
Front paws — Still standing in the same position as doing rear nails, I reach over the top of my dog's neck to the right front paw and bend it at the ankle. On the left paw just pick it up and end at the ankle. You can also stand in front of the dog and just raise up the leg. In this position you may have more of a problem though as the dog can see what you are doing. Be sure to look for dew claws on the inside of the front legs, as these need to be clipped also. If dew claws are left to grow they will grow right into the skin. NOTE: If you know your dog has rear dew claws these also need to be clipped.
Most dogs hate their nails cut. If your dog pulls its legs back, do not yank the legs forward, you can pull a muscle in the leg. Have patience and be gentle, but be very firm.
Cleaning the Ears. Keeping the ear hair out of the ear canal will keep it dry, let the air flow through, and lessen the possibility of an infection to start. Dogs with drop ears, as in the bichon, are especially prone to ear infections.
Squirt a puff of ear powder in each ear. This powder makes the hair feel tacky so it's easy to grab. Take your fingers and pluck out a little hair at a time. Use your hemostats to grab the ear hair you can see but can’t reach with your fingers. Don’t go too deep or pinch the ear skin, grab only the hair. If you don't feel comfy using the hemostats save them for later when you gain more confidence. You can use a liquid ear cleaner on a cotton ball to clean out the powder and any dirt off the inside of the ear. Use a different cotton ball for each ear. F.Y.I. Dog's ear canals are in the shape of an "L".
BEFORE THE BATHBathing and drying a dog with mats will only tighten the mats making them impossible to comb out. Brush and then comb your dog down to the skin. Brush by parting the hair, taking one section at a time. Hold down the hair right below the section you are doing with your other hand to keep it out of the way. Pay special attention to friction areas that have a tendency to mat more easily, such as the inside of the rear legs, under the arm pits, chest hair. The chin hair, sides of face, and I find a lot of dogs with tiny mats along the edge of the ears. Be sure and use your comb along with the brush.
People who do not know how to brush a bichon's coat will brush the top hair only, leaving the undercoat to mat. Learn to use the correct pressure and carefully brush to the skin without scraping it and causing brush burn. Try your slicker brush on yourself, feel how it feels, it will feel the same for your dog.
If you encounter a mat, hold the mat close to the skin, insert the end tooth of the comb into the mat, you can then try working the mat loose. You can also try using Liquid Slicker or Stuff, but it won’t get out mats that are very thick and that have been washed and dried. If you don’t have a dematting formula you can try a little cornstarch and try to work the mats loose. I use my thinning shear to cut out mats that can't be worked loose with the comb. I would rather cut out a mat than cause the dog any unnecessary pain. Once your dog is mat free, use your comb to comb down to the skin.
BATH TIMESome groomers like to "rough-in" the pattern before the bath, eliminating as much hair as possible, therefore having less to wash and dry. I only start clipping after the bath, a dirty coat can dull your blades.
Put a rubber mat in the tub and secure your dog so it does not jump out and injure itself. Use a good quality shampoo. I do not use a conditioner on a bichon coat because it makes the coat too soft and it will not stand up for scissoring. You may prefer to use a conditioner, this is up to you.
Avoid getting water in your dog’s ears. You can try using cotton in the ears, I find that it falls out. Using a gentle spray, wet dog thoroughly using warm water. Make sure your dog’s head is facing down so you don’t get water up its nose. You can hold the ears tightly against the head, or cover the ear hole with your thumb and rinse one side of head at a time, at the same time push the head down. Some people save the head for last, do it whatever way works best for you. When shampooing do not scrub as this may create tangles that can become hard to get out. Squish the shampoo into the fur in a massaging motion. After shampooing be sure and rinse, rinse, rinse. Using a very gentle spray also be sure to rinse all soap out of head.
I check the anal glands in the bath. Sometimes they need emptying and sometimes not. Unless you know how to do this, it is best to leave this to your vet to lessen the chance of injuring this delicate area. NOTE: This is not difficult to do, so if you want to do this ask your vet to show you how.
When you are done bathing, towel dry the dog by blotting and pressing the towel against the coat. Don’t rub the coat with the towel to avoid creating tangles. Once again, use your comb, comb the coat through before drying to make sure there are no tangles or mats.
DRYINGUsing your Ever Gentle slicker brush or pin brush, brush the coat at the air flow with quick, light strokes, but brush the coat UP AND OUT AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT. This is called "fluff drying". You must straighten the coat if you want to get the "powder puff" look. Dry one area at a time, don't jump around. Make sure all the coat is separated and dry to the skin. Don’t forget to dry the bottom of the paws. When drying the head try not to direct the air flow directly into the ear hole or at the eyes. If the coat is starting to dry before you can straighten it, spritz it with a little water from a spray bottle. A final comb out and you’re ready to begin clipping.
Note: During normal brushing and combings, brush and comb up and out for a fluffy look.
CHOOSING A STYLEThere are three styles of cuts I'll give you instructions for.
Cut #1 — Shaved Down (Lamb Cut). This is really not as drastic as it sounds, I call it "all off" instead. Use the #F blade of your choice for all body work, including the legs. Only the head and tail are left long. My dog has a wavy coat, not the usual curly coat, her coat is also not very thick so I use the Andis #3-3/4F blade. If you feel your dog’s coat is profuse you can use the #4 or #5F. You don't want to take off so much hair that you can see the skin. Because the coat is cut all-off you do not have to worry about mats on the body or legs. But if the mats are very thick these blades will still have a hard time getting through them. The #7 blade would then be used as it will cut through mats, but remember it will give the closest cut. It’s best for you, and especially the dog, if there are no mats.
Cut #2 — Modified Puppy Cut (Panda). Only the body and the chest from the Adam's apple to the breast bone are clipped. The legs, chest coat, and between the front legs are hand-scissored. This is the cut I use on my dog and the one I prefer. The Oster Bichon Video shows this style, but with the chest clipped (see note).
Note: You may clip the entire chest if you wish, but do not clip between the front legs.
Cut #3 — a fuller version of Cut #1. This cut is sometimes also called a Panda, or Teddy Bear, or Puppy Cut (a true Puppy Cut is hand-scissored). This cut uses a snap-on comb of your choice over the #30 or #40 blade (I use #30 blade). The #30 or #40 blades are only used for the pads or with a snap-on comb over them. DO NOT USE THESE BLADES ON THE GENITALS OR THE BODY. I use #40 for pads and #30 with snap-on combs, but you can use either for the pads or either with the snap-on combs.
Always clip genitals first while your blade is cool. Use the #10 blade or #8-1/2 for sensitive skin (do not use any other blades for these areas), clip hair on around anal opening about 1/2" so poop falls clear and does not stick to hair. If your dog scoots around on its butt after using the #10 blade, next time use the #8-1/2. On females clip the vulva avoiding blade contact with the opening. This is easiest to get at by just lifting rear leg up and to the side, at a natural angle, and then the other leg. Be careful you do not clip any tail hair. Raise dog up by the front legs, rear legs are on the table, clip underneath to first or second set of nipples. Be sure you always know where you are clipping. Move hair out of the way if you can’t see clearly.
Clip penis of males. Raise dog up by front legs with rear legs still on table, or lift leg up, and to the side, in a natural angle. Be careful you do not clip any tail hair. Start at the base of the penis, clip to tip without touching opening, then clip both sides. Clip hair on top and about 1-1/2" in front of penis for hygiene. Once again, try not to touch vulva, penis, or anal openings with blade.
Note: If you are grooming an unneutered male you must be careful of the testicles when clipping. There is no excuse for nicking the genitals. When you use a scissor near the genitals you can shield these areas with your hand to avoid nicking the testicles.
Grooming of the Pads: The hair between the large rear pad will sometimes become matted with stuff your dog walks on. Take your fingers and feel between the large rear pad, you can feel if the hair is matted. You need to cut out this hair with your clipper regardless if it is matted.
Hold the foot as when you clipped the nails. You can take your thumb and press down just below the large rear pad, and press down the other pads with your fingers. This will separate the pad somewhat so you see where you’re clipping. Use the #30 or #40 blade to clip hair between only the large pad, NOT the four little pads. Don't dig down with the blade, gently scoop. Be very careful so you do not go so deep that you cut the skin in the inside of the pad. You can carefully skim over the other pads on the paw to eliminate some hair on top.
ABOUT USING YOUR COMBUse your comb as follows when grooming: Insert the comb in the hair as if you were going to comb the hair down as you normally do, but instead, comb the hair up and out. Another way to describe it is, insert the comb in the hair and flip the hair up as you take the comb out, this is called "stacking" the hair. Using your comb in this way you will be able to make the hair stand up for scissoring and also see any unevenness of the coat.
Another way of using your comb is to insert the comb in the hair, comb through, but not completely. Leave just the amount of hair you want to scissor off at the other end of the comb. Scissor along the comb. This method would be good to use in delicate areas like the tuck-up (where the front of the rear leg joins the body).
If you have a comb with narrow teeth at one end and teeth further apart at the other, use the end with the teeth further apart for the Bichon coat. This end of the comb will get through a profuse coat better than the other end.
BEGIN CLIPPING A PATTERNCut #1 — Read this whole procedure before you begin. Before you start clipping feel the teeth of the blade you have chosen. They are very, very sharp, and because the teeth are separated you can catch skin in the teeth. Be very careful how you clip. Clip only with the lay of the coat, never against the coat. If your blade does not seem like it's cutting properly check to be sure it is not clogged with hair. Bichon hair can clog a blade in a short time.
In all three styles of cuts you’re going to do two passes over the coat, on the first pass you don't have to be perfect, you’re just "roughing-in" the pattern. Just clip all the long hair off. If you got both versions of blades this is where you would use the #3-3/4, 4, 5, or 7 instead of the #F.
Lay one finger across the base of the skull (you can feel the bone which is called the occiput), start clipping below your finger to avoid clipping into head hair. Lay your clipper blade flat against the coat, remember the teeth are very sharp so you don't want to point the teeth down. You don’t have to push hard, let the clipper do the work. Start clipping with the lay of the coat from base of skull to base of tail. Try not to clip a few inches then stop, then clip a few inches and stop, this will leave a ridge where the clipper stopped (it will be especially noticeable in straight-coated breeds). Do one stroke. Start another area next to what you just did, overlapping the area.
