It's Not Jail People

I have a lot of clients that come in and say that their dog doesn't like being in a crate. I actually had 2 clients say this exact statement this past week and wanted me to call them right when I was done so that their dogs didn't have to be crated. The surprising thing was that the owners didn't really know their dogs at all because when they were put in a crate they didn't even make a sound or try to get out. I'm not sure why owners are afraid to crate train their dogs, especially when they know that their dogs are going to be crated before and after groomings. IT'S NOT JAIL PEOPLE.

When dogs are at the groomers they need to be in a crate for the safety of themselves and the other dogs. We can't have them running around with the possibility of hurting themselves or other dogs, not to mention the fact that they are going to be getting their new hair do all messed up if they are running around chasing other dogs. Also some dogs don't like having their hair dried by a blow dryer (oh a new topic for another blog) so they have to be crated with cool fans on them to dry. If the dog doesn't like being crated then the hair will take forever to dry (and time is money) and the cut will never be completed. Also barking dogs, in crates, stress out other dogs that are being groomed. If they are letting out stressful energy the other dogs will pick up on that and start acting up and being stressed. So crate training isn't just good for your dog, it helps with the whole flow of the grooming process.

Although I don't have kids a lot of people say that crate training is like letting your baby cry it out when they are in their crib. If you went and got your baby every time it cried you wouldn't get anything done that you wanted. This is similar with dogs and puppies, you just have to wait it out until they stop crying. Yes I know this is hard but it is better for your dog in the long run, and it will only last a short period of time. If you remove your dog from the crate every time it cries he or she will know that all they have to do is cry and you will let them out. Do you really want your dog controlling your life??? Tough it out I know you can and it will be better for you and your dog.

Update

Hi everyone... I just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten about blogging I have just had some crazy things going on in the past week or so. A little over a week ago my aunt passed away and I had to move back to Maine, so my life has been a little crazy since then. I do have a new topic that I plan on blogging about tomorrow, I just have to come up with some cleaver catch line for my topic :)

When Did Dirt Grow Legs?

I don't understand why clients have to argue with me about whether or not their dog has fleas. I have actually been told from a client "my dog doesn't have fleas that is just dirt!" and my thoughts are "when did dirt grow legs?"

The picture to the left is a dog that I groomed today that the owner dropped off and said "my dog may have a few fleas. Can you please do a flea bath?" Of Course I told her yes. What I didn't know was that this dog didn't have a "few fleas" it had thousands. As I added water to the dog, that once clear water instantly turned blood red (fleas drink the blood from your dog and when the fleas relieve themselves that is just dried up blood). Immediately I applied the flea shampoo and lathered the dog up, waited the 5 mins it says before rinsing the dog, and when I lifted the dogs front legs this is what I found. All the little black dots are fleas. The fleas were literally jumping off the dog, to try to get away from the shampoo, and onto me. This is where I started to panic because I HATE FLEAS and I don't want them on me. I then had to do another flea bath on this dog and let the shampoo sit for 10 mins this time. With the amount of fleas that were on the dog I knew he had to be anemic. So I checked his gums and tongue and they were both white (they should be a nice pink color). Knowing that the dog is indeed anemic, I called the owner and told her she has to take him to the vet. I told her that she can bring the dog back when the vet says it's ok. A few hours later she called back wondering if she can bring the dog in to finish the grooming because the vet said it was ok. They ended up having to put the dog on iron supplements and treat the dog with a flea preventative that will last a month.

What upsets me about this case is the fact that this dog was literally being drained by the little tiny vampires that invaded his body. I have never in my 5 years of working with animals seen a case this bad before. I'm just glad she brought the dog in when she did because I was able to get her to take the dog to the vet. She realized that her "few fleas" could actually turn into thousands and almost kill her dog. Now she is going to take her dog home to her flea infested home and the dog is going to have to start this process all over again.

Please please please keep your animals (dogs and cats) on monthly flea preventative, it can actually save your pets life.

Call your local veterinarian and find out what is best for your pet.

Matts Don't Form Over Night

Here's a blog that most groomers want to say to you but don't.


So here it goes...

I have heard so many excuses on why dogs are matted (and no I'm not talking about little knots here and there, I'm talking about full blown dreadlocks). So here are a few good ones that I have stored in memory for the creation of this blog.

1. I don't know how my dog could be matted I just combed her this morning.

2. My dog has been with my aunt, uncle, cousin, sister, brother, dog sitter, mother, father, best friend (you can see where this is going) and I didn't know they were supposed to brush my dog.

3. No I don't leave my dogs collar on all the time (and the dogs collar has become part of the matt.)

4. My dog won't let me brush her (so why do you think I will be able to brush your dog if you cant even do it?)

5. (Shhh this one is my favorite) MY DOG ISN'T MATTED (oh that's right I'm just saying this for my enjoyment to see your reaction)


Groomers don't like seeing dogs matted. There have been actual cases where I have wanted to call animal control because the dog is matted sooo badly (the picture above is an actual matt that I removed from a maltese. Yes that is one matt... and yes it covered the whole dog). Matts hurt plain and simple. They hurt when they are on the dog and they hurt when they are coming off the dog. The easiest and most safest way to get matts off a dog is to shave them out. If you don't want your pet to be shaved the best thing for you, your dog, and your groomer is to comb your dog in between grooming appointments to make sure matts don't form. Groomers know that you don't want your dog shaved... we don't like doing it but we are looking out for whats best for your pet plus it's just hair... IT WILL GROW BACK!

I have found that dog owners are really good at combing their dog's back.... the back is usually the last place they are matted. I think the reason for this is because it's such an easy place to start and not get bitten. Most owners give up when their dog starts to pull or tries to bite and that usually is the area that matts up the fastest. Some common areas that I find are usually matted are the butt, stomach or chest, armpits, tail, neck, and behind the ears. I think the most common area is the neck and behind the ears because owners put collars on their dogs and then leave it on all the time. The collar is constantly rubbing on the hair in that area causing matts. Dogs should wear their collars as little as possible. My dog only wears her collar when she is outside.


There are two tools I recommend all the time to owners... A metal comb and a slicker brush. Pin brushes don't work so don't waste the money. Here are some examples of what you should look for.






So make your dog happy... Comb your dog (your groomer will be happy too)