Save Money Grooming Long Coated Dogs

I know that you are not one of those people who lets their dog get all matted and then takes it to the groomer once a year for a shave down.Sadly there are too many owners like that. I have often wondered why someone would get a breed whose coat/grooming requirements don't meet their expectations or lifestyle.
When I was grooming, I refused to groom dogs into cutesy clips that their breed was never meant for. While I welcomed both purebreds and mix breeds,my clients and their dogs first had to meet with me where we would discuss their expectations of their dogs' coat and grooming needs before I accepted them as clients. My fees weren't cheap. Purebreds had to be maintained in accordance to their breed standards. Mix breed coat patterns were determined according to their coat type. No teddy bear clips or shave downs on my grooming table, period. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I still cringe when I see a Yorkie shaved down or a Shih Tzu in a teddybear clip. If that is what you like, get a Lowchien or Bichon Frise',both wonderful breeds who should look that way.
Paying to have your dog groomed is becoming an extravagance many can no longer afford. The cost of having your dog groomed over his/her lifetime equals the cost of a new car.
Going to the groomer is good for your dog, they get needed socialization and groomers are often the first to find possible skin or health issues your dog may be developing .If you can afford it, by all means, take your dog on a monthly basis. But if now you can no longer afford regular grooming, then maybe it is time to rethink your dogs' grooming program.
If you have a breed who is SUPPOSED to have a long healthy flowing coat,why have you been paying to have it clipped anyway?
People make excuses about shedding and hair on the furniture, but truth beknown it is pure laziness.
Well, now it is time to get out the brush and comb on a regular basis and groom your dog like it should be groomed.

For most longhaired dogs that means one of two ways. Either brush and comb your dog daily, or bathe your dog every five to seven days and brush it dry while blowdrying. If you brush your dog regularly then the shedding will be minimal anyway. It would take too much to give grooming instructions for every long coated breed but there are a few basic rules to always follow. Keep the coat clean, dirt acts like sandpaper on the hair cuticle, roughing it up and making it prone to matting. Never wash a matted dog, always comb all mats and tangles out before bathing. Most importantly is, never ever brush a dry coat, always spritz a good coat conditioner on the hair first. In cold weather you can use cornstarch which cleans as well. But a coat conditioner is preferable. If you encounter a mat, never,ever cut the mat, just work it apart with your fingers. Believe me it will eventually come apart. If you cut the hair it makes the coat remat in the same spot faster and if you take a pair of scissors and whack out the mat then your dog looks awful. After you have brushed your dog through and through, go back through the coat with a widetooth metal dog comb to make sure there are no tangles left.

The brush you use depends on your breed and coat texture but a steel pin brush always works...I never let those hideous slicker brushes near any dog I groomed, they are damaging to the coat and were developed to pull sheeps wool onto cards for weaving, not for dog grooming. Coats like Yorkies,Silkies, Beardies and Briards can be brushed with good quality natural bristle brushes but the steel pin brush is cheaper to purchase. Scalpmaster makes an inexpensive one that does a good job. My brush preferences run to the the brands Richter, All Systems Number One, and for a natural bristle, Mason Pearson. A bad brush can ruin a dogs' coat (don't buy the pin brush with the little balls on the end that are supposed to prevent scratching the skin, all they do is rough up the hair cuticle making the coat more likely to mat).
There are numerous quality grooming sprays and shampoos on the market, Espree is a good one and reasonably priced. You can find it in most pet stores and on eBay.
If you want to make your own dog shampoo, I have given a simple recipe before but here is one for a moisturizing shampoo:1 oz. of green palmolive dishwashing liquid
1oz. coconut milk
5 drops of jojoba oil
add to 15 ounces of water,preferably chemical free.If your dog is itchy also add 5 drops tea tree oil and 5 drops of oil of evening primrose.
Don't forget to rinse well,a half cup of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water will add shininess to the coat and cut the shampoo residue.Pour it on, let it sit for a minute then rinse.
A great deep conditioning treatment for dry skin and coat is mayonnaise. Buy a big jar and slap it on after the bath, then let your dog sit under the blow dryer on low (supervised of course) for about 20 minutes, then rebathe. Repeated weekly treatments will do wonders for dry, sunburned coats. I have used this tip successfully on show dogs whose coats became dry and faded from being outdoors. And mayo costs litle compared to those hot oil treatments for dogs.
With all these tips it is impossible to use them if you can't get your dog to behave while you groom him.
Do what the groomer does, brush your dog on a table.It makes a world of difference. Simply put a rubber bathtub mat on a sturdy table or even on a counter if your dog is small enough.
For fixing top knots on Maltese, ( the hair on the head needs to be at least three inches long) you can use small plastic barrettes or you can band them, which I prefer. Section the hair just past the outer corner of the eye, across the top of the head to the outer corner of the opposite eye. . Then divide it into two sections by combing it down the center towards you. Taking the right hand section,comb forward then comb upward into your hand , twist the hair lightly and as you twist, double the hair over, leaving a little bitty loop poking up. Using a dental rubberband wrap the band over the little loop. That is the 'knot'. Cover the band with ribbon or the topknot bows . (Puff is impersonating a Shih Tzu by wearing a human wig, the bow is an example of really cute bows you can buy or make, I will do a future post on making bows for you.)

