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Greycious posted:That sucks Riiseli.
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Jan 25, 2013 05:41
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They are pretty useless on most dogs, and for smaller breeds, especially those that need frequent grooming they become an even greater risk to getting injured. It only takes a second to remove them when they are tiny pups, at least for toy breeds (I don't know if it is the same for large breeds) I personally don't see the reason not to do it as a preventative measure. But that's personal opinion and preference. 
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Jan 25, 2013 05:49
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Are we talking only rear dew claws? Or front too? I don't know much about rear, but front are very important for a dog to be able to function normally and can lead to pain and disability as the dog ages.
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Jan 25, 2013 19:43
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I'm mainly talking about rear ones, although I don't like front ones on small dogs either. Why can a dog not function normally without front dew claws exactly?  I've never heard of a dog having pain and disability as it ages from lack of dew claws too...where are you getting this from? e; The only thing I could see it possibly of being any use is in very athletic or working dogs. I'm not talking about those, I'm just talking about primarily companion breeds. UltraGrey fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Jan 25, 2013 |
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Jan 25, 2013 20:06
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Greycious posted:I'm mainly talking about rear ones, although I don't like front ones on small dogs either. I mostly only ever talk about athletic/working dogs. Because I am a dog snob. Here's an article on carpal arthritis in dogs. http://www.caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/15319800/dewclawexplanation.pdf I know my future sports dogs will all have their dews if born with them.
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Jan 25, 2013 20:31
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a life less posted:Are we talking only rear dew claws? Or front too? I don't know much about rear, but front are very important for a dog to be able to function normally and can lead to pain and disability as the dog ages. Well Tater just has the rubbery back ones, but its not like I have carpet or anything so I'm just gonna make sure whatever groomer I go to next is aware of them.
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Jan 25, 2013 21:17
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How would you recommend finding a good groomer? Neither of my dogs need anything extensive, but my lab mix hasn't had a ton of experience with people handling his feet and I can't manage to clip his nails on my own. I'd like to take them in for just a nail trim and a bath every now and then.
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Jan 26, 2013 00:55
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Greycious posted:I'm mainly talking about rear ones, although I don't like front ones on small dogs either. They use them for manipulating objects a lot as well. (Holding bones etc.)
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Jan 26, 2013 05:47
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I think I've asked this question before, but I'm still stumped on how to get this job done. I  (you try getting an aussie to stay still all over for a picture) While the shelter's answer to this problem is a bit extreme:  Mine doesn't seem to actually do any good.  Anything I've managed to do I either can never keep up long enough to do any good against the wall of mats (brushing time means attention time which means PLAY TIME AHHH THROW THE BALL NO NO MORE BRUSH IT IS BALL TIME THROW THE BALL THROW THE loving BALL), or Lee eventually protests. He tolerates baths. He kind of freezes and tries to do absolutely nothing until the bath is over, which doesn't seem like a very good sign. When I tried combing him, after the fifth stroke he loving SCREAMED. Is he just going to have to be shaved regularly? Is there a way to avoid cutting his hair so short that it causes the follicle problems? Halp? Edit: VV Lee does not live with me permanently. It's him or my cat when he's here, so he just visits. Twinty Zuleps fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Jan 30, 2013 |
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Jan 30, 2013 11:30
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Now that he's out of the kennel and you're fostering him, I think the game has really changed. You absolutely can work with Lee to teach him to accept grooming, and hopefully work at his coat to get it to where is should be. However, it will probably be a lengthy process, and you won't want to do it alone. Do you already have a trainer you're working with for Lee's other problems? Was it an actual groomer doing his haircuts, or just a shelter volunteer? You need a professional to help with training, and someone familiar with a coat like that (looks really tricky) to let you know what to do, and whether you're hurting the dog. All of this is REALLY best left to someone who can see the dog in person.
