Have you ever heard the myth about brushing your hair 100 strokes before bed? Seems extreme, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not if you’re a long-coated canine.

We don’t suggest this to get out of doing our job. In fact, just the opposite. Our hearts break a little each time we have to shave down a poor pup that comes in matted, especially during these cold winter months. The terrible shave down experience can be prevented by a little at-home maintenance and that’s not all it prevents!

Here are some tips for getting the most out of those 100 strokes each evening:

• Spread the hair apart and check for any skin irritations; bumps, lumps, or abrasions. Many bacterial infections, insect bites, or skin cancers start with just one or two new bumps.
• Dogs loved to be touched. If you begin early with your dog and brush him regularly, he’ll enjoy the experience. It will be his equivalent of a massage.
• If matting has developed already please bring him in ASAP so we can do our best to remove them with a mat breaking grooming tool or carefully cut them out with grooming scissors. Don’t ever try to get these out yourself.

Matting doesn’t just make your dog look disheveled, it can cause hotspots, irritate your dog, and even rot away the skin underneath. It is so important to maintain your dogs coat by brushing him out. If you have any questions or comments please call or come in! We are more than happy to help…. but we’ll probably leave the 100 strokes up to you!

Happy Brushing, Animal Lovers!

We realize we only touched upon various services provided by groomers, so we are going to take the next few posts to talk more about each one listed.

Let’s start with #10: The Rear End.

(You may not want to continue reading if you are enjoying what you’re eating.)

Anal sacs, or anal glands are located just below a dogs anus on either side. They produce fluid that smells surprisingly like copper or, as Heather says, “ like pennies”. Who would have thought the fluid in anal glands smells just like money?

Well, what a dog smells is: age, sex, health status, and other things, like mating material. Healthy anal glands empty during a bowel movement. Some do not express as easily because they are impacted. This usually occurs in smaller breeds. Your dog will often let you know in his own canine way by sliding across the floor on his butt or biting and licking at his rear. Often times, you will be able to smell a fishy odor coming from that area.

Impacted anal glands can be expressed, or squeezed out, manually and we take care of that with no extra charge. We recommend you do not try this at home. Because a healthy, fiber-full diet is really important for dogs with problematic anal glands, here are some things you could try though:

• Foods which increase fiber content can also be added to the dog's food, including raw sesame seeds, ground flax seed, buckwheat, whole oats, brown rice, wheat bran, whole grain cereal, or bran flakes. (It’s critical that these dry grains be thoroughly hydrated before serving to your dog in order to prevent choking or intestinal problems and make sure your dog doesn’t have any wheat allergy)
• Metamucil is a commercial medication which may provide additional fiber to your dog's diet. 
• Fatty acid supplements are also an option. Your veterinarian can recommend supplements and medications specifically for your dog while advising how to use them to improve anal gland health.
• A daily walk or two help not only with weight, but digestive health

That wasn’t so bad was it? I hope we were helpful. Please feel free to post any questions or comments!

Thank you, Animal Lovers!

Ok Guys, you keep asking, so here it is….

The Top Ten Reasons Your Dog’s Haircut is More Expensive Than Yours:

10. Your hairdresser doesn’t shampoo and shave your rear end. In fact, your hairdresser does not do a thing to your rear end. If you are having that area groomed we hope you too, are paying a little more.

9. You don’t go 2 months without washing or brushing your hair, making it extra dirty and tangled. Maybe you did in the sixties, but you’ve since grown out of that phase.

8. We check your dog for fleas, ticks, mites, etc. Your hairdresser looks for split ends. Two different jobs.

7. Your hairdresser doesn’t have to clean your ears; i.e., pull out globs of hair and wax while holding your head still and cooing, “It’s ok, good girl. Pretty girl, almost done”.

6. Your hairdresser doesn’t have to clean what is often referred to as “boogies” from your eyes.

5. You sit still for your hairdresser; you don’t wiggle, yank, pull, or simply refuse to hold up your head.

4. Your haircut doesn’t include a manicure or pedicure. If it does with no extra charge, please leave us a comment about where you go!

3. The chance of you going to the bathroom while your hair is being cut is slim to none (we like to think closer to none).

2. You don’t bite, scratch, or drool on your hairdresser. We hope.

And the Number 1 reason your dog’s haircut costs more than yours…

1. It probably takes your hairdresser about thirty minutes to trim and style your hair. It takes us a minimum of an hour to cut your dogs hair. Sometimes three.
(Newfoundlands, you know who you are!)

So there you have it, a few of our favorite reasons why we charge a little more than Hair Cuttery. 

We love your pets and love what we do! There is just more to dog grooming than cutting a persons hair. Thank you, Animal Lovers!

