faq | forum home

» Dog Forum   » Dog Grooming Forum   » grooming old english

Author Topic: grooming old english Karlie 85 Junior Member Member # 434 Rate Member posted December 13, 2003 04:50 PM                Hello, I am new to this list, but I am very excited to read all the questions asked and get all the good advice! I have a question for all of you. I have a Old English Sheepdog that I groom. The dog is in terrible condition, but the owner has her stay outside all the time, so I hate to shave her since it is soo cold. Do you have any good products that might help or any advice on what I could do? Another thing I have noticed. I can get her brushed out real well and looking great, but everytime I give her a bathe ( even if I don't work the shampoo in, I just squirt it on and rinse it off) the dog dries out and is worse then when I started! She mats right back up bad!Am i doing something wrong when I bathe her or is that just what happens? Thanks in advance, Karlie -------------------- :) Dog Groomer Posts: 14 | From: UT | Registered: Dec 2003 LoriAnn Member Member # 385 posted December 14, 2003 04:22 PM                Hi Karlie, I use a de-matting spray to soak the mats with that seems to cut some of the de-matting time. I've also started wet shaving matted dogs. When you do this you don't have to use such a close cutting blade. Just put the dog straight in the tub & LIGHTLY shampoo it. Make sure you dry your blade & oil it afterwards. Good Luck! Posts: 80 | From: Indiana | Registered: Nov 2003 Kimmer Junior Member Member # 455 Rate Member posted December 20, 2003 09:04 PM                I groom an OES that comes in matted every time so I know exactly what you're going through. My advice to you would be to scissor down the mats, taking about half the hair off. Then brush out as much of it as you can before wetting the coat. That way you don't have to worry about the water tightening up the mats and making them worse. You can't work on a dog that's not completely clean. I'd also let him soak for a good long time in conditioner. Then once he's all blown out and fluffed up you can either clean him up with the scissors or use a long clipper comb on him to leave him fluffy enough to stay warm. I'd also councel the owner on the importance of having him groomed regularly....although I know that doesn't work too often Posts: 9 | From: Southwestern US | Registered: Dec 2003 Karlie 85 Junior Member Member # 434 Rate Member posted December 23, 2003 08:09 PM                Thanks for the advice. I am going to try that!I feel sorry for the poor dog every time he comes it takes me like 6 hours to groom him! Hopefully it won't take me as long, with your advice. I have never actually blew him dry because I have worried about making the mats even worse, but if I do follow your tips it should be ok,right? Well thanks a ton for the advice! Karlie! -------------------- :) Dog Groomer Posts: 14 | From: UT | Registered: Dec 2003 LoriAnn Member Member # 385 posted December 24, 2003 04:15 AM                I came across this website recently that talks about wet shaving a dog. http://www.groomingsmarter.com/wetdogshaving.html Maybe it can explain better than I can.Keep in mind, water doesn't make the mats tighten up, it's drying them after they are wet that tightens them. I have certain dogs that come in matted every time & I know by now I can talk to the owners until I'm blue in the face & they just aren't going to brush them, so I charge them accordingly. Posts: 80 | From: Indiana | Registered: Nov 2003 Kimmer Junior Member Member # 455 Rate Member posted December 24, 2003 06:54 AM                If you're wanting to shave off the coat then by all means go ahead and try the wet shaving. Personally I've never tried it, nor do I think I will. I've never had a problem getting the coat off a severely matted dog before the bath. And with the blowing of the coat after the bath, I've never had that make the mats worse either. You just want to make sure that the coat is brushed out as much as possible before you get the dog wet... make sure you get the dog really clean, and let that conditioner soak for a half hour or so. With the force dryer, a good brush and a standing fluffer you should be able to work miracles.. that's why you're the professional and they're paying YOU to do the job. And charge them for the work you do. If they could do it themselves at home for free, they would. Make it worth your while! Kimmer Posts: 9 | From: Southwestern US | Registered: Dec 2003 Kimmer Junior Member Member # 455 Rate Member posted December 24, 2003 06:59 AM                One more thing I forgot... If the coat is too severely matted then by all means strip it off. It's not your fault that the owner isn't regular enough with the grooming to be able to keep the coat long. Nor is it the dog's fault and they shouldn't be subjected to hours of brushing torture and possible brush burns just so the owner can have the coat long. If the dog is outside all the time (and it shouldn't be!) then they'll either have to get her a good doghouse and a warm sweater or bring her indoors at night. And the fault of that does NOT rest on your shoulders as the groomer. Again, the fault lies with the owner who neglects her dog to the point that it needs to be stripped! Kimmer Posts: 9 | From: Southwestern US | Registered: Dec 2003 bearsmom Member Member # 405 Rate Member posted