Show Grooms vs. Pet Grooms

Perhaps earlier this year you were able to catch the Westminster Kennel Club's annual Dog Show, held in New York's Madison Square Garden.  It is without a doubt the granddaddy of all dog shows, and for me, it is a pleasure to watch.  Along with the fun of seeing all those dogs walking around and strutting their stuff, it is also interesting for me to see all the ways that these dogs are groomed in their show style grooms which are quite different from the typical pet style grooms we see on most dogs.

For example, take a look at what a Shih-Tzu looks like in a show groom next to a typical family pet's style...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

As you can see, they almost look like two different breeds of dog.

Take a look at these two Standard Poodles...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

Notice the similarities between the clips performed on these two poodles; their faces and feet are both clipped short. 

Here's another example, the Miniature Schnauzer,  one of my favourite breeds of small dogs...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

The first dog is in the proper breed style with a short clipped back and head, legs scissored into columns and the face and eyebrows trimmed into the Schnauzer's hallmark look.  The second is a bit different, as he still has the beard, brows and short clipped back, but his legs are trimmed shorter and the skirt is just a little bit longer than the back.  The pattern is the same but the second dog's owners will have much less brushing and combing to do, as Schnauzer's fine coats tangle and mat quite easily.

And since we all love dog pictures here is one final example...

Show Groom

Pet Groom

The dog on the left is a Springer Spaniel in full show style.  He has a robust plume on his chest and his ears are long and tassled.  His skirt and featherings are trimmed but left long while his back and head are clipped quite short fading into his longer furnishings.  The handsome devil on the right is my boy Wallace, clipped short on the head and back using the same clip pattern fading into his longer furnishings on his chest and belly.  As you can see they are trimmed shorter on his underside and legs for easier maintenance.  Wallace loves to get outside and explore and it's not unusual to find burrs and other bits of nature in his coat.  Keeping his skirt and furnishings shorter makes it much easier to find and get rid of these things without too much trouble.  His ears are also tassled, which the picture doesn't illustrate very well, but they are not quite as long as the dog on the left, again for easier maintenance and so they don't dip into his water bowl when he's thirsty.  

I'm sure you are noticing a pattern by now.  Pet style grooms are keeping in the spirit of the breed standard clip while altering it slightly (usually by going shorter in spots) for functionality and ease of upkeep.  Neither show grooms nor pet grooms is right or wrong.  It is up to each owner to decide what grooming style suits their lifestyle and personal preferences.  

Here are some things to consider when deciding how to groom your pet:

Budget

For starters, as you might have guessed, show grooms require a groomer with a great deal of skill and experience.  However, "pet grooming" is the service provided by most commercial dog groomers. There are far less groomers with the ability to execute show grooms and as such you can expect to pay more for these services.  

Maintenance

Unfortunately, the problem with many show grooms (take the Shih-Tzu for example) is practicality. A dog with a show groom will require a great deal of upkeep and maintenance.  This includes not just regular brushing and combing, but more frequent bathing and clipping to maintain their look.  If you've got the dedication and time to handle a hairstyle such as this, your reward will be a beautiful and lustrous coat for your dog that will no doubt turn heads wherever he or she goes!  

Lifestyle

The rambunctious and playful nature of a family pet's day will lead their coats to becoming dirty and tangled. In addition, the elements, water in particular, can wreak havoc on a dog's coat as constantly getting wet and drying will further tangle and mat the coat.  All in all, the typical family lifestyle is generally not suited to show grooms.  

What about mixed breed dogs?

Another thing to keep in mind is that when it comes to mixed breeds, pet grooming is almost always the way to go as there is no defined 'breed clip'.  Dogs like the golden doodles below can be groomed in almost any fashion to suit their owners' tastes and needs.  Just take a look at the differences in the clips on these two.

Remember, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way for your dog to look.  Your dog is a part of your family and you are the one who decides what they look like.

-Peter

Getting Ready for Spring: Shedding

It's that time of year again...

When your vaccum is ready to quit...

When your home feels like the wild west with all the fur tumbleweeds drifting through it...