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Jan 30, 2013 13:15
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flyable posted:How would you recommend finding a good groomer? Neither of my dogs need anything extensive, but my lab mix hasn't had a ton of experience with people handling his feet and I can't manage to clip his nails on my own. I'd like to take them in for just a nail trim and a bath every now and then. Talk to different people, look up online reviews, see the portfolio. A good groomer should be able to answer most of your questions and be educated about dogs. Good groomers are usually more expensive too, most of the petsomethings are cheap and they can range from awesome to really really poor. Good groomers are usually in high demand, so if they are booked up, I'd ask them to recommend you to someone else if it has to be done sooner rather than later. a life less posted:I mostly only ever talk about athletic/working dogs. Because I am a dog snob. I hope you aren't talking about back dewclaws, cause those suckers can pull right off when they're working. I prefer my dogs to keep the front dews too, personally, but it kicks so much rear end when you have a small furry dog who doesn't have dewclaws, so you don't have to hunt the suckers down. Fat Dio posted:I was just hired as an assistant in a grooming salon (Friday's my first day Are you doing bathing stuff exclusively or are you going to be doing shavedowns and rough-ins as well? Eegah posted:Well Tater just has the rubbery back ones, but its not like I have carpet or anything so I'm just gonna make sure whatever groomer I go to next is aware of them.  Wulfolme posted:Lee's got issues. What I'd do with Lee, personally, is a really tight trim and coat blow out once every other month or so. That way he can keep his natural coat but have the "scragglies" be trimmed off so he doesn't get so much poo poo in them. Ideally you want a shop that can spend the time doing him straight through or with one person who he hits it off with (You didn't mention him being a biter or anything, but due to his shyness issues, I would only want one person handling it.) The Big Whoop fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Jan 31, 2013 |
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Jan 31, 2013 05:49
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), I have some experience in grooming but it was a few years ago so I've got a lot of re-learning to do. Can you recommend any books, websites, blogs, or anything else that would be useful to someone just starting?
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The Big Whoop posted:If you're at a Petsomething don't waste the bucks. Most of it can be learned on the fly, or they'll have a copy there you can use. Prepare for a HUGE learning curve. There are busy times and slow times. Right now should be fairly "slow" because of the winter in most of the US, which will give you time to learn. I haven't officially started so no hands-on type training so far but the workbook they gave me is pretty familiar (I've done grooming before but not for 6 years or so). Honestly, I'm kind of worried I'll be taught or not taught something that's completely nonstandard outside of Pet* grooming salons and if I were to eventually leave to do my own thing or work at a non-giant-corporation place I'll be mistrained or something. I'll just be doing ears/nails/bathing/drying for now, pretty reasonable to start newbies on. I'll probably have questions once I've been at it for a while 
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Jan 31, 2013 06:04
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Fat Dio posted:I haven't officially started so no hands-on type training so far but the workbook they gave me is pretty familiar (I've done grooming before but not for 6 years or so). Honestly, I'm kind of worried I'll be taught or not taught something that's completely nonstandard outside of Pet* grooming salons and if I were to eventually leave to do my own thing or work at a non-giant-corporation place I'll be mistrained or something. If they gave you a workbook I'm guessing you are at a Petsmart. Honestly, when you're getting ready to go to a smaller place, Petsmart is okay to mention that you've been bathing at. They just want to know you have the experience. If you're looking for a smaller place to groom at, I wouldn't mention you have experience at a Petsomething, I'd just say you apprenticed (because you will, under whoever is training you.)
