Puppy Grooming

Caring for a dog is an ongoing process which requires much attention from the owner, especially when your dog is a puppy.

An owner should be aware of the surroundings in which his dog lives and plays. For example, there are various plants and fungi that are harmful to dogs (especially puppies) and special consideration should be taken when they are left unsupervised or eliminate the harmful plants or fungi.

Puppy Vaccinations are a must if you want a happy healthy puppy to grow into a happy healthy dog.

There are a number of things which your puppy can come down with. Parvo is just one.

Grooming:

Grooming is required in various amounts depending on the type of dog you have. Dogs should be brushed at least once a week and nail growth should be monitored for your sake and the dog's. Especially with large breed dogs, excess nail growth can put emmense strain on the dog's feet which may lead to serious problems down the road.

Nails / dew claws

Nails can break off and cause pain and bleeding. The bleeding will usually stop within minutes. If this does not happen, you can try and stop the bleeding by

holding cold wet cotton wool against the nail(bed). It is not really an emergency

It is best for the dog for you to keep the nails groomed.

Ears:

A dog's ears should be cleaned reguarly and they should also be monitored because ear infections and ear mites can develop easily and without notice from the owner. When I am cleaning your dog's ears,I make sure to only clean what I see and I don't try to clean deep in the dog's ear because you may damage his/her eardrum.

Poodle Grooming

It is very important that you begin having your Poodle groomed at an early age. I begin clipping the face, feet and tail at 6 weeks of age.

You need to brush your poodle on a regular basis and bathed every 2 to 3 weeks, more if they play outside and get dirty quicker.

When introducing the Poodle puppy to the clippers, I like to turn the machine on and hold it near the puppies head for a few minutes. This lets the puppy get familiar with the sound of the clippers. Second, very gently, I touch the side of the puppy's head and also against the puppy's body. This allows the puppy to get use to the vibrations of the clippers. Depending on how the puppy reacts to the clippers. Some puppies adjust to the clippers quickly while others take more time.

Things I think about when I am going to groom a puppy/dog.

I feel the puppy/dog should be placed on a table or any other flat surface, which is approximately waist high. I would never clip him on the floor, and never on anything that is not solid and strong. The puppy/dog should never feel unsafe because of a poor grooming table. The table should have a matting of corrugated rubber or another material, which will give your puppy/dog secure footing.

If the Poodle or any pet becomes frightened because of a slippery or shaky table it will be nearly impossible to work with.

I do not like to be frightened so I feel our pets do not too.

Good lighting and no distractions are both essential for good grooming. The light should be even. Neon light is by far the best type for grooming. That is why I have a Neon lights in my new building.

I try to have no distractions in the room, such as other animals or persons with whom the dog is unfamiliar. And by all means, no cats near the grooming table!