Post by Paul on Dec 25, 2004 10:22:17 GMT 9.5
DOG GROOMING
Owning a dog means that you have a responsibility for the dogs welfare and that includes regular grooming and bathing. Some breeds require far more attention than others, so if you are not into regular dog maintenance, select a breed that is easy to care for.
Having a long haired breed of dog can be uncomfortable both for the dog and owner if the coat is not maintained in a tangle free condition. If the coat is really tangled and the dog requires a bath you will be approaching night-mare conditions, so what's the answer?
Generally a brief look in the pets column of your local paper will supply you with a list of professional dog groomers but, beware. I am certain you would not allow your child's hair to be cut by an in-experienced person, so I am equally sure that you would not want your canine friend to be handled by a groomer that lacks patience and expertise.
Be sure you find the correct professional by asking other people where they take their dogs. Find out if they were happy with the style of cut, did the dog return injury free, was the dog bright of eye showing no signs of being tranquillized? Had excess hair been removed from the inner ear, had the nails been clipped and what is more important, was the dog happy to return for another session.
Finding the right groomer is important so here are a few guide-lines to assist you make the correct selection.
1. The groomer must have an obvious love of dogs, and ideally have come from a breeding or show dog background.
2. The business should appear to be busy, lots of bookings generally means that people are well satisfied with the care their pets are receiving.
3. The premises should be bright and clean with well prepared cages, kennels or runs.
4. Dogs should be protected from extremes of heat or cold. The building should have air-conditioning and heating.
5. The groomer should be proficient in first-aid care should an accident occur.
Good groomers will willingly show you around their premises and explain any procedures that may be of concern to you. They will listen to your advice on the best way to handle your dog, for no two dogs are the same. Pepe for example has to be grabbed by his beard when being trimmed round his eyes and face but Boot, resisting any form of force, only needs to be held gently.
To get a better insight into dog grooming I spent one morning with Chris Carroll and her daughter Shandelle at their business, Canine Coiffure Salon at Morphett Vale. Both of these ladies worked as a team turning out perfect clip after clip while at the same time treating their charges with obvious respect and affection.
Chris and Shandelle's day starts at 7am in well organized premises which are spotlessly clean and hygienically kept.
Small dogs are kept in individual cages while the larger breeds are provided with a blanket to lie on and are restrained by a generous amount of chain. Appointment times are made for dogs to minimize the amount of time spent away from their owners, generally a dog can be in and out within two hours. Considering the amount of work that's involved, the turn-around time is excellent ensuring as little stress as possible is placed on the animals.
First customer for the day was Chester Brown, a Maltese Terrier who was in for his programmed clip. Lifted onto the work table a check-chain was placed around his neck and adjusted to his height and then attached to an over-head rail. This provides a better control factor for the groomer and a high degree of safety for the dog, restricting movement to the minimum without causing stress. I watched many dogs being clipped that day and not one fought against the check-chain, most in fact sat quietly throughout the clipping process. Chester looked at me with his dark eyes which clearly said, "I don't know who you are, but save me". Save him indeed, Chester sat like a perfect gentleman while Chris clipped off the excess coat, for there was no point in washing that.
In all situations there is a comic, and the comic in this instance was in the shape of Edward, a Chinese Crested Dog which belonged to Shandelle. Bald as a billiard ball except for his head crest, hair on his tail and feet, he frequently made an appearance as if to mock the dogs who were suffering the indignity of being clipped. His cheekiness was enhanced by his eye covering crest, a real character was our Edward.
Chester, after his preliminary clip was now ready for the bath and placed in the gentle hands of Shandelle. A full sized bath raised to a convenient human working height, complete with hoses and mixer taps awaited Chester. In only a matter of minutes Chester was wet, given a great massaging shampoo, had his anal gland cleaned, rinsed, hand dried with a fresh clean towel and placed immediately into a very well designed drying chamber.
The intention of the chamber is not to dry out the dogs hair completely, but to get them warm and comfortable after the rigours of the bath. Most dogs like to be groomed, I have yet to find one that likes to be bathed. The drying chamber was a simple construction, a box with wire grills at both ends. At one end a household fan- heater blowing gentle heat through the box to the other open end. No danger of heat build-up, only a gentle flow of warm air to make Chester feel comfortable.
Fifteen minutes later Chester was removed from the drying chamber to the grooming and drying table. A powerful hair dryer with a flexible hose soon made short work of his damp coat then after drying, he was fully groomed by Shandelle.
Chester then went back to Chris for detailed clipping. Special attention was paid to the feet with excess hair removed from the pads. A clip here a clip there with the finishing touch of a bow tied into the hair on his head, Chester was finished. A credit to the team-work of Chris and Shandelle.
continued....