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Jan 31, 2013 06:13
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The Big Whoop posted:You didn't mention him being a biter or anything ..."hates strangers" could mean all kinds of things, couldn't it. Lee has bitten dozens of people. He sent a girl to the hospital once for going in his pen while three people were playing fetch with him. Not the emergency room, but the hospital. The only people he gets a chance to bite now are the ones that try to get on his good side too quickly. A girl was playing tug with him on her second visit to work with him (which was more daring than anything I ever did) and when she tried to touch his head, he bit her. When I take him on a walk I have to be as vigilant as a momma bear to stay very far away from everything. Sometimes he'll fixate on someone across the street and gruff at them until I distract him. Taking Lee to a groomer is out. I'll look into what you recommended and try to take care of it myself, though. Thank you. E:Any advice or instructions on how to do those two things would be greatly appreciated. Twinty Zuleps fucked around with this message at 11:48 on Jan 31, 2013 |
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Jan 31, 2013 11:40
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Wulfolme posted:E:Any advice or instructions on how to do those two things would be greatly appreciated. WolfensteinBag posted:Now that he's out of the kennel and you're fostering him, I think the game has really changed. You absolutely can work with Lee to teach him to accept grooming, and hopefully work at his coat to get it to where is should be. However, it will probably be a lengthy process, and you won't want to do it alone. Do you already have a trainer you're working with for Lee's other problems? Was it an actual groomer doing his haircuts, or just a shelter volunteer? You need a professional to help with training, and someone familiar with a coat like that (looks really tricky) to let you know what to do, and whether you're hurting the dog. All of this is REALLY best left to someone who can see the dog in person. Quoting this because I think you missed it, and it's very important. Do not try working on the situation alone. With a bite history like Lee's (I remembered him from before) you absolutely need to be working with a professional trainer to make sure you're going about things the right way. When it comes to grooming, it can be extremely easy to make the situation worse by accidentally reinforcing the wrong things. It's a really odd situation to expect a dog to sit through grooming, especially when you need to work through weird hair that's been repeatedly shaved down. The reason I asked if he was seeing a regular groomer (and not just a shelter volunteer) is that you need help with the coat to make sure you're brushing and combing down to the skin, but also that you're not hurting him in the process. Hair that's growing back from shaving like that can be really odd and soft since the guard hairs grow more slowly. This makes it mat up easily, and makes the tangles harder to get out. You need someone to be able to tell you the difference when he's just trying to get you to stop, and when you might actually be tugging too hard. This is not something we can teach you over the internet. I know you're worried about Lee's history and bringing in other people, but trainers are THERE to help with these sort of things. No trainer worth anything is going to push too far to get into a position where they will be bitten. Professionals have tons of experience with dogs and body language. Their JOB is to see when a dog is stressed and see how to change the situation. It's also their job to show YOU these things, too, and help you see where to make improvements. I know you want to work on some things in the mean time, so here's a generic article I wrote on training for grooming. Keep in mind, though, this is written for the general public, and is not geared towards dogs with specific needs like Lee. Again, PLEASE get help from a professional trainer!
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Jan 31, 2013 13:29
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Hygiene/grooming questions about a Himalayan cat. Sorry if I overlooked them in the thread. What's the best way to clean her face? Do those "no-stain" tablets from the pet store actually work? Are lion cuts advisable or will they do serious damage to her coat when it grows back out? thiefly fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Feb 2, 2013 |
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Feb 2, 2013 19:58
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I have a duck toller (coat is a lot like that of a golden, except shorter) and she has a bit too much fluff on the 'pantaloons' and on her feet. This leads to dingleberries and gross stuff getting stuck in her paws. I usually pluck the hair behind her ears that is prone to matting but obviously this is an unsatisfactory solution to the pantaloons and paws. I can handle trimming these myself, but would like to know what kind of tools you in the grooming world would recommend. Obviously some kind of shears would be best, but what kind, in your experiences?
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Feb 2, 2013 21:24
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thiefly posted:Hygiene/grooming questions about a Himalayan cat. Sorry if I overlooked them in the thread. Angel eyes, as far as I am aware works really well on dogs...not sure about cats though. With cats it's a bit tricky to say. It's quite a mental experience for them to say the least... I've personally never had any problems with cats growing back from a lion cut though. Topoisomerase posted:I have a duck toller (coat is a lot like that of a golden, except shorter) and she has a bit too much fluff on the 'pantaloons' and on her feet. This leads to dingleberries and gross stuff getting stuck in her paws. I usually pluck the hair behind her ears that is prone to matting but obviously this is an unsatisfactory solution to the pantaloons and paws. I can handle trimming these myself, but would like to know what kind of tools you in the grooming world would recommend. Obviously some kind of shears would be best, but what kind, in your experiences?
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Feb 3, 2013 04:04
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The Big Whoop posted:Well, you'll need to shave the bottom of her paws too if I'm not mistaken. Since you're doing *one* dog, a pair of curves and thinning shears (about 6 - 7 inches) will do the trick). You don't need anything super expensive though. A clipper isn't a problem for me because of my line of work, thanks for the advice on the shears.
