Clipping The Designer Dogs

[alpha bet]

Have just finished clipping an 11month old poodlecross

Poor little dude had about 5 inches of coat to take off all over - of which about 1 to 2 inches was just pure matt. ended up coming off like a sheeps fleece....

Underneath we then had about 6 grass seeds imbedding in the skin which we removed and quite a few bits of heat rashes. Once we finished clipping we put him down and he zoomed round and round, yipping and jumping. Having such a lovely time without all that extra weight dragging him down. Very funny to watch.

The family were shocked when we showed them the cut coat.... they thought they had been looking at his skin thru his coat but had actually been looking at the matting. They were surprised to see how small he actually was.

They got a poodlecross because they were told how maintenance free their coat was.... All good intentioned but they just didnt understand.

We recommended they look at having him clipped perhaps 4 times a year - or whenever his coat starts to get some length or at least to have him come in for a regular bath so we can make sure his skin is clean and let them know when he will be due for next clip.

Their 'maintenance free' pup will probably cost $300 or so a year to keep the coat maintained.

Why doesnt this message get out to those wanting the designer dogs.

[poodlefan]

They got a poodlecross because they were told how maintenance free their coat was.... All good intentioned but they just didnt understand.

We recommended they look at having him clipped perhaps 4 times a year - or whenever his coat starts to get some length or at least to have him come in for a regular bath so we can make sure his skin is clean and let them know when he will be due for next clip.

Their 'maintenance free' pup will probably cost $300 or so a year to keep the coat maintained.

Why doesnt this message get out to those wanting the designer dogs.

The message doesn't get out because if people knew how much work is involved in the coat they'd think twice before buying them. That wouldn't suit the kinds of people who sell these dogs.

The sooner people realise "low allergy" coats = "high maintenance coats" the better.

If you want poodle coat it should be treated like poodle coat and groomed no less often than every 8 weeks.

Edited December 3, 2009 by poodlefan

[Dogsfevr]

I wish it applied to just DD but it doesnt.

I personally dont believe people are so stupid to not realise a growing coat needs maintenance,i agree some people arent explained fully about some dogs needs but in most cases people are aware & try to give every excuse for there lack of dedication to grooming or getting it done when needed.

I have been a groomer for many years now & our clients are shown & explained techniques & tools 7 you still get the same group that bring there dogs back matted time after time

[poodlefan]

I wish it applied to just DD but it doesnt.

I personally dont believe people are so stupid to not realise a growing coat needs maintenance,i agree some people arent explained fully about some dogs needs but in most cases people are aware & try to give every excuse for there lack of dedication to grooming or getting it done when needed.

I have been a groomer for many years now & our clients are shown & explained techniques & tools 7 you still get the same group that bring there dogs back matted time after time

I have spoken to more than a few DD pup owners who had absolutely no idea their dogs would require clipping. It does happen. They walk away from petshops with the pup, a bunch of overpriced shit they'll never use and usually the wrong grooming tools. Or they pick the pup up from the plane, head for Petbarn (witnessed this personally) and get sold the wrong tools. In my experience its difficult to get the best grooming tools from your average pet shop anyway.

I have shown a slicker and a metal comb to people who'd never seen them and who didn't realise that a cheap pin brush wasn't going to do the job. The fatal flaw is leaving brushing Muffy to the kiddies who have no idea what they're doing and give up quickly on a struggling mouthy pup.

Edited December 4, 2009 by poodlefan

[Miss Helena]

I'd much rather my short coat chi, even if she does drop a tonne of hair in spring.

Poodles are lovely (my parents always had one), but they are lots of work.

[WreckitWhippet]

I don't miss shaving dogs of any breed or cross to the skin. The absolute low of being a groomer is looking and trying to deal with the dogs that owners neglect.

Like showdog, I was happy to explain and show clients how to maitain their dogs coats between visits to the salon. Plenty did and they had dogs that were a pleasure to have in the salon because of the handling and grooming at home.

Then there the one's who simply can't be arsed and it's the same routine of shaving a dog to the skin every year. I've got a pretty strong stomach but some of the things you see are enough to make you cry and vomit.

[tlc]

I think it is not only the poodle crosses, I have known people with Poodles and Bichon friese (sp) Maltese etc who have let coat go so the poor dog ending up in such a mattered state that it has to be clipped off to practically skin!! I will agree however the markeing stratagies but the stupid puppy farmers and pet shops selling these dogs is so ridiculous. And people believe them because they dont know any better. Looking aftyer a poodle cross coat is no different than looking after a poodle coat they need regular brushing and regular clipping. Im sure a lot of poodle owner would agree if they let thier poodles go for a length of time then they would be a mess. I think it should be a basic requirment of any dog with a long coat to be brushed and in general looked after like people with long hair, you just do it but unfortunatley as you all know there are people out there that just dont get a dog and look after it. It really isn't that hard, I have 4 and not a problem with coats, no matts no knots, regular brushing and clipping takes care of that and in general they are very well looked after and cared for, I also have a lot of oodle friends who care for thier dogs like I do, so not all oodle owners are as hopeless as some that have been mentioned here previously, but the ratio of uncared for oodle coats I think would outweigh the cared for ones. I feel for gorromers such as your self having to deal witth idiot owners and also the poor suffering dogs at the hands of such owners.

