becks

http://britmorschnauzers.com/groom.html have a look at that link to give you an idea of what is involved with grooming the dog. I use a 10 blade and a 7f blade on pet grooms. combi comb, slicker, straight scissors, thinners, toe scissors, nail clippers, heamostats for ear plucking, ear powder.

I know a few people who have had a go themselves and found out that grooming their dog is just to much for them to manage- afterall, we don't all have the same skills or talents. It is also a lot harder to groom a black mini as you have no changes in colour to act as guidlines (eg for trimming the eye brows) Some people can do a great job of their dogs, some just don't care what the dog looks like and are happy to be saving the £££ like one i saw in thevets the other day with poodle feet, bushy elbows and lop sided face (apparently one I used to groom but the owner decided to take over the job!) If you are close enough, get the breeder to give you a lesson, that way you can see if it is something you would be happy to do yourself before spending out on all the equipment.

Cashew, minis are prone to fatty lumps, especially once they get to middle age, so do keep an eye on him and feel him all over for any new lumps, often they are nothing to worry about but occasioanlly a larger one may form a head and you can squeeze out the most disgusting looking cottage cheese and then it will heal up. As others have said, do get thevet to check any new lumps.

We will see you there! Are you referring to the NSW club-run day? OH and I are hoping to be foster parents in the very new future to a 3rd mini so I will hopefully have some info on a 3 dog household for you soon Becks, those photos were gorgeous...how come they didn't make it to the subforum? I thought they had been in the breed forum!

I've still got my £20 pair that were bought in the 80's and still in working condition, just not powerful enough for daily use in the shop - handy for nervous 1st time pups though. What about a hair dressers supply shop?

I would just go for a cheap pair of clippers from a pet store, no need to spend out dollars on a set that are able to do more then you need (it would be like buying a 4x4 to only drive to the corner shop). Your dog should be glad she isn't a schnauzer, we pull out the whiskers!

Tell him you want another child, and see how quickly the idea of another dog doesn't seem so bad after all!

His telling off will depend on how fed up of her he is at the time. I would be worried if she was always rolling on her back, that is compleat submission. there is plenty of body language before that to show the younger one is backing off and Humphrey will be seeing this and know he doesn;t need to keep at her until she is on her back. It is also normal for the bitch to be the boss!

Show OH those photos! :D

or this?

or this?

Does this help to make up your mind?

Yes! Three is fine - more the merrier!

Any whitening shampoo will work as well if not better then the black shampoos. You can also try a cold tea rinse (leave the milk and sugar out though!!)

The EPO shampoo is very good and you can get it in 2 grades. I find it works best when allowed to sit on the dog for a few minutes before rinsing and then using a hairdryer helps the skin to take in the moisture.

That is good news but does it mean no 'after the make over' photos?

avoid food with rosemary as a preservative as it can set off a fit. Keep a diary of feeding times, exercise etc and see if you can find something that is a trigger. A friend has a dog that must be fed 3 times a day at particular times, going later can cause a seizure, with him it is a drop in blood sugar that seems to set them off, so when he comes round he is fed some vanilla icecream.

No need to add milk at this stage. Keep on the diet the breeder had started to wean onto but if this is not a decent food, slowly change it to a better brand. At 6.5 weeks the food can be fed soaked or dry or a mixture of both, depending on what the pup is happy to eat. Pup can spend some time outside to play, explore and for toilet training. I would get the pup wormed at the vet check and vaccinate from 8 weeks (but I know in Oz, you guys do 3 lots of vaccs and we only do 2 over here in the puppy series)

I find a bit of bedding that smells of the litter helps in settling a pup in

It is much better to hold his head still then risk him trying to move out of the way at the wrong moment. A firm grasp of beard won't hurt him unless he chooses to pull away but it will give you control over which direction his face is pointing in. You aren't doing it by force as you want him to be relaxed while you have a hold of him. Yes, groom with you standing up and him on a table - kitchen work bench is a good height and he can't back off the other side, with a car mat or carpet square to stand on so he can't slip. Taking him out of his environment and into the 'grooming spot' sets his mind up to know what to expect and how he should behave. The floor is his zone and that's for playtime after you have finished the grooming session on a good/positive note.

That's good news! Don;t forget to pop into the schnauzer thread above the general area!

Make sure you keep the skin tight when pulling out a few hairs (same principle to having legs waxed or pulling of a plaster) I find the thin rubber gloves, like vets may wear are the best for giving enough grip to the coat to pull without loosing the feeling of how much hair you have hold of. Just pull out a tiny bit at a time. With an experienced hand stripper, that coat should all be out in 1/2 hour. Just don't bath him after stripping, the skin is better for leaving a day or so otherwise it can develop little red bumps.

The RC GSD food is designed for dogs with a sensative digestion, my friend feeds it to her mini schnauzer as it is about the only food she has found that he can tolerate.

Agree, remove the collar (or at least invest in the breakaway collars if they must have them on) I find the smaller dogs here tell off the bi ones if they get a bit rough or bouncy and in time, they have learned how far they can go and how gentle they need to be. The more you interfere, the longer it will take for these lessons to be learned, that said, I would take the lab for a time out if things get to exciting.

Teething pups do sometimes get smelly breath which goes after they have all the old teeth out. Rear end smells, do you mean windy problems of a smell at her rear?