When you can't sit on your furniture without putting a fur sweater on...

That's right. It's shedding season (commonly referred to by non-pet owners as Spring).

Before I get into how to reduce shedding I would like to start with how NOT to reduce it...

DO NOT SHAVE your double, or triple coated dog.  While shaving your dog will help to reduce the amount of fur flying around your home, there are other solutions that are much healthier for your pet.  

I will NOT shave your husky!

The issue with shaving a double-coated dog is that their coats act as a natural layer of insulation, both against heat and cold.  During summer a heavy coat will actually guard them against the heat from the sun's rays and keep their bodies cooler.  In addition, if shaved,  their skin will be exposed to the sun and they become more susceptible to sunburns. Instead, help thin the coat out,  I often clip back the hair on the bellies to  offer relief during the summer months.  For more information on the myths of shaving double-coated dogs, check this article out.

So what to do??

Regular brushing is the best thing you can do to get rid of the fur by speeding up the shedding cycle (in a healthy way).  Brushing will allow you to get that coat out on your own terms instead of waiting to find it in patches on the couch. 

One of the most popular and effective de-shedding product lines is made by Furminator.  This is a fantastic line of tools as well as shampoos and conditioners that work very effectively to lift the undercoat from your dog.

Furminator tools (brushes) are more expensive than your typical pin or curry brush, but everyone I know that has one stands by them -- and with good reason. Furminator tools dramatically cut down the amount of time spent brushing when compared to a typical brush.  They come in different sizes and models so you can select one that is best suited to your dog's breed.

Notice the ends of the brushes?  They are designed to actually grab the fur from your dog's coat, rather than simply pass through it.

Bathing your dog regularly will also help to reduce shedding. If you use a de-shedding solution/conditioner during the bath you will find the Furminator brush will work even better since the fur will be loosened before attempting to brush.

While bathing and brushing are the most obvious fixes to shedding you may also want to consider what food you are feeding your dog.  Low quality foods may actually increase the amount your dog sheds while a high quality food can help to reduce it.

Are you sure this is normal?

Finally, if the amount of shedding is abnormal for your dog's breed consider taking them to the vet to ensure that is is not due to a medical problem. According to the ASPCA,  it's time to see your vet when there is evidence of:

• Skin irritation (redness, bumps, rashes, scabs etc...)
• Open sores of any kind
• Bald spots or thinning of coat
• Dull, dry hair that pulls out easily
• Scratching
• Constant foot licking or face rubbing

I hope you've found my de-shedding tips helpful!



-Peter

Keeping Your Dog's Coat Beautiful: Food

In an earlier post about keeping your dog's coat beautiful, I said that brushing was the #1 most important thing you can do.  This post will focus on the other thing that is tied for 1st place;  feeding your dog a high quality food.

As many of my close friends can attest to, I bring up the topic of dog food pretty often... To be honest, I'm a little obsessed with what people feed their pets.  This is because as a groomer I see first hand the health benefits that feeding your dog a high quality food can make.

High quality foods have sufficient nutrients, including essential fatty acids to maintain a healthy, shiny coat.  On the other hand, a dog that has flaky skin and a dull, sparse coat may not be getting these essential nutrients that are part of a balanced diet.

Another contributor to skin and coat issues, as well as chronic ear infections, are food allergies.  These can unfortunately often be attributed to the most common ingredients in dog food; beef, dairy, chicken, lamb, fish, eggs, corn, wheat and soy.  In order to help your dog overcome allergies they should be eating a food that either has limited ingredients (to identify/avoid the allergen), novel ingredients (ie ingredients that are not included in the list of common ingredients dogs are allergic to) or is hypoallergenic.  Low quality foods will not have any of these characteristics and thus are far more likely to aggravate allergies.

Other signs that your dog may be on the wrong food are outlined in this Pet MD slide show.  If your dog is having medical issues always ask your vet if a change in diet could help.

While most dog owners will acknowledge that putting their dog on a great food is important, sometimes that is easier said than done.  Two generations ago dogs were fed table scraps and leftovers from human food. It wasn't until the 1950s that the pet food industry started down the path of becoming highly commercialized.