[Toohey]

I was at a freind's grooming salon this morning and took this pic. She says she gets them like this all the time and it worries me that there must be so many more that never get taken for grooming.

A groodle with matts all over it. Thought it best to remove pic in case I get someone in trouble.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Toohey

[tlc]

thats discusting, Some people should not be allowed to own dogs at all!!

[poodlefan]

I was at a freind's grooming salon this morning and took this pic. She says she gets them like this all the time and it worries me that there must be so many more that never get taken for grooming. This dog gets to the groomer twice a year The owner won't listen when she tells him he needs grooming at home as well as a professional groom every ten to twelve weeks.

I'm guessing this is not an inside dog. It would stink I'd imagine.

[Shmurps]

Yes, that's pretty common. I have seen dogs where the whole coat has to come off.

And it's not only the spoodle types, Cockers, Matlese, Shih Tzu, Cavaliers, Golden Retrievers any thing that has some sort of a coat.

Not only are they mattered some of them are obese...

It basically comes down to neglect and laziness.

[The Spotted Devil]

I'd much rather my short coat chi, even if she does drop a tonne of hair in spring.

Poodles are lovely (my parents always had one), but they are lots of work.

Agreed - I'd love a poodle (mini or standard) but I just don't have the time to keep the coat in tip-top condition.

Fortunately my Dalmatian only sheds twice a year........6 months in the Autumn and 6 months in the Spring

[Miss Helena]

I can only imagine how much hair a dally would lose!

I'm always amazed at how much black hair I vacuum up from my floors, yet Bonnie is not the slightest bit bald

[JulesP]

The 'joys' of being a groomer. I did a border collie once that was so matted I couldn't even start the clip, I had to use scissors to make a hole to start. He sat quiet as the whole way through it so obviously brushing him would not have been a problem.

[Ashanali]

Years ago I was grooming an Old English sheepdog. The people did NOT want the dog clipped so over a period of four weeks, I was to groom out the matts and only cut when I couldn't get through them.

Every Saturday for eight hours a day this poor patient dog had to sit while I groomed it. It wasn't matted to the skin but there were enough huge flea nests that were in the matts to justify it but the owners put their foot down and said no. They said if I wasn't willing to groom the dog out, they would just leave her until they found someone else to do it (because obviously they couldn't do it themselves )

It was disgusting and horrible. The poor dog should have been shaved to the skin. I regret not just doing it. I did get her groomed in the end but that was four weeks of pain for that poor dog.

And why did they buy an OES? Because she was cute and they were told that all she needed was 5 minutes of brushing a day.

Some people have no idea.

[~*Shell*~]

And why did they buy an OES? Because she was cute and they were told that all she needed was 5 minutes of brushing a day.

She may have only needed a small amount of brushing a day but I'm guessing they didn't do it . I know with Zero that I don't have to brush him that often - he's blowing coat at the moment and it takes hours of grooming for a few weeks to keep him looking like he's not blowing coat. I hadn't brushed him out in a few days and when I look back at the photos I took of him yesterday, I was disgusted with myself because he had tufts of hair all over him - I spent an hour and a half yesterday getting him back into a state that I am happy to have him in. I can't imagine ever allowing him to get into the state the OES was in!

[OSoSwift]

I see many many puppy owners come through puppy preschool with various long and wool coated breeds, at least 50% of them have no idea that their dogs coat will grow forever! They think it will get to an inch or two and then stop. Or they think that they can keep a Maltese in a full coat with a bit of a brush each day. They are quite shocked when they are told that show dogs in full coat require lots of work involving wrapping, unrapping washing drying and then wrapping again.

As a general rule, owners of dogs from Pedigree breeders are well aware, owners of dogs from BYB are partly aware and owners of dogs from petshops are generally unaware of the grooming involved

[Silverblue]

I have done some real doozies over the years, I used to try & groom them out, but not any more, "Sorry not my fault your lazy", all over with a 7, sometimes 10 or 30 blade.

I have found that the "Oodles" are indeed the worse, because of the rubbish they are told to get them sucked into buying them in the first place, most have never seen a brush.

The best one's are the one's who "only want a little bit off" yeah right !!!!!!! Usually it is a number 10 all over & then they have the nerve to complain, I am afraid after grooming for so long my "nicenest" has all run out.

Worst dog I ever did was a OOdle that was flyblown, maggots were eating the poor dog, I was furious!!!!!! Poor thing was screaming in pain, so as I said I will not mince words anymore, I would rather loose clients than put up with that s##t.

[Nekhbet]

I agree with silverblue ... I am stunned when I am told 'oh they never need bathing or clipping!'

yeah right on what planet ... then you get the dog from hell that is one big matt and clipped to the skin.

Although I nearly rang a vet once, they told an owner to stop clipping his malamute and that she needed the fur etc etc. Thats all well and good but a regularly clipped malamute left to grow out is a 6 hour grooming job that came away as a blanket of matted fur as it couldnt be brushed properly and the undercoat wove itself into this massive, heavy thick mess.

[WreckitWhippet]

I pulled 36 grass seeds from a dog once. I stopped, called the owner and insisted they come and look at the state of the dog and take it to the vet. There were more than 36 but I'd had enough. I sent them off to the vet and told them to bring the dog back when the seeds were out.