Start clipping with the lay of the coat on the rib cage. Clip very carefully when you get to the tuck-up (where the front of the rear leg joins the body). Refer to a picture that points out each part of the anatomy of a dog. The tuck-up is just thin skin and can get caught in the blade teeth, also be careful of the hock (the protruding bone on the lower back of the rear leg). Feel these areas of your dog, know how they feel.
Clip the rear legs. Think of the legs as having four sides. Be very careful of the hock area on the back of the rear leg. Clip each side and on the front of the rear leg clip right off the foot. Clip from base of ear off the shoulder and down the side of the front leg. Clip the inside front, back and top, again, clip right off the feet. Clip from the Adams apple to the end of chest. Lift the legs to get at areas you have a hard time reaching, but don't lift legs at an unnatural angle. Raise your dog up by its front legs, with rear legs still on table, and clip underneath. When clipping the underside like this, be very careful of the skin under the front leg (arm pit) and tuck-up skin (where the rear leg joins the body). Just clip off all the long hair. Keep on feeling your blade against YOUR skin to feel if it is hot. With clipper running spray with Cool Lube to cool.
SECOND PASS for Cut #1, Cut #2, and Cut #3. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A SMOOTH FINISH. BRUSH the hair AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT. Begin clipping the same areas over again. Keep on brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off. See how even it looks! The trick is to brush the hair against the lay of the coat then clip.
When you're done clipping begin using your comb (not brush) to comb hair around the rear end up and out, carefully hand-scissor. Lift leg so you can see the bottom of the paw, as when you clipped hair away from pads. Comb paw hair from top and sides of paw down, scissor away any hair hanging over the pads. Be very careful you don’t nick the pads. With dog standing, scissor a rounded look on the feet. I cut the hair of the paw straight across in front then round off the corners. This works best holding your scissor at a 45 degree angle. Comb hair up and out on top of paw, scissor rounded just on the edges. If there are any mats between the toes scissor them off with scissors or thinning shear, don’t try and comb them out.
Use your #10 blade to trim off hair that may be matted under the front leg pit. Examine your clipping work. Comb through the coat, if there are any stray hairs use your scissor to trim them off. You’re looking for a neat body coat with no stray hairs. See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Cut #2 - Using the blade of your choice, clip the body hair as in Cut #1, but do not clip legs. Clip from the Adams apple to the breast bone. Do not clip between the front legs. Read everything first before starting Cut #2.
If you’re leaving the neck coat go to those instructions, if not, start here.
Lay one finger across the base of the skull (you can feel the bone which is called the occiput), start clipping below your finger to avoid clipping into head hair. Clip down the top of the back to the tail. Clip along the area that you just did overlapping that area. When you get to the top of the thigh instead of just stopping the clipping at this point blend off. Usually you can use the anal opening as a guide for where to blend off at the top of the thigh. Clip from under the ear straight down to about 1" above the elbow. Clip along the rib cage to about 1/2 way into the tuck-up area (remember this is thin skin, know where you are clipping). Clip from the Adam's apple down to the breast bone. This chest line should match up to where you stopped 1" above the elbow on the legs. The line should be even from one leg across the breast to the other leg. Do not clip between the front legs. Raise the dog up by the front legs, with rear legs still on table, clip hair underneath starting from elbows and clipping down the belly.
Note:You may also clip all the chest hair, but do not clip between the front legs.
Second pass. BRUSH AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT and reclip same areas. Continue brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off.
Leaving the Neck Coat: The Oster Bichon Video shows Cut #2 in which the head hair is blended from dome of the head down the neck, and neck sides to the withers, all blending into the body hair. This is all hand-scissored. I only leave the neck coat when doing Clip #2.
If you leave the neck coat start clipping the body hair from the withers down to the tail. The withers start where the end of the neck meets the body. Be careful where you decide the withers are. I can use my dog’s elbows as a guide to follow from that point over to the withers. If you start too far up on the neck you may end up having to clip it all off. If you start too far onto the back you can still cut some off later.
Start clipping from about 2" under the ear and just above the shoulder, down to about 1" above the elbow on the front legs. Then starting at the same spot (2" under the ear) clip horizontally along the side of the neck slanting to the withers. Clip the hair on the other side the same way. This ends up being somewhat a wedge shape. You will hand-scissor the neck hair when doing the head. Clip the rest of the hair along the rib cage stopping half way into the tuck up. Clip hair from Adams apple down to the breast bone. This chest line should match up to where you stopped 1" above the elbow on the legs. The line should be even from one leg across the breast to the other leg. Do not clip between the front legs. Note: You may also clip all the chest hair, but do not clip between the front legs.
Raise the dog up by the front legs with rear legs still on table. Clip hair underneath starting from elbows and clipping down the belly.
Second pass. BRUSH THE HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT and reclip same areas. Continue brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off.
Hand-Scissoring: Once you’re satisfied with your clipping work, you can begin scissoring the leg coat. Hand-scissoring is an art. It can take a long time to develop this talent. Practicing will certainly help. Your grooming book pictures and especially a video on grooming Bichons would come in handy at the point of hand-scissoring the leg coat. You can see in the video how the groomer stacks the hair with the comb and how the scissor is held. The video also shows in what direct the hair is cut.
The proper way to use your scissor is to put your thumb in thumb hole (rubber insert, if needed, for a snug fit) and ring finger in the other hole (rubber insert if needed) and small finger resting on finger rest. The index and middle finger rest on the shank for control. When scissoring move ONLY the thumb. Practice scissoring around a ball or something curved. Move only your thumb to open and close the blades.
The front legs should look tubular and the rear legs tubular but softly following the leg angulation right above the hock. Do not cut angulation to the skin, only angulate slightly. Look at your dog in profile to see how much you’re scissoring. Do not press into the hair with the scissor, it should just ride on the hair. Don't use your brush now use only your comb. As you scissor, your scissor will be pushing hair flat, so you have to continuously scissor, comb hair up, scissor, comb hair up, etc.
Note: You may be tempted to pull at hair that is hard to reach with your scissor. Do not do this because you will pull the skin too and may cut it.
I start with the rear legs, you may decide you want to do the front first. Before you start to scissor you must "stack" the hair (see Using Your Comb). Start stacking the hair from the bottom of the leg right up the leg to the thigh. You can hold your scissor parallel to the leg coat, and begin scissoring. When you are finished look at dog from the rear. Are your dog’s legs poofed out away from the body? They shouldn't be. The hair should flow from hips, which are blended into the body coat, down legs in a natural line. Comb hair up in the inside of the legs. Scissor taking a little off at a time. Stand back and look, the inside space between the legs should appear to be "A" shaped.
On the front legs, the line should flow from the shoulder right down the side of leg. Remember the legs are cylindrical. Make sure your dog is standing when scissoring the legs or you will not get the proper line. Always, and continuously stack the hair. You can scissor the rear of the front leg without picking up the leg, the same for the inside and the outside (remember to think of the legs as having four sides but without corners). If you wish, you can pick up the front leg to scissor the top. Hold the leg with your thumb and first finger at the side of the large foot pad. Stack the hair on the top of the leg, scissor a little at a time, stack hair, scissor some more. You may have to bend your head and look at the leg in profile to get it even. Be careful not to scissor the top of the paw flat or your dog will look like it’s wearing slippers. You can also scissor the hair horizontally without holding the leg. Scissor whichever way you can do it the easiest.
Once you think you are done with the legs, study them, one against the other. Are all the legs in proportion to each other? The front legs aren’t skinnier than the rear ones are they? Make any adjustments that are necessary. If you did cut them too small, make a note of it for next time.
With dog standing scissor across at the front of the paw. Scissor around paws with scissor slanted at a 45 degree angle. Scissor all hair hanging on table. Round off the corners created when scissoring across the front of the paw. Do not scissor up the side of the foot. Paws should be like cat paws, tight, no nails showing.
Stack the hair between the legs. Lift one front leg and look underneath at chest hair. Scissor chest hair underneath even with body (always know where the dog’s skin is). Scissor or blend with thinning shears so it is even with body hair. See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Using a Snap-on Comb
Cut #3 - Using the #40 or #30 blade put a snap-on comb over it. In this cut your dog must be mat free as the snap-on comb can get caught in a mat and come off leaving the #30 or #40 blade which cuts very, very close. Clip hair as in Cut #1. Clip over entire body including legs. See how this leaves hair longer? On second pass, do as before. BRUSH THE HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT, clip, brush hair against lay of coat, clip, continue until there is no more hair that can be clipped off.
Clipping with a snap-on comb leaves the hair a little choppy, so when you're done clipping, COMB hair up and out and scissor lightly over the coat for an even appearance. Look at your dog in profile, you can see all the uneven hair. Scissor any uneven ends that are sticking up. This cut would be a good style to practice scissoring on. Do paws as in Cut #1. Clean up any other stray hairs. Continue on to Shaping the Head.
SHAPING THE BICHON HEADThere is very little scissoring on the head, but keep it in proportion to the length of the body coat. If you decide to do a short body you will need to trim the head shorter to keep it in proportion to the body. You would not want a huge head and a short body coat. The Michael Kemp video is excellent for learning how to scissor the bichon head properly.
Shaping the head, as in shaping the legs, takes a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if your dog doesn't look exactly like a bichon. Use a picture of a Bichon head so you can refer to it while scissoring. NEVER, NEVER use the clippers on the face.
Eye Area:To get the Bichon deep-set look around the eye you don't want to scissor the hair flat at the stop (the forehead). Comb head hair up and out from the stop through the top of the head, letting the head hair fall over the eye area. At all times be sure you know where the point of the scissor is at. Trim the hair between the eyes where the stop meets the muzzle. Leave a distinct thin line here, but don’t trim flat to the skin as this will lengthen the muzzle. Keeping the rounded look in mind, trim away any hair that hangs too far over the muzzle from the stop. You want to leave a rounded visor here. Carry the roundness from over the eye area at the stop on up to the top of the head. Take a little off at a time, stand back take a look. Continuously comb the head hair up and scissor. The length of the head hair should be about the same length as the chin hair, this will give the roundness of the face.
Cut away any hair hanging into the eye to expose the eye cleanly but still leaving a little visor. Using your thinning shear trim off a very little hair just above the inside of the eye to expose the darker halo, notice that the skin is darker in this area. Do not cut any hair beyond the outer corner of the eye. Study a picture of the Bichon head and eye area. Kiyomi’s web site for trimming the Bichon is an excellent source for how a hand-scissored Bichon should look. Look at the pictures at the end and see how the eye area is trimmed.