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Feb 3, 2013 04:06
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thiefly posted:Hygiene/grooming questions about a Himalayan cat. Sorry if I overlooked them in the thread. I think earlier in this thread (or maybe the small dogs thread) Captain Foxy mentioned that cleaning the eyes with a basic saline solution is all you really need, and it's the base of most of the clean-eyes products.
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Feb 3, 2013 05:04
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Topoisomerase posted:A clipper isn't a problem for me because of my line of work, thanks for the advice on the shears. Are you a hair stylist, vet tech or...?
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Feb 4, 2013 05:00
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Hey other groomers, what is the difference between a "Lamb" and "Town and Country" clip. My impression was they are the same thing, one with a super cutesy name.
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Feb 11, 2013 05:08
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The Big Whoop posted:Are you a hair stylist, vet tech or...? I'm a vet student. I have access to clippers.
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Feb 11, 2013 06:07
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The Big Whoop posted:Hey other groomers, what is the difference between a "Lamb" and "Town and Country" clip. My impression was they are the same thing, one with a super cutesy name. http://arpeggiopoodles.tripod.com/poodlehaircutssz.html That page has a good example of T&C. If you look at the top down view, there is little room between the legs. With a lamb cut, more of the body is shaved, with the legs left longer. But, yeah, all these things are pretty ridiculous and subjective.
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Feb 11, 2013 06:46
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Hey Wolfenstienbag, have you ever done a "continental" clip on a poodle? I'm talking kidney beans, pom poms, and a ridiculous topknot with a ponytail and everything else in a 30 blade. Everyone here gets a Kennel, puppy, or teddy bear clip, so I'm pretty clueless on how, if I ever got the opportunity to do a proper clip, and to prevent clipperburning the crap out of a dog who got something like that.
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Feb 13, 2013 09:21
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Hell no! Haha! I think it's beautiful, and I have insane respect for people who put in that effort, but I think I'd go crazy. Apparently the shop where I work had a few clients eons ago that used to at least get pom poms, but my boss said the work involved was insane compared to the price people were willing to pay. That isn't to say I wouldn't want to try it if I had my own poodle, though, or a client with a really great dog that took care of the coat between sessions. Just like I'd love to learn hand stripping, but still wouldn't want to do it on a daily basis.
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Feb 13, 2013 12:59
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We adopted a puli about two months ago (rescued breeder at a mill). When the shelter got her, she was so matted she had to be totally shaved down. Puli-specific sources say that a shaved puli can be back to a full corded coat in about two years. Any advice from groomers on making sure it comes in right and cords properly?
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Feb 20, 2013 02:13
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Big Whoop and others: I'm looking to start clipping my dogs nails, since we adopted them already overgrown. I know I have to start little by little, is a microtrim once a week too much? The groomers we took them to said that they aren't too long (they click on the floor) and that once a week is too often. Which is easier for a beginner, the scissors-style or guillotine? Any brand recommendations?
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Feb 20, 2013 21:10
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The Big Whoop posted:Hey Wolfenstienbag, have you ever done a "continental" clip on a poodle? I'm talking kidney beans, pom poms, and a ridiculous topknot with a ponytail and everything else in a It's a 40 blade for show Poodles, then depending on the dog you may or may not want to let it grow out for a couple days before a show. You would normally use a 10 blade for pets. I've done the Continental clip on both show and pet dogs, and the Dutch clip (which in that link is called the Town and Country). The old lady that used to make us put her brown STD Poodle in that hideous Dutch clip insisted it be done with a 40 blade too. The difference between that and a Lamb clip is all the shaving, the Dutch has the neck, line down the middle of the back, and sides behind the ribcage completely shaved. The Lamb clip leaves the body short and legs poofy (at least the way I learned it). The Continental is harder to do, IMO, because everything has to be so exact, the pompoms on the legs have to be a certain size and shape, and identical, the hip rosettes have to be perfectly placed and also identical. I apprenticed with STD Poodle show breeder/owner/handlers that did all their own grooming and it was taught to me in steps....first you learn to shave the feet, then the face/throat, then up the front legs and so on. The last thing you're taught or allowed to go near with the clippers is the hip rosettes, because one wrong move and the dog's show coat is hosed for months, so you start out on a dog that has an established pattern and just needs a touch up with the clippers, etc. I've never known anybody to do the English Saddle clip, but I've been told that one is the hardest of all the poodle clips. As far as the topknot goes, it is permissible to show them scissored down, but if you let it grow like most do, the only time it is trimmed is right before going in the show ring, after it's been banded and hairsprayed.