Owning a dog means that you have a responsibility for the dogs welfare and that includes regular grooming and bathing. Some breeds require far more attention than others, so if you are not into regular dog maintenance, select a breed that is easy to care for.
Having a long haired breed of dog can be uncomfortable both for the dog and owner if the coat is not maintained in a tangle free condition. If the coat is really tangled and the dog requires a bath you will be approaching night-mare conditions, so what's the answer?
Generally a brief look in the pets column of your local paper will supply you with a list of professional dog groomers but, beware. I am certain you would not allow your child's hair to be cut by an in-experienced person, so I am equally sure that you would not want your canine friend to be handled by a groomer that lacks patience and expertise.
Be sure you find the correct professional by asking other people where they take their dogs. Find out if they were happy with the style of cut, did the dog return injury free, was the dog bright of eye showing no signs of being tranquillized? Had excess hair been removed from the inner ear, had the nails been clipped and what is more important, was the dog happy to return for another session.
Finding the right groomer is important so here are a few guide-lines to assist you make the correct selection.
1. The groomer must have an obvious love of dogs, and ideally have come from a breeding or show dog background.
2. The business should appear to be busy, lots of bookings generally means that people are well satisfied with the care their pets are receiving.
3. The premises should be bright and clean with well prepared cages, kennels or runs.
4. Dogs should be protected from extremes of heat or cold. The building should have air-conditioning and heating.
5. The groomer should be proficient in first-aid care should an accident occur.
Good groomers will willingly show you around their premises and explain any procedures that may be of concern to you. They will listen to your advice on the best way to handle your dog, for no two dogs are the same. Pepe for example has to be grabbed by his beard when being trimmed round his eyes and face but Boot, resisting any form of force, only needs to be held gently.
To get a better insight into dog grooming I spent one morning with Chris Carroll and her daughter Shandelle at their business, Canine Coiffure Salon at Morphett Vale. Both of these ladies worked as a team turning out perfect clip after clip while at the same time treating their charges with obvious respect and affection.
Chris and Shandelle's day starts at 7am in well organized premises which are spotlessly clean and hygienically kept.
Small dogs are kept in individual cages while the larger breeds are provided with a blanket to lie on and are restrained by a generous amount of chain. Appointment times are made for dogs to minimize the amount of time spent away from their owners, generally a dog can be in and out within two hours. Considering the amount of work that's involved, the turn-around time is excellent ensuring as little stress as possible is placed on the animals.
First customer for the day was Chester Brown, a Maltese Terrier who was in for his programmed clip. Lifted onto the work table a check-chain was placed around his neck and adjusted to his height and then attached to an over-head rail. This provides a better control factor for the groomer and a high degree of safety for the dog, restricting movement to the minimum without causing stress. I watched many dogs being clipped that day and not one fought against the check-chain, most in fact sat quietly throughout the clipping process. Chester looked at me with his dark eyes which clearly said, "I don't know who you are, but save me". Save him indeed, Chester sat like a perfect gentleman while Chris clipped off the excess coat, for there was no point in washing that.
In all situations there is a comic, and the comic in this instance was in the shape of Edward, a Chinese Crested Dog which belonged to Shandelle. Bald as a billiard ball except for his head crest, hair on his tail and feet, he frequently made an appearance as if to mock the dogs who were suffering the indignity of being clipped. His cheekiness was enhanced by his eye covering crest, a real character was our Edward.
Chester, after his preliminary clip was now ready for the bath and placed in the gentle hands of Shandelle. A full sized bath raised to a convenient human working height, complete with hoses and mixer taps awaited Chester. In only a matter of minutes Chester was wet, given a great massaging shampoo, had his anal gland cleaned, rinsed, hand dried with a fresh clean towel and placed immediately into a very well designed drying chamber.
The intention of the chamber is not to dry out the dogs hair completely, but to get them warm and comfortable after the rigours of the bath. Most dogs like to be groomed, I have yet to find one that likes to be bathed. The drying chamber was a simple construction, a box with wire grills at both ends. At one end a household fan- heater blowing gentle heat through the box to the other open end. No danger of heat build-up, only a gentle flow of warm air to make Chester feel comfortable.
Fifteen minutes later Chester was removed from the drying chamber to the grooming and drying table. A powerful hair dryer with a flexible hose soon made short work of his damp coat then after drying, he was fully groomed by Shandelle.
Chester then went back to Chris for detailed clipping. Special attention was paid to the feet with excess hair removed from the pads. A clip here a clip there with the finishing touch of a bow tied into the hair on his head, Chester was finished. A credit to the team-work of Chris and Shandelle.
continued....