NOTE: If you do not want the full amount of hair hanging over at the stop just trim it all shorter. My dog has a wavy coat, not the typical curly coat, so at the eye area it's hard for me to get the Bichon look around the eyes. The wavy coat tends to lay flat instead of standing up so I trim this hair shorter but still keep the roundness of the Bichon style head.
Trimming the Head and Neck: The head and neck hair is one piece (if you did not leave the neck hair see the next paragraph). There is also no division between the head and ears. Comb hair on top of head up and out. Comb through hair on sides of face. Begin scissoring the top of the head. Don’t cut straight across. You can start on the top and go down the side or start at the ear and go over. Whichever way you choose, trim with the domed look in mind, taking off a little at a time. Continue from the top of the head down the back of the head gradually sloping to the withers. Continuously comb hair up looking for any unevenness. Lift ears out of the way and scissor coat on the sides of neck and then blend the hair at the sides of the neck and at the withers with your thinning shear so it blends into the body coat. There should be no definite division between the neck and body coat, or neck and head piece, or head and ears. You can also thin out sides of face, top of muzzle or the hair at each side of the muzzle with your thinning shear if it sticks out unnaturally.
Trimming the Head Only: If you did not leave the neck hair you just have to blend the back of the head into the neck. Don’t cut the back of the head flat. Trim from the dome of the head down the back of the head keeping the back nicely rounded. Where the end of the back head hair meets the neck you can blend with your thinning shear. Stand back take a look. Do a little at a time.
Chin and Ears: You may need to trim some chin hair if the head looks too huge (see note below). If you wish, you can shape the chin using your thinning shear for a more natural look. Make ears lay flatter by flipping up ear and using your thinning shear, take a couple of cuts out of hair at the sides of the face and then comb out hair. Let ear drop again and see how it lays, you may need to thin even more hair. Use your thinning shear to trim any uneven hair off the bottom of the ear or hair sticking out at the sides of the ear. Stand back take a look.
Note: Some people prefer the round head and some prefer more of a bell shape. The length of the chin hair should be about the same length as the head hair to create roundness of the head. On the round head simply cut the chin hair more rounded. In this case also trim the ears shorter to keep the round flow from the chin up into the ear.
If you want more of a bell shape.you can cut across the bottom of the chin. Trim the ear hair only slighly at the outside edge not making the ear any shorter than the chin hair.
Some Finishing TouchesScissor off any little stained hairs at the mouth.
Using your thinning shear, carefully trim any stained hairs at the inside corner of the eye.
Comb through the tail hair and still holding the tail put it in the position the tail would be carried on the back. Check to see if there are any straggly hairs, if there are you can clip these off, without shortening the tail hair. Also, on the underside of the tail, at the base, scissor the hair off for about 1.
Spray some good smelling spray on the coat, add a bandana or bow. Walla, you’re done!
Are you satisfied? Does your dog’s head look evenly rounded or bell-shaped? Does the top of the head look domed, not flat or pointed? Does the back of the head have a rounded appearance, or did you flatten the back of the head too much? Does the top of the head flow nicely into the ears with no division? Do the ears look too bushy? If, so, don’t forget to use your thinning shear at the sides of the cheek to make them lay flatter and take a little off the side of the ears. Look at the pads, did you get all of the hair trimmed off and did not leave any long pieces hanging over the feet? Look at the body, are there any straggly hairs that need to be trimmed? If you left the neck coat, does it blend neatly into the body coat? Comb completely through the body, head, ears, tail, looking for anything you have missed.
TIPS:If your dog jumps around or pulls it’s leg away from you when doing front legs, hold up one leg while doing the other.
If your dog does not hold head still while doing the head, grab hold of the chin hair with one hand, keeping a firm hold, begin scissoring.
If you get blood on a clean coat use a cotton ball that is saturated with peroxide and water.
If your dog will not stand when you need him to, put something under his belly.
To get a good perspective of the scissored head, hold the dog up in front of a mirror.
GENERAL INFORefer to a picture of the dogs anatomy and a Bichon head.
Brush hair up and out against the lay of coat for a powder puff look.
The higher the blade number the shorter the cut.
Always know where you are clipping and scissoring. Clip only with the lay of the coat, never against.
Older dogs overheat faster than younger dogs. Make sure your dryer does not get too hot.
Bathe one day, clip the next to avoid stress. Make sure your bath water is not too hot.
You can tell when a blade is dull simply by it not being able to cut hair anymore. If your blades should get dull, you can get them sharpened by sending them to a shop that specializes in doing this. You can find such a business in the back of dog magazines or even on the internet. Blades usually last a long time, especially if you have only one dog.
To clean your blades. Put blade on clipper, pour a little wash in a bowl, with clipper running, put blade in wash only to cover blade. You will hear the blade running faster as it cleans, do this for about 15 seconds. Take blade off and put on a piece of paper towel. Wipe it off, put a little of the blade oil (1-2 drops) that came with clipper on it just where the blade slides back and forth.
Use Cut #1 or #3 for an older dog. It's faster, and they don’t have to stand so long. Scissoring requires that the dog stand. Practice scissoring on Cut #3.
In the end, these instructions are guidelines for you to follow. You may prefer to clip your dog very short with a #7 blade (Kennel Cut). You may also prefer a shorter face and ears. It’s up to you to give your Bichon a haircut you will be able to maintain with ease. You will develop your own style of grooming as you go along.
If you decide to go ahead and groom your own dog, have patience and have fun doing it.
by Marilyn Clark
The Bichon Frise (bee-shon free-zay) the "Curly Lap Dog" is a wonderful, little, white-coated dog. White-coated dogs seem to have more sensitive skin than dogs with darker-coats, so you should be careful about brushing, bathing, and grooming. I bathe my Bichon every two weeks with a mild, tearless shampoo made only for dogs. It is also very important that the shampoo is rinsed completely out of the coat. If shampoo is left in the coat it can become dull and cause skin irritation.
These instructions are for the shorter pet cuts and for the novice groomer. If you would like to attempt the all hand-scissored style, refer to Kiyomi's Bichon Trimming instructions. These instructions include wonderful color pictures. The Michael Kemp Bichon Show Grooming video, produced by Sonnen, is also a good source for the hand-scissored style. The Bichon is hand-scissored in great detail in this video and it has excellent head detail. The Oster Bichon grooming video is also good, and shows a hand-scissored pet cut and a pet cut using clippers, but the video does not go into great detail.
These instructions will seem overwhelming at first, but once you start it will all fall into place. If you groom now, or have only basic knowledge of grooming, you’re one step ahead, and my instructions may help you further. If you haven’t a clue about how to go about grooming, but would like to learn, I suggest first reading several books on grooming and getting a video. Try your library for the books. Otherwise, both are available through catalogs. In any case, read these entire instructions before beginning. Don't get discouraged, even professionals need many hours of hands-on to get good. The more you groom the better you will get, and remember, if you make a mistake it’s only hair and it will grow back.
One thing I suggest is to take notes, you’ll be glad you did. Get a notebook and as you groom, jot down anything that you think will help you further. You may be able to write something I’ve written in a way that you will better understand it. Draw yourself little pictures. Next time refer to your notebook as well as the instructions.
GROOMING SUPPLIESYou can order your grooming supplies from a grooming catalog. Click here for a list of catalogs. You may want to get several catalogs to compare prices. Some pet supply stores have some of the same products but I find they are more expensive.
In order to have your efforts look professional you should have professional grooming equipment. It will make a big difference in the appearance of your dog. Yes, it's expensive, but once you have the equipment it will last for many years. I use the Oster A-5 Clipper and the blades I refer to are Oster blades (one exception is the Andis 3-3/4 blade). Other clippers have their own blades, but the sizes are universal and supposed to be interchangeable.
You will need these items for doing the basics:
Nail Clippers. I use the guillotine type.
Kwik-Stop or Styptic Powder, it stops bleeding if nails are cut too short.
Ear Powder for cleaning the hair out of the ears. Liquid ear cleaner for cleaning dirt and powder out of the ear is optional.
Hemostats (also called hairmostats) used for pulling ear hair out you can’t reach with your fingers.
Comb — I prefer a steel comb. These combs are called Greyhound or one like it. One end has teeth closer together, the other further apart.
Slicker Brush or a good quality Pin Brush. Both types of brushes should have a rubber base that gives. Be sure and get a soft-wire slicker brush. I use the Ever Gentle brand that has an aqua handle. Some slicker brushes have very hard wires that can hurt your dog. The stiff wire brushes should only be used by experienced groomers, or those who know how and when to use this type of brush.
Shampoo. Use a mild, tearless shampoo made only for dogs. I use Coat Handler shampoo. I do not use any shampoo that has bluing or a bleaching agent. I find that my shampoo gets the coat just as snowy white. There are other shampoos also that are excellent for a white coat.
These items for clipping and grooming:
Clipper. A professional clipper either Oster, Laube, or Andis.
Blades: #10 for the belly and around anal opening, vulva of females, penis on males, or an #81/2 if you know your dog has sensitive skin.
The next blades are called skip tooth blades and they come in two versions. The 4, 5, or 7 used on the first pass to "rough in" a pattern. The #4F, #5F, or #7F (see note below) are Oster finishing blades. If you don’t want to spend the money for both versions buy the "F" blades. Choose #4F which leaves hair approx. 3/8" long and is used on sparse coats or for those that want leave the hair a little longer, #5F which leaves hair approx. 1/4" long, or the #7F which leaves hair approx. 1/8" long. These lengths are approximate. Dogs with straighter hair will look shorter because the coat lays flat. The #7 blade gives the closest cut. Depending on the coat type, profuse, sparse or in-between, and the kind of cut you prefer will determine the size blade you use. The #4F or #5F would be the first choices. The #7 may give a closer cut than some would like but it is a good blade to use on a heavily matted dog. The skip tooth blades are only for body work and under no circumstances are to be used on your dog’s face, ears, or genitals.
Note: Andis #3-3/4 blade leaves the hair longer than the #4F (3/8") blade and I use this blade for my sparse-coated bichon.
#40 or #30 (see Cut #3 for explanation of these blades) for between the foot pad and for use with the snap-on comb ONLY.