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Feb 21, 2013 00:20
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Test Pattern posted:We adopted a puli about two months ago (rescued breeder at a mill). When the shelter got her, she was so matted she had to be totally shaved down. Puli-specific sources say that a shaved puli can be back to a full corded coat in about two years. Any advice from groomers on making sure it comes in right and cords properly? Honestly I'm not sure anyone but a show groomer or puli/komendor breeder could give you much advice on corded breeds. We had a lot of diversity in the shop I worked in but still never had a dog with a corded coat. I don't think my boss would have done one anyways because of the time required to bathe those dogs, apparently you have to undo the cords, and then bathe it and dry it and re-cord the coat...somehow.  So I've heard at least.joyfulgirl129 posted:Big Whoop and others: I'm looking to start clipping my dogs nails, since we adopted them already overgrown. I know I have to start little by little, is a microtrim once a week too much? The groomers we took them to said that they aren't too long (they click on the floor) and that once a week is too often. Which is easier for a beginner, the scissors-style or guillotine? Any brand recommendations? If the dogs nails grow fast then no, a weekly small trim is going to be fine. Keep in mind just because a dog's nails 'click' against the floor doesn't mean their nails are too long. Plenty of dogs with beautifully groomed short nails will still make sound against a hard floor. I've always used the scissor style clippers personally. I'm sure either works fine though as long as they are a decent brand(not some store name petco/petsmart brand clippers) and sharp. You can always file a dog's nails too, some dogs are very sensitive to the pressure of the clippers and tolerate filing better. Normal human nail files, especially the heavy duty ones you find at drug stores and beauty supply places for acrylic nails work great....I use the same 99 cent coarse black file on my nails and my dogs nails.
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Feb 21, 2013 01:59
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Greycious posted:Honestly I'm not sure anyone but a show groomer or puli/komendor breeder could give you much advice on corded breeds. We had a lot of diversity in the shop I worked in but still never had a dog with a corded coat. I don't think my boss would have done one anyways because of the time required to bathe those dogs, apparently you have to undo the cords, and then bathe it and dry it and re-cord the coat...somehow.
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Feb 21, 2013 06:27
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Do you have any tips for handling small dogs for nail trims/dremeling? 90% of the time I get Lab-sized and up so I've gotten comfortable holding onto bigger dogs but the other day I got a tiny miniature Daschund puppy and today I got a Chihuahua mixy thing. It really threw me off after all the big dogs. I've been holding them sort of like a football, with their shoulders under my armpit so I can reach between the front legs and hold the foot, and for the back legs I just support under their body with my forearm and hold a foot while using my upper arm to keep them from wiggling too much. Are there any better ways?
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Feb 23, 2013 03:07
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joyfulgirl129 posted:Big Whoop and others: I'm looking to start clipping my dogs nails, since we adopted them already overgrown. I know I have to start little by little, is a microtrim once a week too much? The groomers we took them to said that they aren't too long (they click on the floor) and that once a week is too often. Which is easier for a beginner, the scissors-style or guillotine? Any brand recommendations? I would say dremel/rotary tools are your best friend in this situation. Every week/every other week until they are the length you desire. They will force the nail to go RIGHT DOWN to the kwick in this situation. SolanaSkyes posted:It's a 40 blade for show Poodles, then depending on the dog you may or may not want to let it grow out for a couple days before a show. You would normally use a 10 blade for pets. I've done the Continental clip on both show and pet dogs, and the Dutch clip (which in that link is called the Town and Country). The old lady that used to make us put her brown STD Poodle in that hideous Dutch clip insisted it be done with a 40 blade too. The difference between that and a Lamb clip is all the shaving, the Dutch has the neck, line down the middle of the back, and sides behind the ribcage completely shaved. The Lamb clip leaves the body short and legs poofy (at least the way I learned it). The Continental is harder to do, IMO, because everything has to be so exact, the pompoms on the legs have to be a certain size and shape, and identical, the hip rosettes have to be perfectly placed and also identical. I apprenticed with STD Poodle show breeder/owner/handlers that did all their own grooming and it was taught to me in steps....first you learn to shave the feet, then the face/throat, then up the front legs and so on. The last thing you're taught or allowed to go near with