Today, we are so inundated with advertising that it is difficult for the average consumer to separate high quality foods from low quality foods with good marketing campaigns. We are made to feel that only the priciest foods provide adequate nutritional value for our pets - or conversely, that the priciest foods aren't worth it since the lower quality foods advertise the same benefits.

The packaging doesn't help to make food selection easier nor do the ingredients that are almost impossible to decipher.

For example, here is the packaging of a low quality dog food

This food could be classified as a mid-quality dry food 

And now take a look at the packaging of this high quality food...

Did you notice that the packaging of all three of these foods featured pictures of at least one happy dog, carrots and meat?

Along with many others, I found myself duped by dog food marketing when I first brought home Wallace.  When picking the best food at the pet store I assumed that the mid-priced foods would offer the best value and be comparable in quality to one another. It wasn't until I found the site Dog Food Advisor that  I realized this was not so.

I initially fed Wallace what I thought was a reasonably high quality, grain free, food. Once I looked it up on the site I realized it was a decent quality food but I could buy another much better food for the exact same price.  This brings me to my next point.  For many dog owners the cost of food is a major consideration when choosing a food. A little research can help to ensure your are getting the most nutritional bang for your buck.

Whenever the topic of dog food comes up I always recommend checking in with Dog Food Advisor. Dog Food Advisor provides reviews and ratings for over 3,300 varieties of wet, dry and raw dog foods. It's pretty interesting when you take the time and browse through some of their reviews.  Their method of evaluating the food is straight forward and thourough; they go through every ingredient listed, define it, list its characteristics be them positive or negative, and give a final overall rating ranging from 1-star to 5-star.  By and large, the lower ranked foods have more fillers and less nutritious grains and cuts of meat, whereas the higher ranked foods are for the most part free of grains and fillers, opting for more natural and easily digestible options.

There are countless other ways that a good dog food will help your dog's long term health.  Research the food you are feeding your pet to make sure you are getting the best value for your money. A well fed dog is a happy (and pretty) dog!

-Peter

Keeping Your Dog's Coat Beautiful: Brushing

Brushing is one of, if not the, most important thing you can do to help your dog's coat and skin stay shiny and beautiful. Brushing helps to prevent matting which can be uncomfortable, and even dangerous to your dog's health.

Many pet parents do not realize the severity of mats. Often, a  will matted dog will be brought in for "just a trim" and it will end up having to be shaved.  Asking your groomer to brush out mats is like asking a hairdresser to brush out dreadlocks. It just isn't going to happen without causing an unnecessary amount of pain to your pet.

Aesthetics aside, matting is extremely uncomfortable for your dog. Imagine grabbing a clump of your own hair, twisting it taught then yanking. Ouch!

In addition to being uncomfortable, the biggest concern with mats comes when they proliferate and whole patches form on their body, concealing other issues.  Matting can also trap moisture, dirt and bacteria which can lead to infections and sores.  It’s very easy for fleas and other pests to hide under a matted coat, leading to even more discomfort for your furry friend.  Here is a great article with information on why paying attention to your dog’s coat (and not just for matting) is a great way to keep and eye on their overall health

Finally, shaving a dog with mats is dangerous.  As the mats are pulled tight to the skin, there is the chance that the groomer’s clipper can snag skin that has been pulled up by the matted fur.  This is, of course, something every groomer takes precautions to avoid, but unfortunately accidents do happen.  

Needless to say, it’s in your pet’s best interest to keep a close watch of their coat for matting.   For most dogs, matting is easy to prevent, a quick brush all over (don’t forget the legs!) once or twice a week and they’ll be fine.  Other dogs' coats are a little higher maintenance and may need daily brushing.  It's important to make sure that you're using the best brush for your dog's coat type; for help with this click here. And this is a basic brushing tutorial. 

There's no better time of year to give your dog's coat a fresh start than spring.  Many dogs are clipped short in the spring and summer to keep them cool anyway, so your dog will blend right in!

  

- Peter