Snap-on Combs: If you want to have an all-over fluffy appearance, described in Cut #3, you can use a snap-on comb over the #40 or #30 blade. Snap-on combs come in a variety of sizes. When you order one choose the one that cuts the length that you prefer. These combs are inexpensive, so you may want to get several different sizes. The combs are easy to use. Experiment a little.
F.Y.I. - The higher the number blade (or snap-on comb) the closer the cut. My combs are labeled #1, #1-1/2, and #2. The #2 snap-on comb on a #40 or #30 blade cuts closer than the #1-1/2, and the #1-1/2 cuts closer than the #1. The #7F blade cuts closer than the #5F, #5F cuts closer than the #4F, etc. The Andis #3-3/4F blade will leave the hair the longest, and my snap-on comb #1 leaves the hair the longest. There are some combs that will leave the hair even longer. If none of the blades or combs leave the hair as long as you would like, then you must hand-scissor the coat to the desired length.
Cool Lube. Spray it on a hot blade and it will cool it immediately.
Blade Wash to clean your blades. Directions are on the can or see the end of these instructions. You should wash and oil your new blades before use. After each grooming I vacuum any hair off my blades, and wash them with the blade wash periodically.
Scissor. A quality scissor made of stainless steel. A good length would be from 7" to 8-1/2". Stay away from real cheap scissors, they will not last and most importantly they do not cut hair properly. If possible, try the scissor, feel how it feels in your hand. You may need to get rubber hole inserts that will give your thumb and finger a snug fit for better control.
Thinning Shear. I would strongly recommend getting a thinning shear. This shear is a must for blending and thinning. They also are great for cutting out mats and gives a more natural appearance. Use a thinning shear just like a regular scissor. How many teeth a thinning shear has determines the amount of hair that is cut out.
Your scissor must be very sharp to give a good cut. If you know a barber or a groomer you can ask them where to get your scissors sharpened. There are also ads in the back of dog magazines. Be very careful you don’t drop your scissors as this can put a nick in the blades and get them out of alignment.
Dryer. A high velocity dryer will make all the difference in the world in the look of the coat. At the very least, try one of the smaller dryers such as Super Duck. A human hair just dryer does not do the job and you must be very careful that it does not blow HOT air and burn your dog's skin.
Grooming Table. A grooming table with grooming arm and noose is a must to control your dog. A kitchen table, washer, or dryer is too dangerous if you cannot restrain your dog properly. Consider even making your own grooming table.
So, for Basics you’ll need:
Nail Clipper, Kwik-Stop, Ear Powder, Hemostats, Comb, Brush, Shampoo
And, the Equipment you’ll need:
Clippers, Blades, Snap-on Combs, Cool Lube, Blade Wash, Scissors, Dryer, Grooming Table
To see some of these products I use Click here.
Choose a spot for grooming that has good lighting. Let your dog know that this spot is for grooming not playing. Ok, let's start, you be the boss. This is not playtime. Be firm, use a firm tone of voice.
DOING BASICSClip Nails. Do this always before the bath, if nails should bleed the blood won't get on a clean coat. If you do get blood on a clean coat, peroxide and water will get it out. Also, Kwik-Stop can stain the coat. Most Bichons have white nails so you can see the pink quick through the nail. If you’re afraid of clipping the nail too short just clip the tip of the nail where it begins to hook. Be aware though, that each individual dog’s nails grow differently, so it’s best to clip nails more often, rather than take the chance of hurting the dog by clipping too short. Believe me, they will not forget it, and it will take a long time to regain their confidence.
To clip the rear nails I like to stand on the left side of the dog (I am right handed), facing the rear, I reach over with my left hand and pick up the foot. You can support the paw with your fingers. Never bend your dog’s legs in an unnatural angle. Before you pick up your nail clipper use your free hand to pull the hair away from the nail so you have a clear view. Clip the nails being careful not to clip into the quick, clip a little at a time until you see a dark round spot in the nail, that will be the quick. If you do clip too close, use your Kwik-Stop to stop bleeding.
Front paws — Still standing in the same position as doing rear nails, I reach over the top of my dog's neck to the right front paw and bend it at the ankle. On the left paw just pick it up and end at the ankle. You can also stand in front of the dog and just raise up the leg. In this position you may have more of a problem though as the dog can see what you are doing. Be sure to look for dew claws on the inside of the front legs, as these need to be clipped also. If dew claws are left to grow they will grow right into the skin. NOTE: If you know your dog has rear dew claws these also need to be clipped.
Most dogs hate their nails cut. If your dog pulls its legs back, do not yank the legs forward, you can pull a muscle in the leg. Have patience and be gentle, but be very firm.
Cleaning the Ears. Keeping the ear hair out of the ear canal will keep it dry, let the air flow through, and lessen the possibility of an infection to start. Dogs with drop ears, as in the bichon, are especially prone to ear infections.
Squirt a puff of ear powder in each ear. This powder makes the hair feel tacky so it's easy to grab. Take your fingers and pluck out a little hair at a time. Use your hemostats to grab the ear hair you can see but can’t reach with your fingers. Don’t go too deep or pinch the ear skin, grab only the hair. If you don't feel comfy using the hemostats save them for later when you gain more confidence. You can use a liquid ear cleaner on a cotton ball to clean out the powder and any dirt off the inside of the ear. Use a different cotton ball for each ear. F.Y.I. Dog's ear canals are in the shape of an "L".
BEFORE THE BATHBathing and drying a dog with mats will only tighten the mats making them impossible to comb out. Brush and then comb your dog down to the skin. Brush by parting the hair, taking one section at a time. Hold down the hair right below the section you are doing with your other hand to keep it out of the way. Pay special attention to friction areas that have a tendency to mat more easily, such as the inside of the rear legs, under the arm pits, chest hair. The chin hair, sides of face, and I find a lot of dogs with tiny mats along the edge of the ears. Be sure and use your comb along with the brush.
People who do not know how to brush a bichon's coat will brush the top hair only, leaving the undercoat to mat. Learn to use the correct pressure and carefully brush to the skin without scraping it and causing brush burn. Try your slicker brush on yourself, feel how it feels, it will feel the same for your dog.
If you encounter a mat, hold the mat close to the skin, insert the end tooth of the comb into the mat, you can then try working the mat loose. You can also try using Liquid Slicker or Stuff, but it won’t get out mats that are very thick and that have been washed and dried. If you don’t have a dematting formula you can try a little cornstarch and try to work the mats loose. I use my thinning shear to cut out mats that can't be worked loose with the comb. I would rather cut out a mat than cause the dog any unnecessary pain. Once your dog is mat free, use your comb to comb down to the skin.
BATH TIMESome groomers like to "rough-in" the pattern before the bath, eliminating as much hair as possible, therefore having less to wash and dry. I only start clipping after the bath, a dirty coat can dull your blades.
Put a rubber mat in the tub and secure your dog so it does not jump out and injure itself. Use a good quality shampoo. I do not use a conditioner on a bichon coat because it makes the coat too soft and it will not stand up for scissoring. You may prefer to use a conditioner, this is up to you.
Avoid getting water in your dog’s ears. You can try using cotton in the ears, I find that it falls out. Using a gentle spray, wet dog thoroughly using warm water. Make sure your dog’s head is facing down so you don’t get water up its nose. You can hold the ears tightly against the head, or cover the ear hole with your thumb and rinse one side of head at a time, at the same time push the head down. Some people save the head for last, do it whatever way works best for you. When shampooing do not scrub as this may create tangles that can become hard to get out. Squish the shampoo into the fur in a massaging motion. After shampooing be sure and rinse, rinse, rinse. Using a very gentle spray also be sure to rinse all soap out of head.
I check the anal glands in the bath. Sometimes they need emptying and sometimes not. Unless you know how to do this, it is best to leave this to your vet to lessen the chance of injuring this delicate area. NOTE: This is not difficult to do, so if you want to do this ask your vet to show you how.
When you are done bathing, towel dry the dog by blotting and pressing the towel against the coat. Don’t rub the coat with the towel to avoid creating tangles. Once again, use your comb, comb the coat through before drying to make sure there are no tangles or mats.
DRYINGUsing your Ever Gentle slicker brush or pin brush, brush the coat at the air flow with quick, light strokes, but brush the coat UP AND OUT AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT. This is called "fluff drying". You must straighten the coat if you want to get the "powder puff" look. Dry one area at a time, don't jump around. Make sure all the coat is separated and dry to the skin. Don’t forget to dry the bottom of the paws. When drying the head try not to direct the air flow directly into the ear hole or at the eyes. If the coat is starting to dry before you can straighten it, spritz it with a little water from a spray bottle. A final comb out and you’re ready to begin clipping.
Note: During normal brushing and combings, brush and comb up and out for a fluffy look.
CHOOSING A STYLEThere are three styles of cuts I'll give you instructions for.
Cut #1 — Shaved Down (Lamb Cut). This is really not as drastic as it sounds, I call it "all off" instead. Use the #F blade of your choice for all body work, including the legs. Only the head and tail are left long. My dog has a wavy coat, not the usual curly coat, her coat is also not very thick so I use the Andis #3-3/4F blade. If you feel your dog’s coat is profuse you can use the #4 or #5F. You don't want to take off so much hair that you can see the skin. Because the coat is cut all-off you do not have to worry about mats on the body or legs. But if the mats are very thick these blades will still have a hard time getting through them. The #7 blade would then be used as it will cut through mats, but remember it will give the closest cut. It’s best for you, and especially the dog, if there are no mats.
Cut #2 — Modified Puppy Cut (Panda). Only the body and the chest from the Adam's apple to the breast bone are clipped. The legs, chest coat, and between the front legs are hand-scissored. This is the cut I use on my dog and the one I prefer. The Oster Bichon Video shows this style, but with the chest clipped (see note).
Note: You may clip the entire chest if you wish, but do not clip between the front legs.
Cut #3 — a fuller version of Cut #1. This cut is sometimes also called a Panda, or Teddy Bear, or Puppy Cut (a true Puppy Cut is hand-scissored). This cut uses a snap-on comb of your choice over the #30 or #40 blade (I use #30 blade). The #30 or #40 blades are only used for the pads or with a snap-on comb over them. DO NOT USE THESE BLADES ON THE GENITALS OR THE BODY. I use #40 for pads and #30 with snap-on combs, but you can use either for the pads or either with the snap-on combs.