the clippers is the hip rosettes, because one wrong move and the dog's show coat is hosed for months, so you start out on a dog that has an established pattern and just needs a touch up with the clippers, etc. I've never known anybody to do the English Saddle clip, but I've been told that one is the hardest of all the poodle clips. Show grooming is something that I'd LOVE to learn. I have mixed feelings about showing, but really I'd like to get really good and not just work on piddly pet grooms forever! Should I just hit up a dog show at some point and talk to the handlers/owners there? Also, with the 10 blade would you go against the grain of the fur? Test Pattern posted:We adopted a puli about two months ago (rescued breeder at a mill). When the shelter got her, she was so matted she had to be totally shaved down. Puli-specific sources say that a shaved puli can be back to a full corded coat in about two years. Any advice from groomers on making sure it comes in right and cords properly? Fat Dio posted:Do you have any tips for handling small dogs for nail trims/dremeling? 90% of the time I get Lab-sized and up so I've gotten comfortable holding onto bigger dogs but the other day I got a tiny miniature Daschund puppy and today I got a Chihuahua mixy thing. It really threw me off after all the big dogs. For these guys I literally just hug 'em. I hug them under the tummy and back leg with my free hand and pick up the foot with the hand that I'm hugging these guys. I can get all four feet and I can tighten my hold when they get wiggly. For really frisky dogs, I do a sideways hug with my arm under the back leg and crossed over under the front legs. For really frisky dogs (yes, this will sound mean) that want to try to bite, I kind of grab the cheeks and massage the face while someone else does the nails. It's not the "nicest" looking thing to do to a dog, but when you have a dog that wants to bite everyone and its nails are curling under sometimes it's the only way to do it without choking the breath out of the thing. I'd like to do it by feeding the dog lots of treats but sometimes they won't take it because they are so stressed out and we're technically not allowed to do that anyway. Fat Dio Have you run into any really "bad" dogs yet? You'll eventually learn that 90 percent of dogs will accept it if you're just more stubborn than them.
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Feb 23, 2013 06:20
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Thanks for the advice. I just spent an hour splitting tufts into cords, and she doesn't seem to mind at all. Let's see how her next bath goes.
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Feb 23, 2013 14:34
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Thanks! I'm not trained to do anything with clippers or scissors other than cleaning up feet so I get booked almost entirely with short-haired dogs. I think the smallest dog I've had was a Jack Russell, so other than 2 or 3 walk-in toenail trims my exposure to tiny feet and nails is pretty limited. I've definitely learned to be more stubborn and not let go of a foot because a dog's being a big whiny baby. I've had a few "bad" dogs, only one so far that legitimately tried to bite, but mostly I've just had to get someone to hold their head. I know a lot of the larger dogs like Labs and whatnot haven't grown up being taken to a groomer's so I don't blame them for being uncomfortable. One guy yesterday was a bit of a dick and didn't tell me his old Lab had arthritis in his hips, so when I lifted up his back foot he screamed and cried, the poor thing. The worst dogs by far are pugs, holy poo poo. They wiggle and don't stop and their bodies are stupidly shaped and I can't get a grip and their nails are awful, almost all the pugs I've had have nails that curl tightly against the pad of the foot so I can't get the clippers in quickly. Someone needs to start a trend of rough-coated pugs just so they're not so slippery.
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Feb 23, 2013 15:20
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Ahaha you poor bastard, you've ventured into the world of pug nails. Those ones in particular, because they are so slippery and are dickish for their nails, sometimes you will have to have someone grab onto the face. (Sorry dog, it's gotta get done!) Pugs though, do make my favorite dog noise when they are distressed. It's something like a dying pig mixing with a yowling cat and crying baby. The best way I can describe it in text is something like YNNNNNNNNNNNNNNARRRRGGGGNNNN *snort snort*. This is neither here nor there, but I think breeding dogs with such short noses is kind of cruel. They have so many health issues and now my company is afraid that a little bit of air on them will cause them to overheat and die. But you'll never hear me tell a customer that. I have a lot of short nosed breeds as requests. Fat Dio You've mentioned arthritic dogs... the best way to handle them is to cut their nails on the floor (without lifting the paw, just slide the scissor type nail clippers under the nail) or, if they accept it, lay them on their side and do it that way. The best thing you can do is get your speed up, so that it is over very quick. I've timed myself as doing a nail trim in a minute at this point, and predict I've done THOUSANDS of nail trims.