My dad loves this story:

My mother drops off my brother at pre-school. His friend is there with him. His friend’s mom has long since left. As she side-stepped out of the door, there were tears and begging, “Mommy don’t go. Don’t go.” 

Heartbreaking stuff, really. 

Same thing happened when my mother went to leave. “Noooo! I have to go! My mother needs me!”, my brother wailed. Mom, such an easy target. She took my brother home for the rest of the year. 

When it was time to drop him off for kindergarten it was that much harder. His friend? He knew the routine and was fine. No tears, no fuss. 

It’s a lot like this when you drop off your dog to be groomed.

We frequently get asked by pet owners, “Can I stay with my dog while he is groomed?” While we never say no, it is not encouraged. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Your dog is better behaved without you there. When you’re near by they want to be close to you, so they will wiggle and jerk away from the groomer who needs the dog to be still.
2. No, they do not love standing up while we trim their paw pads or pluck their ears, but this is all stuff they need to look and feel their best. If you are in the room with your dog, he will not understand why you aren’t taking him home already!
3. It will be difficult for you too. We ask that you do not touch your dog at all while he is being groomed. And trust me, you’ll want to pet your dog.
4. If you stay with your dog during this groom, it will make the next one difficult. 
5. We would like to be your groomer! In order to form a relationship with your dog, we need time to bond with them and love on them.

Don’t worry; your pet, just like my brother’s friend, is in excellent, loving hands! So, give us that leash go run errands with assurance and peace of mind. Come back in two hours and expect a gorgeous, happy dog.

As always, we’d love your feedback on this topic!

Thank you Animal Lovers.

Did Santa bring your family a puppy for Christmas?

That is wonderful! I am sure the new puppy is adorable! I bet your son loves throwing the ball with Puppy, your daughter wants Puppy to sleep in her room, your husband doesn’t even mind waking up bright and early for the little guy. And you… Puppy has stolen your heart.

But what about the current family dog? Is he still chasing balls in the backyard, eating bites of broccoli under the table? Is he still getting plenty of love and attention?

Even though you’ve probably sat down with old Buddy and told him about your plans for a new puppy, he doesn’t understand.

Here a few suggestions for introducing the new pup to the old pup:
Do not bring any existing pets to pick up the new pet

• Leave the latest addition to your family out front (supervised, of course), go inside and allow your current pet to smell the new dog
• Put the new dog in a crate and set it in an area where your current dog is sure to find him
• Monitor the interaction for awhile and then let the new puppy out of the crate
• Allow the two to get acquainted without getting involved. Step in only if you fear for the safety of either animal and even then, remain calm! They react to your energy.

Dogs are sensitive. Once old Buddy realizes he has to share his home with new Puppy, his feelings may be hurt. Be patient. Don’t force any interaction, allow them to come around in their own time. 

In the meantime, it is important to bond with the new puppy, but get acquainted in private. Do not spend a lot of time cuddling and playing with the new pet in front of any old pets. It just makes for hurt feelings.

Something to chew on… Dogs are very sensitive to your energy. Sure, we’ve all heard they sense fear, but they also sense sadness, anger, worry, and happiness. Have a positive attitude and they will follow your lead. So, what energy are you putting out there? Getting further into the new year, this is something to consider!

As always, we’d love your feedback and to hear how you’ve introduced new pets to your home!

Thanks Animal Lovers!

Here, we are going to cover important issues, like lost local pets, animal welfare causes, the puppy mill industry, and advice on adoption. Our goal is to offer advice here on topics ranging from dog park etiquette to homemade dog food. We also welcome suggestions! In fact, we encourage them.

Of course, our fundamental objective is to have fun. We love to make you smile. So, in addition to posting interviews with local kennels, veterinarians, and pet artisans, we will also post some fun facts, like these:
 
Toward the end of the year, Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, announced its latest ranking of the most popular pet names for 2011. We’ve included cat names too for all you feline fans. 

Dogs: 
1. Buddy (15, 185) 
2. Max 
3. Daisy 
4. Bella 
5. Lucy 
6. Molly 
7. Charlie 
8. Jack 
9. Sadie 
10. Rocky

Cats: 
1. Lucy (4,195) 
2. Smokey 
3. Bella 
4. Charlie 
5. Tiger 
6. Oreo 
7. Daisy 
8. Molly 
9. Max 
10. Midnight 

Stay tuned for more top tens, tips for training, and other fun pet-related topics. Until then, here is something to chew on: 

I came across a greeting card the other day that read, “I hope I can be the kind of person my dog thinks I am”. Are you as generous as Buddy believes you are? Do you scratch behind Daisy’s ears as much as you can? As we enter into the New Year, this is just something to consider. 

Happy New Year, Animal Lovers! 


We would love your feedback!