Always clip genitals first while your blade is cool. Use the #10 blade or #8-1/2 for sensitive skin (do not use any other blades for these areas), clip hair on around anal opening about 1/2" so poop falls clear and does not stick to hair. If your dog scoots around on its butt after using the #10 blade, next time use the #8-1/2. On females clip the vulva avoiding blade contact with the opening. This is easiest to get at by just lifting rear leg up and to the side, at a natural angle, and then the other leg. Be careful you do not clip any tail hair. Raise dog up by the front legs, rear legs are on the table, clip underneath to first or second set of nipples. Be sure you always know where you are clipping. Move hair out of the way if you can’t see clearly.
Clip penis of males. Raise dog up by front legs with rear legs still on table, or lift leg up, and to the side, in a natural angle. Be careful you do not clip any tail hair. Start at the base of the penis, clip to tip without touching opening, then clip both sides. Clip hair on top and about 1-1/2" in front of penis for hygiene. Once again, try not to touch vulva, penis, or anal openings with blade.
Note: If you are grooming an unneutered male you must be careful of the testicles when clipping. There is no excuse for nicking the genitals. When you use a scissor near the genitals you can shield these areas with your hand to avoid nicking the testicles.
Grooming of the Pads: The hair between the large rear pad will sometimes become matted with stuff your dog walks on. Take your fingers and feel between the large rear pad, you can feel if the hair is matted. You need to cut out this hair with your clipper regardless if it is matted.
Hold the foot as when you clipped the nails. You can take your thumb and press down just below the large rear pad, and press down the other pads with your fingers. This will separate the pad somewhat so you see where you’re clipping. Use the #30 or #40 blade to clip hair between only the large pad, NOT the four little pads. Don't dig down with the blade, gently scoop. Be very careful so you do not go so deep that you cut the skin in the inside of the pad. You can carefully skim over the other pads on the paw to eliminate some hair on top.
ABOUT USING YOUR COMBUse your comb as follows when grooming: Insert the comb in the hair as if you were going to comb the hair down as you normally do, but instead, comb the hair up and out. Another way to describe it is, insert the comb in the hair and flip the hair up as you take the comb out, this is called "stacking" the hair. Using your comb in this way you will be able to make the hair stand up for scissoring and also see any unevenness of the coat.
Another way of using your comb is to insert the comb in the hair, comb through, but not completely. Leave just the amount of hair you want to scissor off at the other end of the comb. Scissor along the comb. This method would be good to use in delicate areas like the tuck-up (where the front of the rear leg joins the body).
If you have a comb with narrow teeth at one end and teeth further apart at the other, use the end with the teeth further apart for the Bichon coat. This end of the comb will get through a profuse coat better than the other end.
BEGIN CLIPPING A PATTERNCut #1 — Read this whole procedure before you begin. Before you start clipping feel the teeth of the blade you have chosen. They are very, very sharp, and because the teeth are separated you can catch skin in the teeth. Be very careful how you clip. Clip only with the lay of the coat, never against the coat. If your blade does not seem like it's cutting properly check to be sure it is not clogged with hair. Bichon hair can clog a blade in a short time.
In all three styles of cuts you’re going to do two passes over the coat, on the first pass you don't have to be perfect, you’re just "roughing-in" the pattern. Just clip all the long hair off. If you got both versions of blades this is where you would use the #3-3/4, 4, 5, or 7 instead of the #F.
Lay one finger across the base of the skull (you can feel the bone which is called the occiput), start clipping below your finger to avoid clipping into head hair. Lay your clipper blade flat against the coat, remember the teeth are very sharp so you don't want to point the teeth down. You don’t have to push hard, let the clipper do the work. Start clipping with the lay of the coat from base of skull to base of tail. Try not to clip a few inches then stop, then clip a few inches and stop, this will leave a ridge where the clipper stopped (it will be especially noticeable in straight-coated breeds). Do one stroke. Start another area next to what you just did, overlapping the area.
Start clipping with the lay of the coat on the rib cage. Clip very carefully when you get to the tuck-up (where the front of the rear leg joins the body). Refer to a picture that points out each part of the anatomy of a dog. The tuck-up is just thin skin and can get caught in the blade teeth, also be careful of the hock (the protruding bone on the lower back of the rear leg). Feel these areas of your dog, know how they feel.
Clip the rear legs. Think of the legs as having four sides. Be very careful of the hock area on the back of the rear leg. Clip each side and on the front of the rear leg clip right off the foot. Clip from base of ear off the shoulder and down the side of the front leg. Clip the inside front, back and top, again, clip right off the feet. Clip from the Adams apple to the end of chest. Lift the legs to get at areas you have a hard time reaching, but don't lift legs at an unnatural angle. Raise your dog up by its front legs, with rear legs still on table, and clip underneath. When clipping the underside like this, be very careful of the skin under the front leg (arm pit) and tuck-up skin (where the rear leg joins the body). Just clip off all the long hair. Keep on feeling your blade against YOUR skin to feel if it is hot. With clipper running spray with Cool Lube to cool.
SECOND PASS for Cut #1, Cut #2, and Cut #3. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET A SMOOTH FINISH. BRUSH the hair AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT. Begin clipping the same areas over again. Keep on brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off. See how even it looks! The trick is to brush the hair against the lay of the coat then clip.
When you're done clipping begin using your comb (not brush) to comb hair around the rear end up and out, carefully hand-scissor. Lift leg so you can see the bottom of the paw, as when you clipped hair away from pads. Comb paw hair from top and sides of paw down, scissor away any hair hanging over the pads. Be very careful you don’t nick the pads. With dog standing, scissor a rounded look on the feet. I cut the hair of the paw straight across in front then round off the corners. This works best holding your scissor at a 45 degree angle. Comb hair up and out on top of paw, scissor rounded just on the edges. If there are any mats between the toes scissor them off with scissors or thinning shear, don’t try and comb them out.
Use your #10 blade to trim off hair that may be matted under the front leg pit. Examine your clipping work. Comb through the coat, if there are any stray hairs use your scissor to trim them off. You’re looking for a neat body coat with no stray hairs. See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Cut #2 - Using the blade of your choice, clip the body hair as in Cut #1, but do not clip legs. Clip from the Adams apple to the breast bone. Do not clip between the front legs. Read everything first before starting Cut #2.
If you’re leaving the neck coat go to those instructions, if not, start here.
Lay one finger across the base of the skull (you can feel the bone which is called the occiput), start clipping below your finger to avoid clipping into head hair. Clip down the top of the back to the tail. Clip along the area that you just did overlapping that area. When you get to the top of the thigh instead of just stopping the clipping at this point blend off. Usually you can use the anal opening as a guide for where to blend off at the top of the thigh. Clip from under the ear straight down to about 1" above the elbow. Clip along the rib cage to about 1/2 way into the tuck-up area (remember this is thin skin, know where you are clipping). Clip from the Adam's apple down to the breast bone. This chest line should match up to where you stopped 1" above the elbow on the legs. The line should be even from one leg across the breast to the other leg. Do not clip between the front legs. Raise the dog up by the front legs, with rear legs still on table, clip hair underneath starting from elbows and clipping down the belly.
Note:You may also clip all the chest hair, but do not clip between the front legs.
Second pass. BRUSH AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT and reclip same areas. Continue brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off.
Leaving the Neck Coat: The Oster Bichon Video shows Cut #2 in which the head hair is blended from dome of the head down the neck, and neck sides to the withers, all blending into the body hair. This is all hand-scissored. I only leave the neck coat when doing Clip #2.
If you leave the neck coat start clipping the body hair from the withers down to the tail. The withers start where the end of the neck meets the body. Be careful where you decide the withers are. I can use my dog’s elbows as a guide to follow from that point over to the withers. If you start too far up on the neck you may end up having to clip it all off. If you start too far onto the back you can still cut some off later.
Start clipping from about 2" under the ear and just above the shoulder, down to about 1" above the elbow on the front legs. Then starting at the same spot (2" under the ear) clip horizontally along the side of the neck slanting to the withers. Clip the hair on the other side the same way. This ends up being somewhat a wedge shape. You will hand-scissor the neck hair when doing the head. Clip the rest of the hair along the rib cage stopping half way into the tuck up. Clip hair from Adams apple down to the breast bone. This chest line should match up to where you stopped 1" above the elbow on the legs. The line should be even from one leg across the breast to the other leg. Do not clip between the front legs. Note: You may also clip all the chest hair, but do not clip between the front legs.
Raise the dog up by the front legs with rear legs still on table. Clip hair underneath starting from elbows and clipping down the belly.
Second pass. BRUSH THE HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT and reclip same areas. Continue brushing against the lay of the coat and clipping until no more hair comes off.
Hand-Scissoring: Once you’re satisfied with your clipping work, you can begin scissoring the leg coat. Hand-scissoring is an art. It can take a long time to develop this talent. Practicing will certainly help. Your grooming book pictures and especially a video on grooming Bichons would come in handy at the point of hand-scissoring the leg coat. You can see in the video how the groomer stacks the hair with the comb and how the scissor is held. The video also shows in what direct the hair is cut.
The proper way to use your scissor is to put your thumb in thumb hole (rubber insert, if needed, for a snug fit) and ring finger in the other hole (rubber insert if needed) and small finger resting on finger rest. The index and middle finger rest on the shank for control. When scissoring move ONLY the thumb. Practice scissoring around a ball or something curved. Move only your thumb to open and close the blades.
The front legs should look tubular and the rear legs tubular but softly following the leg angulation right above the hock. Do not cut angulation to the skin, only angulate slightly. Look at your dog in profile to see how much you’re scissoring. Do not press into the hair with the scissor, it should just ride on the hair. Don't use your brush now use only your comb. As you scissor, your scissor will be pushing hair flat, so you have to continuously scissor, comb hair up, scissor, comb hair up, etc.
Note: You may be tempted to pull at hair that is hard to reach with your scissor. Do not do this because you will pull the skin too and may cut it.
I start with the rear legs, you may decide you want to do the front first. Before you start to scissor you must "stack" the hair (see Using Your Comb). Start stacking the hair from the bottom of the leg right up the leg to the thigh. You can hold your scissor parallel to the leg coat, and begin scissoring. When you are finished look at dog from the rear. Are your dog’s legs poofed out away from the body? They shouldn't be. The hair should flow from hips, which are blended into the body coat, down legs in a natural line. Comb hair up in the inside of the legs. Scissor taking a little off at a time. Stand back and look, the inside space between the legs should appear to be "A" shaped.