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Feb 26, 2013 07:25
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Older dogs I definitely take care with their joints, but this particular dog wasn't very old and the owner told me "no" when I asked about any health issues.  I had a beagle the other day who was such a polite guy he offered me "shake a paw" and I was able to clip his front nails like that  I'm getting my speed up a lot more since I figured out to just hold on. I had a pretty well behaved little pug that didn't squirm at all, just cried and only had 4 horrible curly nails. Pugs are kind of cute and I've never met one that wasn't happy but I agree with you there, I don't think it's good to breed for those traits that impact a dog's quality of life. After bathing a dog, especially a short-faced dog I try to towel dry their face as much as possible so I can reduce the time I have to have a dryer around their face. None of the dryers we use are heated, but I like to reduce the amount of crap they have to deal with. I can also wipe out their face folds really well while I'm at it. I'm enjoying everything so far, it's stressful but in a good way! I'm not trained to do any clipper or scissoring work other than cleaning up feet and between the pads so I haven't had a parade of small poodly/shih tzu type dogs. It seems like a lot of owners just let their fluffy tinydog just grow their coat out for 2 months, do a half-rear end brushing once in a while when bring them in to get everything shaved off and cleaned up. Do you find you get a little bored with what looks like (to me) the same cut over and over again? Also, what are your thoughts on groomers using verbal corrections on a dog that's struggling or whatever? I've seen a few people doing it, and it seems odd to me. The dogs are already in a pretty stressful environment, most of the time what they're doing is an appeasement gesture or they're just trying to move away from something uncomfortable, I don't really see what yelling "NO, STOP IT" will do :/ I say stuff like "good girl!" when a dog is being really accommodating to me and I just try to ride it out and get as much as I can done if a dog's not co-operating very well. My employee handbooks says I need to say that my thoughts and opinions here only represent me, not the company I work for.
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Feb 26, 2013 20:18
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The Big Whoop posted:Show grooming is something that I'd LOVE to learn. I have mixed feelings about showing, but really I'd like to get really good and not just work on piddly pet grooms forever! Should I just hit up a dog show at some point and talk to the handlers/owners there? Also, with the 10 blade would you go against the grain of the fur? 10 blade against the grain of the coat. Most handlers are always willing to take on good apprentices. You would want to find an established, well known all breed handler that works with coated breeds...those that require hand stripping and/or scissoring, etc. Be prepared to work you rear end off for long hours and quite possibly be treated like poo poo until you prove yourself, but the skills and "secrets" of grooming you would learn cannot be found anywhere else. You can look on the AKC website at their directory of licensed handlers in your area, and of course going to shows and introducing yourself is a good way to start too.
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Feb 27, 2013 03:36
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Fat Dio posted:Older dogs I definitely take care with their joints, but this particular dog wasn't very old and the owner told me "no" when I asked about any health issues. Alright, when you're doing pugs an other short faces, make sure you're getting the town right down in that wrinkle between the nose an the eyes. Prevents infection later on. Yeah it does get a little boring doing the same cut over and over again, which is why I try to talk people into doing something different... but after you've done a certain cut so many times you get really good at it, it's kind of nice to see the improvement from a few months. I verbally correct dogs all the time. Sometimes it breaks them out of the intense focus. Most of the time I don't yell though. Ignoring the behavior doesn't really work, but I also praise good behavior. Puppies especially. Sometimes a strong HEY STOP THAT will work. Also, if a dog pulls away, I always check my blade to see how hot it is. Some dogs just like to test and see what they can get away with. SolanaSkyes posted:10 blade against the grain of the coat.