Follow by doing the left section. Yorkies get one knot and one bow. As do Shih Tzu.
Shih Tzu have their hair parted farther back and after securing the 'knot' the hair is pulled forward and tightened, much like you tighten a ponytail.This creates that little 'pouf'. Lhasas don't have their hair done in top knots but many show people braid the topknots when they are not in the show ring to keep it tidy. And please don't cut the hair in the corner of the eyes. It drives me nuts to see groomers do this. It can lead to corneal ulcers.As the trimmed hair grows, even 1/8th of an inch in some cases, it can on certain dogs, touch the cornea, rubbing it raw. You can't tell it is doing it until the damage is done and then you have a vet bill and a dog in pain. Let the hair lay long and natural as it was meant to! If tear stains are an issue, use a cover up or wash daily with distilled water to help fade the stains. I covered this issue in an earlier post giving different tips for coat staining. Now that you are doing your own grooming, don't forget to clean ears and trim nails.You will find these how to's in previous posts as well.
Show dogs are treated like movie stars and have their coats put down in oil and wrapped in bakery wrap to preserve every precious hair so that they look their best in the show ring....but these tips I have shared today will still have your dog looking like the beautiful breed it is. And all the while, saving you money. Just remember, brush thoroughly and brush often.

Dog Hair Clean-up Tips

Have you ever looked through a decorating magazine and seen a room full of priceless antiques, 19th century silk damasks, and five Cavaliers on the sofa? And then did you think to yourself,''Yeah, right,no one can keep that clean with five dogs.''
I have a friend named Karen, who has five large dogs. Her decor, (and I am not kidding)consists of plastic lawn chairs. Her friend Sydney has twelve large dogs, the same breed,plus several cats. Each woman lives in a house approximately the same size. Sydney's house is decorated with art, Persian rugs, and antique furniture. It is not covered with dog hair and she does not have a maid.
My neighbors two doors down have seven house dogs, including a Great Dane and two cats. In their home is close to a million dollars worth of art and antiques. My point is, it can be done.