On the front legs, the line should flow from the shoulder right down the side of leg. Remember the legs are cylindrical. Make sure your dog is standing when scissoring the legs or you will not get the proper line. Always, and continuously stack the hair. You can scissor the rear of the front leg without picking up the leg, the same for the inside and the outside (remember to think of the legs as having four sides but without corners). If you wish, you can pick up the front leg to scissor the top. Hold the leg with your thumb and first finger at the side of the large foot pad. Stack the hair on the top of the leg, scissor a little at a time, stack hair, scissor some more. You may have to bend your head and look at the leg in profile to get it even. Be careful not to scissor the top of the paw flat or your dog will look like it’s wearing slippers. You can also scissor the hair horizontally without holding the leg. Scissor whichever way you can do it the easiest.
Once you think you are done with the legs, study them, one against the other. Are all the legs in proportion to each other? The front legs aren’t skinnier than the rear ones are they? Make any adjustments that are necessary. If you did cut them too small, make a note of it for next time.
With dog standing scissor across at the front of the paw. Scissor around paws with scissor slanted at a 45 degree angle. Scissor all hair hanging on table. Round off the corners created when scissoring across the front of the paw. Do not scissor up the side of the foot. Paws should be like cat paws, tight, no nails showing.
Stack the hair between the legs. Lift one front leg and look underneath at chest hair. Scissor chest hair underneath even with body (always know where the dog’s skin is). Scissor or blend with thinning shears so it is even with body hair. See Doing the Head at the end of Cut #3.
Using a Snap-on Comb
Cut #3 - Using the #40 or #30 blade put a snap-on comb over it. In this cut your dog must be mat free as the snap-on comb can get caught in a mat and come off leaving the #30 or #40 blade which cuts very, very close. Clip hair as in Cut #1. Clip over entire body including legs. See how this leaves hair longer? On second pass, do as before. BRUSH THE HAIR AGAINST THE LAY OF THE COAT, clip, brush hair against lay of coat, clip, continue until there is no more hair that can be clipped off.
Clipping with a snap-on comb leaves the hair a little choppy, so when you're done clipping, COMB hair up and out and scissor lightly over the coat for an even appearance. Look at your dog in profile, you can see all the uneven hair. Scissor any uneven ends that are sticking up. This cut would be a good style to practice scissoring on. Do paws as in Cut #1. Clean up any other stray hairs. Continue on to Shaping the Head.
SHAPING THE BICHON HEADThere is very little scissoring on the head, but keep it in proportion to the length of the body coat. If you decide to do a short body you will need to trim the head shorter to keep it in proportion to the body. You would not want a huge head and a short body coat. The Michael Kemp video is excellent for learning how to scissor the bichon head properly.
Shaping the head, as in shaping the legs, takes a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if your dog doesn't look exactly like a bichon. Use a picture of a Bichon head so you can refer to it while scissoring. NEVER, NEVER use the clippers on the face.
Eye Area:To get the Bichon deep-set look around the eye you don't want to scissor the hair flat at the stop (the forehead). Comb head hair up and out from the stop through the top of the head, letting the head hair fall over the eye area. At all times be sure you know where the point of the scissor is at. Trim the hair between the eyes where the stop meets the muzzle. Leave a distinct thin line here, but don’t trim flat to the skin as this will lengthen the muzzle. Keeping the rounded look in mind, trim away any hair that hangs too far over the muzzle from the stop. You want to leave a rounded visor here. Carry the roundness from over the eye area at the stop on up to the top of the head. Take a little off at a time, stand back take a look. Continuously comb the head hair up and scissor. The length of the head hair should be about the same length as the chin hair, this will give the roundness of the face.
Cut away any hair hanging into the eye to expose the eye cleanly but still leaving a little visor. Using your thinning shear trim off a very little hair just above the inside of the eye to expose the darker halo, notice that the skin is darker in this area. Do not cut any hair beyond the outer corner of the eye. Study a picture of the Bichon head and eye area. Kiyomi’s web site for trimming the Bichon is an excellent source for how a hand-scissored Bichon should look. Look at the pictures at the end and see how the eye area is trimmed.
NOTE: If you do not want the full amount of hair hanging over at the stop just trim it all shorter. My dog has a wavy coat, not the typical curly coat, so at the eye area it's hard for me to get the Bichon look around the eyes. The wavy coat tends to lay flat instead of standing up so I trim this hair shorter but still keep the roundness of the Bichon style head.
Trimming the Head and Neck: The head and neck hair is one piece (if you did not leave the neck hair see the next paragraph). There is also no division between the head and ears. Comb hair on top of head up and out. Comb through hair on sides of face. Begin scissoring the top of the head. Don’t cut straight across. You can start on the top and go down the side or start at the ear and go over. Whichever way you choose, trim with the domed look in mind, taking off a little at a time. Continue from the top of the head down the back of the head gradually sloping to the withers. Continuously comb hair up looking for any unevenness. Lift ears out of the way and scissor coat on the sides of neck and then blend the hair at the sides of the neck and at the withers with your thinning shear so it blends into the body coat. There should be no definite division between the neck and body coat, or neck and head piece, or head and ears. You can also thin out sides of face, top of muzzle or the hair at each side of the muzzle with your thinning shear if it sticks out unnaturally.
Trimming the Head Only: If you did not leave the neck hair you just have to blend the back of the head into the neck. Don’t cut the back of the head flat. Trim from the dome of the head down the back of the head keeping the back nicely rounded. Where the end of the back head hair meets the neck you can blend with your thinning shear. Stand back take a look. Do a little at a time.
Chin and Ears: You may need to trim some chin hair if the head looks too huge (see note below). If you wish, you can shape the chin using your thinning shear for a more natural look. Make ears lay flatter by flipping up ear and using your thinning shear, take a couple of cuts out of hair at the sides of the face and then comb out hair. Let ear drop again and see how it lays, you may need to thin even more hair. Use your thinning shear to trim any uneven hair off the bottom of the ear or hair sticking out at the sides of the ear. Stand back take a look.
Note: Some people prefer the round head and some prefer more of a bell shape. The length of the chin hair should be about the same length as the head hair to create roundness of the head. On the round head simply cut the chin hair more rounded. In this case also trim the ears shorter to keep the round flow from the chin up into the ear.
If you want more of a bell shape.you can cut across the bottom of the chin. Trim the ear hair only slighly at the outside edge not making the ear any shorter than the chin hair.
Some Finishing TouchesScissor off any little stained hairs at the mouth.
Using your thinning shear, carefully trim any stained hairs at the inside corner of the eye.
Comb through the tail hair and still holding the tail put it in the position the tail would be carried on the back. Check to see if there are any straggly hairs, if there are you can clip these off, without shortening the tail hair. Also, on the underside of the tail, at the base, scissor the hair off for about 1.
Spray some good smelling spray on the coat, add a bandana or bow. Walla, you’re done!
Are you satisfied? Does your dog’s head look evenly rounded or bell-shaped? Does the top of the head look domed, not flat or pointed? Does the back of the head have a rounded appearance, or did you flatten the back of the head too much? Does the top of the head flow nicely into the ears with no division? Do the ears look too bushy? If, so, don’t forget to use your thinning shear at the sides of the cheek to make them lay flatter and take a little off the side of the ears. Look at the pads, did you get all of the hair trimmed off and did not leave any long pieces hanging over the feet? Look at the body, are there any straggly hairs that need to be trimmed? If you left the neck coat, does it blend neatly into the body coat? Comb completely through the body, head, ears, tail, looking for anything you have missed.
TIPS:If your dog jumps around or pulls it’s leg away from you when doing front legs, hold up one leg while doing the other.
If your dog does not hold head still while doing the head, grab hold of the chin hair with one hand, keeping a firm hold, begin scissoring.
If you get blood on a clean coat use a cotton ball that is saturated with peroxide and water.
If your dog will not stand when you need him to, put something under his belly.
To get a good perspective of the scissored head, hold the dog up in front of a mirror.
GENERAL INFORefer to a picture of the dogs anatomy and a Bichon head.
Brush hair up and out against the lay of coat for a powder puff look.
The higher the blade number the shorter the cut.
Always know where you are clipping and scissoring. Clip only with the lay of the coat, never against.
Older dogs overheat faster than younger dogs. Make sure your dryer does not get too hot.
Bathe one day, clip the next to avoid stress. Make sure your bath water is not too hot.
You can tell when a blade is dull simply by it not being able to cut hair anymore. If your blades should get dull, you can get them sharpened by sending them to a shop that specializes in doing this. You can find such a business in the back of dog magazines or even on the internet. Blades usually last a long time, especially if you have only one dog.
To clean your blades. Put blade on clipper, pour a little wash in a bowl, with clipper running, put blade in wash only to cover blade. You will hear the blade running faster as it cleans, do this for about 15 seconds. Take blade off and put on a piece of paper towel. Wipe it off, put a little of the blade oil (1-2 drops) that came with clipper on it just where the blade slides back and forth.
Use Cut #1 or #3 for an older dog. It's faster, and they don’t have to stand so long. Scissoring requires that the dog stand. Practice scissoring on Cut #3.
In the end, these instructions are guidelines for you to follow. You may prefer to clip your dog very short with a #7 blade (Kennel Cut). You may also prefer a shorter face and ears. It’s up to you to give your Bichon a haircut you will be able to maintain with ease. You will develop your own style of grooming as you go along.
If you decide to go ahead and groom your own dog, have patience and have fun doing it.
Airdale Grooming
ALWAYS bathe and thoroughly dry your Airedale before you begin clipping. This will save wear and tear on your blades and clipper motor. It will also yield an even cut with each clipper stroke. If your dog is really shaggy and/or matted you may need to use a #4F or #5 blade to rough cut before bathing. If your dog is matted you should trim with scissors and comb out as many mats as possible before bathing.
Subsequent groomings, performed on a schedule of anywhere from two to eight weeks, will keep your Airedale Terrier looking tip-top and greatly reduce the time required on future grooming sessions.
BODY: Trim the body with #7 or #7F blade with the lay of the coat. A #8-1/2 or #10 blade can be used if the coat will not lay down or if you desire a closer cut.