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Feb 27, 2013 22:38
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Fat Dio posted:Also, what are your thoughts on groomers using verbal corrections on a dog that's struggling or whatever? I've seen a few people doing it, and it seems odd to me. The dogs are already in a pretty stressful environment, most of the time what they're doing is an appeasement gesture or they're just trying to move away from something uncomfortable, I don't really see what yelling "NO, STOP IT" will do :/ I say stuff like "good girl!" when a dog is being really accommodating to me and I just try to ride it out and get as much as I can done if a dog's not co-operating very well. Groomers doing this is actually my biggest complaint with working in the industry, and the biggest reason I'm working on transitioning to other work. Verbal corrections might not be as harsh as popping a leash, but they still work in the same way- scaring or startling a dog to get them to stop what they're doing. It might work for a second, and there definitely are certain dogs that you'll see results from. But if a dog sensitive, or even worse, already nervous, correcting a dog like that is going to make them worse. If a dog has a bad time going through a particular step (say, nail cutting), they can learn to fear it. If they're afraid of it, then they're more likely to act out. If the dog acts out, the groomer keeps giving harsher and harsher verbal corrections (especially if the person is frustrated) making the dog have a harder and harder time every visit. Eventually you have a dog that is completely nuts, and the groomer blames the owner for lack of training. Obviously, this is the worst case scenario, but you absolutely do not need to be using corrections like that. While you can't "give in" to bad behavior (waiting for a dog to be calm before shutting off a dryer, for example) yelling at a dog is absolutely not going to help your cause. On top of all of that, a dog only knows what you take the time to teach it. You can yell/correct a dog until you're blue in the face, but unless the dog knows what you're asking of it, you're not going to get the results you want and you're just going to end up mad. You can't blame a dog for not knowing what "Sit" means unless you teach it, you also can't expect a dog to automatically know how to sit still or know what "Stop" means. What I WILL do, is over time teach a dog a, "No, that's wrong, try again" cue. I kinda tend to go, "Nah, aht!" Not in a sharp correction way, but in the same way you'd use a clicker. You mark the WRONG behavior, and the dog eventually associates the sound with guessing the wrong thing to do, if that makes any sense. Think about a dog learning to lay down after learning to sit. You try to lure the dog to a down, but the dog doesn't go down all the way, so you make that "Aht" sound, and start over. Eventually, the dog learns "Down". Then, you ask for a down, but the dog sits. You give that "Aht" marker again, and the dog realizes you didn't ask for sit, and listens to try again. Does that make sense? If not, I can try explaining it again. At any rate, I need to stress that the sound isn't used to startle or scare the dog, it's ONLY there to let the dog know the behavior it chose is wrong, and that they can try again. The Big Whoop posted:Ignoring the behavior doesn't really work I'm sorry, but I absolutely have to disagree with you here. Like I was saying, the more you correct a dog, the more they're likely to fight back. You just have to be patient as poo poo. If you're cutting nails and a dog decides to start pulling like a moron, just be completely calm, hold on to the paw, but let the dog go nuts. You keep doing what you're doing (as best you can, you need to be safe, obviously) and eventually, the dog will calm down (if there aren't any other crazy behavior problems that are feeding in to it. When the dog is calm, reassure it by praising it in a nice, calm voice (remember, just like commands, dogs don't necessarily understand praise unless you teach it, either, but they do respond to tone) and ONLY stop whatever it is you're doing when the dog is calm. Whether it's with grooming, training, or anything with dogs, you want to reward good behavior, right? Well, in this case, the good behavior is sitting still, and the reward is letting go. If you let go while the dog is still going crazy, they see them thrashing around as the behavior that got them their reward. If they're calm, they learn they need to be calm and it goes by quicker (and with less stress). quote:Some dogs just like to test and see what they can get away with. This is absolutely true, and all relates to what I just said. Especially with dogs who haven't been groomed before, they try different behaviors to see what will get them out of the situation. Your job is to try and teach them that the only way to get what they want is to sit still. Yeah, it takes a TON of patience. It really is taxing, and a lot of groomers burn out rather quickly. In my case, though, I'm burned out with other people actually IN the industry, and not the dogs.  Long story short, learn up as much as you can about behavior, stress signals, body language, and the concepts behind training. Everything is absolutely relevant to the work you're doing now, and you'll be much better at your job for it.
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Feb 28, 2013 02:15
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