You don't have to live like Karen and sacrifice things you love because you have dogs.
An inexpensive way to pick up pet hair is with a rubber glove commonly used for dish washing. If the fingers are textured, so much the better. Rubbing your gloved hand over furniture and rugs will pick up an enormous amount of pet hair in a hurry. I find this just as effective as the various pet hair pick ups sold in stores.
With the glove on, it is very easy to get your hand in those hard to reach spaces where fur can accumulate, like way down the seats of chairs, and in my opinion, is more efficient as well. And since you probably already have rubber gloves in your home, it saves money and is just one less thing you have to buy. Those pet hair pick up contraptions at the store can get costly. And you can use the glove on your clothes to remove pet hair too. I also keep one in my car's glove box.
If the hair on the furniture is carrying a little dirt, I like to use a sponge that is ever so slightly damp. But with the sponge, you can only make one or two passes over the furniture or else you will redeposit the dirt. Then I follow the glove or sponge with a vacuming using the upholstery attachment in order to get the last bits of dog dander out of the fabric.
For odors,I use baking soda and cornstarch with crushed dried lavender on the rugs. The cornstarch helps release the pet hair from my rugs, the baking soda
absorbs odor and the lavender is a mild disinfectant leaving behind a wonderful fragrance. Not too much lavender though as it does contain oils. This concoction eliminates the need to buy carpet powder at the store as I always have these ingredients around.
When dusting, use the microfiber cloths, they are outstanding in picking up pet hair. They are washable, eliminating the need for those throw away duster products which again, saves you money and saves the environment. Using a furniture polish spray is like a magnet to pet hair. I don't do it. If you have fine furniture, you will need to wax it at some point,usually once a year, and I do recommend a high quality micro crystalline wax like my favorite,Renaissance. (Remember to use caution with chemicals around your pets.)
What else can you do to help keep the furniture and rugs dog hair free? Try keeping your dog groomed. Every morning, incorporate brushing into your routine,the more hair you brush or comb out, the less on your furniture and rugs, right? I always follow brushing with a comb through. I don't find that you really need all the special fur shedding tools, just the basic brush and comb for your breed is all that you need. Short haired dogs do benefit from using a Zoom Groom or any rubber curry. A fine tooth comb works well on short-haired dogs too. The trick is to groom regularly. Even the most expensive fur eliminator can't pick up shedding coat if you don't use it.
Indoor dogs are more prone to dry skin that can flake onto your furniture so to help cut down on dander, use a dry skin spray. I make one from one ounce vodka, fifteen ounces spring water for silky coats and distilled water for wire coats (like terriers) and add thirty drops of a moisturizing oil,tea tree, jojoba or almond oil, all work well. Put in a spray bottle and shake before use. In the winter, when the air is really dry, I use the spray several times a day to help keep the coat and skin hydrated.

These simple tips should have you on your way to a nearly fur free environment...and if you don't have time to clean,turn down the lights,light a natural fragrance soy candle, and pretend the hair isn't there, at least until your neighbor comes over and doesn't have a clean place to sit...

Those Unsightly Red Coat Stains

 

If you watched the Garden this week you saw Uno the newly proclaimed Best in Show winner. You may have also noticed the red stained fur around his mouth.Yes that's right it happens to the best of dogs- even Best in Show dogs.Now those unsightly red stains are on my pet peeve list and every time Uno opened his mouth (which was a lot as he is very vocal )all I could look at was the red line along his mouth.
Some dogs have the red stain as tear stain, some dogs have red stain on their feet, others on their behind or belly.Some have red stained coat in all those places!Tear stains, because of the close proximity to the eyes are difficult to remove but the other areas are reasonably simple.
The easiest method I have used is plain kaopectate worked into the stain and allowed to dry.After it is very,very dry, gently comb out.This will take several applications to remove the stain over a period of several weeks.When you bathe your dog soak the stained area you have been treating in distilled water for a few minutes before begining the shampoo process and afterward use a moisturizing (dog, not human)conditioner.The distilled water helps lift the stain.The kaopectate is drying to the coat so using the conditioner will help counteract the dryness and close the cuticle making it harder for the hair follicles to re-stain.
Tear stains are more difficult because you don't want kaopectate to get in your dogs eyes so I don't recommend the kaopectate under the eyes. A lot of dog show exhibitors who have white faced dogs give tetracycline to prevent the tear stains. Angel Eyes is highly effective but it is not FDA approved and contains an over the counter antibiotic. Giving antibiotics long term will compromise your dogs health.
I know some of you reading this are aghast that people would give an antibiotic for purely cosmetic reasons(they also do hair extensions and dye coat and tattoo poor pigment, just to name a few things).
Twice daily washing of the face using distilled water does wonders but you must be consistent. There are coverups on the market, but they are greasy and I don't care for them.
French chalk, available in white or a color matching your dogs'coat,(found at pet supply stores)is an inexpensive way to tone down the stain. And it is safe around the face. You can also dab a bit of corn starch and rub it into the hair to help cover the stain and lessen future stain. Always remember to keep all substances out of your dogs' eyes.
With chalk, dampen the hair with distilled water and work in the chalk with your fingers, remove the excess with a soft toothbrush.
No one knows for sure what causes this red oxidation in dogs' coats. Diet is probably the culprit though. Dog food companies are not required to list chemicals added to ingredients before they get to the manufacturing plant. Chemicals and preservatives can make the body ph off kilter which leads to oxidation. I know for certain that some brands of dog food cause more of this oxidation than others. You can also consider increasing your dogs antioxidants by adding more vegetables and dog safe fruits to the diet. With a little attention, your dog will be stain free.
Until next post,
Happy Tails