FRONT: Clip the sides of the neck and front with a #10 blade, with the lay of the coat. Be sure to go down to the elbows on the front legs. Clip the tail with #10 with the lay of the coat.
HEAD: Clip the head with a #10 blade against the lay of the hair from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth. Clip the top of head (skull) the same way.
EARS: Clip the ears, inside and out, with a #10 blade with the lay of the hair.
TUCK-UP: Clip the tuck-up (under the groin) with a #10 blade carefully!
REAR: With a #10 blade, clip the inside of the back legs down to the second thigh. Clip up the rear to the anus (as in against the lay of the coat)
SCISSORING: Blend the coat on the rear legs into the clipped area. There should NOT be “chaps.” All lines should be smoothly blended.
Blend hair on the chest into the side coat, and up underneath to give a smooth line from the chest to the tuck-up. Brush the hair under the chest downward and scissor diagonally up toward the tuck-up.
Blend the hair on the front legs into the clipped area.
Scissor off “tuft” at back of elbows.
Scissor around the feet so they look neat. Do NOT cut like a Poodle. The front legs should be cut to look cylindrical from all sides down to the ground.
Scissor the hair between the pads. Be sure to take out any mats between the toes.
Scissor the back legs to show angulation. Hair should be shorter on the backs of the legs than on the fronts. No “fluff” or “poof” should remain along the back leg lines.
Scissor the face whiskers to blend with the sides of the head. Thinning shears work best here. Do NOT hollow out under the eyes, nor take too much off the bridge of the nose.
Eyebrows should be semi-divided, rounded off and not too long. They should NEVER be as long or pointed as a Schnauzer. Be careful not to leave a “gorilla brow.” Taper between the brows to the bridge of the nose.
IN SUMMARY
The finished Airedale should look neat, with all lines blended in. If you can tell where you stopped clipping and started scissoring, go back in a day or so. Take a long look from different angles and do some more blending.
Link Here.... Pictures here.... click this
Subsequent groomings, performed on a schedule of anywhere from two to eight weeks, will keep your Airedale Terrier looking tip-top and greatly reduce the time required on future grooming sessions.
BODY: Trim the body with #7 or #7F blade with the lay of the coat. A #8-1/2 or #10 blade can be used if the coat will not lay down or if you desire a closer cut.
FRONT: Clip the sides of the neck and front with a #10 blade, with the lay of the coat. Be sure to go down to the elbows on the front legs. Clip the tail with #10 with the lay of the coat.
HEAD: Clip the head with a #10 blade against the lay of the hair from the corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth. Clip the top of head (skull) the same way.
EARS: Clip the ears, inside and out, with a #10 blade with the lay of the hair.
TUCK-UP: Clip the tuck-up (under the groin) with a #10 blade carefully!
REAR: With a #10 blade, clip the inside of the back legs down to the second thigh. Clip up the rear to the anus (as in against the lay of the coat)
SCISSORING: Blend the coat on the rear legs into the clipped area. There should NOT be “chaps.” All lines should be smoothly blended.
Blend hair on the chest into the side coat, and up underneath to give a smooth line from the chest to the tuck-up. Brush the hair under the chest downward and scissor diagonally up toward the tuck-up.
Blend the hair on the front legs into the clipped area.
Scissor off “tuft” at back of elbows.
Scissor around the feet so they look neat. Do NOT cut like a Poodle. The front legs should be cut to look cylindrical from all sides down to the ground.
Scissor the hair between the pads. Be sure to take out any mats between the toes.
Scissor the back legs to show angulation. Hair should be shorter on the backs of the legs than on the fronts. No “fluff” or “poof” should remain along the back leg lines.
Scissor the face whiskers to blend with the sides of the head. Thinning shears work best here. Do NOT hollow out under the eyes, nor take too much off the bridge of the nose.
Eyebrows should be semi-divided, rounded off and not too long. They should NEVER be as long or pointed as a Schnauzer. Be careful not to leave a “gorilla brow.” Taper between the brows to the bridge of the nose.
IN SUMMARY
The finished Airedale should look neat, with all lines blended in. If you can tell where you stopped clipping and started scissoring, go back in a day or so. Take a long look from different angles and do some more blending.
Link Here.... Pictures here.... click this
Mini Schnauzer Grooming
The Miniature Schnauzer Grooming Chart Overview:
1. Start by brushing your miniature schnauzer out thoroughly. You will want to make sure he is free of mats.
2. Using #8 or #10 blade begin moving clippers downward from the base of the skull to the tail.
3. Follow the pattern in the diagram above, clipping downward on either sides of your schnauzer's body to just about an inch above the hocks.
4. When clipping the top of the skull, cheeks, and throat, move the clippers against the grain.
5. Continue clipping downward on the chest area - stopping just at the shoulder blades.
6. Using scissors, shape legs, underbody furnishings, and tail, as above.
7. When trimming eyebrows and shaping the beard - face your dog and comb hair forward. Cut a straight line to the outer corner of the eye. Don't remove too much of the beard but do trim it up a bit also.
Link to site.... pictures there too...click this
1. Start by brushing your miniature schnauzer out thoroughly. You will want to make sure he is free of mats.
2. Using #8 or #10 blade begin moving clippers downward from the base of the skull to the tail.
3. Follow the pattern in the diagram above, clipping downward on either sides of your schnauzer's body to just about an inch above the hocks.
4. When clipping the top of the skull, cheeks, and throat, move the clippers against the grain.
5. Continue clipping downward on the chest area - stopping just at the shoulder blades.
6. Using scissors, shape legs, underbody furnishings, and tail, as above.
7. When trimming eyebrows and shaping the beard - face your dog and comb hair forward. Cut a straight line to the outer corner of the eye. Don't remove too much of the beard but do trim it up a bit also.
Link to site.... pictures there too...click this
First Post
Im thinking of taking up a side career....lets see?
--Extensive All Breed Dog Grooming-$1200 groomadog.com •240 hours of not only grooming dogs but also 30 pages on how to open your own business.
--PennFoster, PetGroomer- Total price: $798.00 •You'll get "hands-on" experience with the same quality equipment used by professionals, and your program includes electric clippers, scissors, nail trimmers, and much more.
Program outline click here
Dog Grooming Tips, Breeds Click here
http://www.trainpetdog.com/dog-grooming.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_grooming
How to Build a Mobile Dog-Grooming Vehicle
Another how to build a mobile vechile click this
From the Mobile Dog Groomer's View
The daily schedule for a mobile dog groomer is quite different than that of a shop-based groomer. The mobile groomer begins the day with a vehicle check. Is the water tank full? Is the propane heater full and working properly? Depending on the season, either the AC or the onboard furnace must be checked to assure it is operational. The mobile groomer must also be sure to carry extra fuses and a very long hose in case refills are needed, as well as all the necessary disposable grooming supplies, such as shampoo and conditioner.
Time equals money for a mobile unit. In the shop, the next dog and grooming fee are just a couple of feet away. The mobile dog groomer must often drive to another neighborhood to meet his next client, so fewer dogs can be groomed in a single day. This results in a grooming fee that is normally $10.00 to $15.00 more than the average shop fee.
The mobile groomer is also more accessible to the dog owners. This gives the advantage of being able to check what the customer wants, resulting in a customized groom. However it can also slow the groomer down significantly if the customer wants to hang around and chit chat. Many dogs will also struggle to return to the owner, making the grooming more challenging for the mobile groomer.
Van Bubble Top
http://www.discountvantruck.com/vantopsraisedroofs/bubblevantops.htm
Ebooks.....
Google Book click here on a dog dummie grooming
Another google Ebook.... click here
Another Grooming Manuel...click this Yo
Mobile PetGrooming Business Click here
Yorkshire Terrier Handbook .... Click This
Shih- Tzu HandBook........ Mouse This
Cocker Spaniel Handbook..... Click This
Dachshunds for Dummies....... CLick
Cavaliers Kings..... Click
Boston Terrier......Click That...
Chihuahua learn this...and Click this
Link here for supplies wanted....click
http://www.groomers.com/Search.aspx?PageNo=1&query=&path=cGROOMERSproducts%23%23-1%23%23-1%7e%7enf85%7c%7c2431303020746f2024323530&sort=descending
Edemco 48 Inch Pet Tub with Ramp (Size:
48"L x 58" High)
Metro Vac Top Gun Dryer
$299.99
Therapet Grooming Table with Arm 36L x 24W
$109.99
Wgroom.com
Edemco Pet Tubs '32" Mini' $392.00
Height: Adjustable 56-3/4" to 60-3/4"
Width: 32"
Depth: 18"
Edemco Lazy Susan Grooming Tables
$65.00... 18" diameter table
General Cage 30" Table with Grooming Arm
Sale Price: $119.95
Table measures: 18"W x 30"L x 33"H
Grooming Post 36" high & holds up to 150lbs
standard carry on trailer
6feetx12feetCGV $4000.00 pacwesttrailers.com
trailersplus.com
Victory 6' Wide Cargo Trailer At Trailer Dealer
$2500.00 6x10 or 6x12 feeter
Dimensions:
Overall Length: 15' 9"
Overall Width: 7' 10"
Overall Height: 7' 7"
Interior Length: 12' 4"
Interior Width: 68"
Interior Height: 67"
http://www.gryphontrailers.com/options.htm
onlinegroomingschool.com
plan A- $249.00
All Videos to watch on our streaming servers day or night, 24/7. 19 Videos & hours upon hours of instructions!
2. Watch any new uploaded video on our streaming server for free, no additional cost! Latest was the "Bedlington Terrier"
3. Unlimited support!
4. All instructions and test materials! And once completed, you'll receive:
5. A "Pet Hygienist Certificate"
6. A "Certified Pet Groomer Certificate"
*You'll be able to read the entire book, "My Dog Grooming Guide", online! Over 480 pages with over 160 AKC breeds. Now that is a bargain that no one else offers!
Plan B-$499.99
You'll Receive Everything in "Plan A" Plus The Following
A. Instructions mailed to you
B. Study Materials mailed to you
C. Entire test mailed to you
Plus Our Latest Publication
"My Dog Grooming Guide" a $59.95 Value!
Over 160 AKC Breeds
reviews scams on penn foster... possible scam?
http://www.inst.org/dog-grooming-courses/syllabus.htm
$799 - school above
1: Supplies & Equipment
3: Bathing Dogs
4: Basic Dog Grooming
5: Grooming double coated, corded and specific breeds
: Safety First
6. Additional Clipping & Scissoring Techniques
8. Setting Up Shop
9. Setting up a Mobile Grooming Service - Part
7. Skin and coat disorders
marketing
running the bussniess
•Quick Start guide, to get you started on the course.
•A sturdily bound set of course modules that lies flat for ease of study. They contain detailed, practical information that guides you towards working as a dog groomer.
•Assignments. Your assignments will be carefully marked with personal advice by an experienced tutor.
•A stylish case that keeps all your course material.
•10-piece Mains operated clipper kit, giving professional grooming results.
It includes:
- 4 clipper guides for different length cuts.
- Scissors
- Comb
- Cleaning brush
- Clipper oil
- Instructional DVD
•Steel nail clippers
•Soft pin slicker, to remove dead hairs from undercoat and top coat.
•No-rinse shampoo. A specially formulated foaming cleaner that gives the dog a bright, lustrous appearance. It needs no water, so it saves you requiring a dog bath.
•Grooming text book with step by step how-to instructions.
•DVD containing live action instructions and information on all aspects of grooming.
•2 DVD interviews with dog groomers, giving you the low-down on what it's like to be a dog groomer.
•A study guide and planner that helps you organize your study.
•Self-assessment exercises. They occur throughout the course to help you get organized. They also check that you can tackle each of the topics covered.
•Question and Answer sheets for you to have your queries answered.
About 12 mobile groomer companies in las vegas total.
only 5 have a website, only 1 have prices listed, the rest say call them.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3600&pst=216440 Poodle Cuts
http://www.groomadog.com/Study_Master_Grooming.php study master grooming $795.00
http://www.terrisdogstylingschool.com/businesscoursesofstudy.php
Pet Styling..... you can $525 a month
http://www.petcarecourses.com/Courses_details.php?c_uid=1&f_uid=1 Austrailia but wayy cheaper its a online coarse... pet styling 535.00 and grooming.
Module 1 - Health Care
• Skin & Coat Anatomy
• Seborrhoea- skin conditions
• Shampoos to use for skin problems
• External Parasites - Flea
• Ear Care & disease
• Internal Parasites
• Life cycles & treatments
Module 2 - Coat / Breed Identification
• Coat Types & Identification
• Grooming Tools
• Grooming Techniques
• Smooth Haired
• Hard Coat
• Medium Double Coat
• Long Haired
• Long Straight Haired
• Flat Coats
• Curly Coats
Module 3 - Grooming Procedures
and Coat Preparation
• Grooming Equipment
• Intro Professional Grooming
• Short haired procedures
• Long haired procedures
• Coat classifications
• Preparing the dog
• Bathing procedures
• Drying techniques
• Cage drying
• Fluff Drying
Module 4 - Clipping Techniques and Presentation
• Presentation techniques
• Scissoring techniques
• Clipping nails
• Pet Clips & Styling
• Mattered dogs
--Extensive All Breed Dog Grooming-$1200 groomadog.com •240 hours of not only grooming dogs but also 30 pages on how to open your own business.
--PennFoster, PetGroomer- Total price: $798.00 •You'll get "hands-on" experience with the same quality equipment used by professionals, and your program includes electric clippers, scissors, nail trimmers, and much more.
Program outline click here
Dog Grooming Tips, Breeds Click here
http://www.trainpetdog.com/dog-grooming.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_grooming
How to Build a Mobile Dog-Grooming Vehicle
Another how to build a mobile vechile click this
From the Mobile Dog Groomer's View
The daily schedule for a mobile dog groomer is quite different than that of a shop-based groomer. The mobile groomer begins the day with a vehicle check. Is the water tank full? Is the propane heater full and working properly? Depending on the season, either the AC or the onboard furnace must be checked to assure it is operational. The mobile groomer must also be sure to carry extra fuses and a very long hose in case refills are needed, as well as all the necessary disposable grooming supplies, such as shampoo and conditioner.
Time equals money for a mobile unit. In the shop, the next dog and grooming fee are just a couple of feet away. The mobile dog groomer must often drive to another neighborhood to meet his next client, so fewer dogs can be groomed in a single day. This results in a grooming fee that is normally $10.00 to $15.00 more than the average shop fee.
The mobile groomer is also more accessible to the dog owners. This gives the advantage of being able to check what the customer wants, resulting in a customized groom. However it can also slow the groomer down significantly if the customer wants to hang around and chit chat. Many dogs will also struggle to return to the owner, making the grooming more challenging for the mobile groomer.
Van Bubble Top
http://www.discountvantruck.com/vantopsraisedroofs/bubblevantops.htm
Ebooks.....
Google Book click here on a dog dummie grooming
Another google Ebook.... click here
Another Grooming Manuel...click this Yo
Mobile PetGrooming Business Click here
Yorkshire Terrier Handbook .... Click This
Shih- Tzu HandBook........ Mouse This
Cocker Spaniel Handbook..... Click This
Dachshunds for Dummies....... CLick
Cavaliers Kings..... Click
Boston Terrier......Click That...
Chihuahua learn this...and Click this
Link here for supplies wanted....click
http://www.groomers.com/Search.aspx?PageNo=1&query=&path=cGROOMERSproducts%23%23-1%23%23-1%7e%7enf85%7c%7c2431303020746f2024323530&sort=descending
Edemco 48 Inch Pet Tub with Ramp (Size:
48"L x 58" High)
Metro Vac Top Gun Dryer
$299.99
Therapet Grooming Table with Arm 36L x 24W
$109.99
Wgroom.com
Edemco Pet Tubs '32" Mini' $392.00
Height: Adjustable 56-3/4" to 60-3/4"
Width: 32"
Depth: 18"
Edemco Lazy Susan Grooming Tables
$65.00... 18" diameter table
General Cage 30" Table with Grooming Arm
Sale Price: $119.95
Table measures: 18"W x 30"L x 33"H
Grooming Post 36" high & holds up to 150lbs
standard carry on trailer
6feetx12feetCGV $4000.00 pacwesttrailers.com
trailersplus.com
Victory 6' Wide Cargo Trailer At Trailer Dealer
$2500.00 6x10 or 6x12 feeter
Dimensions:
Overall Length: 15' 9"
Overall Width: 7' 10"
Overall Height: 7' 7"
Interior Length: 12' 4"
Interior Width: 68"
Interior Height: 67"
http://www.gryphontrailers.com/options.htm
onlinegroomingschool.com
plan A- $249.00
All Videos to watch on our streaming servers day or night, 24/7. 19 Videos & hours upon hours of instructions!
2. Watch any new uploaded video on our streaming server for free, no additional cost! Latest was the "Bedlington Terrier"
3. Unlimited support!
4. All instructions and test materials! And once completed, you'll receive:
5. A "Pet Hygienist Certificate"
6. A "Certified Pet Groomer Certificate"
*You'll be able to read the entire book, "My Dog Grooming Guide", online! Over 480 pages with over 160 AKC breeds. Now that is a bargain that no one else offers!
Plan B-$499.99
You'll Receive Everything in "Plan A" Plus The Following
A. Instructions mailed to you
B. Study Materials mailed to you
C. Entire test mailed to you
Plus Our Latest Publication
"My Dog Grooming Guide" a $59.95 Value!
Over 160 AKC Breeds
reviews scams on penn foster... possible scam?
http://www.inst.org/dog-grooming-courses/syllabus.htm
$799 - school above
1: Supplies & Equipment
3: Bathing Dogs
4: Basic Dog Grooming
5: Grooming double coated, corded and specific breeds
: Safety First
6. Additional Clipping & Scissoring Techniques
8. Setting Up Shop
9. Setting up a Mobile Grooming Service - Part
7. Skin and coat disorders
marketing
running the bussniess
•Quick Start guide, to get you started on the course.
•A sturdily bound set of course modules that lies flat for ease of study. They contain detailed, practical information that guides you towards working as a dog groomer.
•Assignments. Your assignments will be carefully marked with personal advice by an experienced tutor.
•A stylish case that keeps all your course material.
•10-piece Mains operated clipper kit, giving professional grooming results.
It includes:
- 4 clipper guides for different length cuts.
- Scissors
- Comb
- Cleaning brush
- Clipper oil
- Instructional DVD
•Steel nail clippers
•Soft pin slicker, to remove dead hairs from undercoat and top coat.
•No-rinse shampoo. A specially formulated foaming cleaner that gives the dog a bright, lustrous appearance. It needs no water, so it saves you requiring a dog bath.
•Grooming text book with step by step how-to instructions.
•DVD containing live action instructions and information on all aspects of grooming.
•2 DVD interviews with dog groomers, giving you the low-down on what it's like to be a dog groomer.
•A study guide and planner that helps you organize your study.
•Self-assessment exercises. They occur throughout the course to help you get organized. They also check that you can tackle each of the topics covered.
•Question and Answer sheets for you to have your queries answered.
About 12 mobile groomer companies in las vegas total.
only 5 have a website, only 1 have prices listed, the rest say call them.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3600&pst=216440 Poodle Cuts
http://www.groomadog.com/Study_Master_Grooming.php study master grooming $795.00
http://www.terrisdogstylingschool.com/businesscoursesofstudy.php
Pet Styling..... you can $525 a month
http://www.petcarecourses.com/Courses_details.php?c_uid=1&f_uid=1 Austrailia but wayy cheaper its a online coarse... pet styling 535.00 and grooming.
Module 1 - Health Care
• Skin & Coat Anatomy
• Seborrhoea- skin conditions
• Shampoos to use for skin problems
• External Parasites - Flea
• Ear Care & disease
• Internal Parasites
• Life cycles & treatments
Module 2 - Coat / Breed Identification
• Coat Types & Identification
• Grooming Tools
• Grooming Techniques
• Smooth Haired
• Hard Coat
• Medium Double Coat
• Long Haired
• Long Straight Haired
• Flat Coats
• Curly Coats
Module 3 - Grooming Procedures
and Coat Preparation
• Grooming Equipment
• Intro Professional Grooming
• Short haired procedures
• Long haired procedures
• Coat classifications
• Preparing the dog
• Bathing procedures
• Drying techniques
• Cage drying
• Fluff Drying
Module 4 - Clipping Techniques and Presentation
• Presentation techniques
• Scissoring techniques
• Clipping nails
• Pet Clips & Styling
• Mattered dogs
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