December 24, 2003 09:37 AM                You might want to try hitting the owner in the wallet. Charge for all the time you're putting in. Then, point out that it wouldn't cost so much if the dog came in more often and/or wasn't so matted because you wouldn't have to spend so long working at it. A lot of people won't pay attention if it's 'just' for the welfare of the animal, but they will if it costs them money. Good luck! Posts: 90 | From: Oregon | Registered: Dec 2003 LoriAnn Member Member # 385 posted December 25, 2003 07:23 AM                By all means! Bearsmom's right, don't ever give your time away. If they don't take care of their dog, then it will cost them to have someone else do it! I was so afraid to charge extra when I first started grooming, but I've learned if I'm going to be putting in the extra work I'm going to get more out of it than a couple of bucks an hour which is what it would have figured out to if I didn't charge them more. Posts: 80 | From: Indiana | Registered: Nov 2003 Karlie 85 Junior Member Member # 434 Rate Member posted December 25, 2003 09:05 PM                Hey Thanks everyone for the help! I think I will try charging them more, because I haven't charged them extra in fear that they won't come back and I am afraid of losing business ( new customers) but the problem is that I live in a small town and there are already 4 other groomers here. so I really haven't been to busy so I have cut my prices a bit to hopefully get some business. Thanks for the tips. I will definately leave the conditioner on extra long and try brushing her out real well before I bathe her! I will also make sure all the mats are removed before I get her wet! Thanks again to everyone!!! Karlie -------------------- :) Dog Groomer Posts: 14 | From: UT | Registered: Dec 2003 Mikanik Junior Member Member # 584 Rate Member posted January 27, 2004 10:22 AM                I groom my grandmothers OES and she rarely ever brushes him. So when I get him he's a mess. I usually take the undercoat rake to him and my mat-breaker. I then clip him into a bit of a lamb-cut (?)...with the body shaved to a 5 or 7 and the legs left unshaved to keep his joints warm. To get alot of the mats out I'll put him in the tub and apply a cream rinse to the mats and work them out with my mat breaker or my fingers if they're not too bad. I haven't had any trouble with his mats when I use the forced air blow dryer on him. I dunno if this helps, but it works for me. -------------------- "The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog...He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world...When all other friends desert, he remains." - George G. Vest Posts: 7 | From: Ogden, UT | Registered: Jan 2004 Mikanik Junior Member Member # 584 Rate Member posted January 27, 2004 12:24 PM                You could also try brushing her as you're blowing her out. I use my slicker sometimes....like when you blow out a poodle...it can come out fluffier and sometimes I have a problem with static, but a good spritz of leave-in conditioner usually does a good job at taming it down after you're done. -------------------- "The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog...He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world...When all other friends desert, he remains." - George G. Vest Posts: 7 | From: Ogden, UT | Registered: Jan 2004 momo Junior Member Member # 544 posted January 29, 2004 05:06 PM                WhAt Is A fOrCeD hAiR dRyEr? Posts: 19 | From: USA | Registered: Jan 2004 LoriAnn Member Member # 385 posted January 31, 2004 04:36 AM                A force dryer blows very hard with very little heat. It dries the dog very quickly & is great for blowing out loose hair before the bath. I read on another site that Infusium leave in treatment for humans is great for mats. I used up all my de-matting spray on a bovier a week ago & tried this for a quick fix until I got some more & it worked great! Posts: 80 | From: Indiana | Registered: Nov 2003 hunny518 Junior Member Member # 648 Rate Member posted February 10, 2004 01:14 AM                do not waste your time on brushing out the dog. All you are doing is causing the dog to dread grooming and you are loosing money because you put aside 6 hours for one dog when you could groom 4-5 dogs in that time. Shave the dog, honestly it would be more comfortably for the dog and if the woner doesn't like it then to bad because she is not willing to take the responsibility of an owner and maintain the dogs coat. Of course do not shave the dog with out telling her you are going to do it first. So what if she decides to take the dog somewhere else, she may soon find the same answer every where else and you aren't loosing as much money by loosing that one dog opposed to the 4-5 you are loosing by brushing that dog out. I have an OES that had a full coat up until yesterday. I brushed him every single day then I had a baby 4 months ago then I went back to work full time (im a professional pet groomer) that poor dog hadnt been brushed in about 1 mo and a half because i had no time, when i finally went to groom him yesterday he was one solid matt(i was in denial) so i decided to shave him and start over. I shaved his face like a poodle and left his top knot fluffy and wild and now he looks like a standard poodle. It is so cute(and goofy) But he seems so much happier now and it is very cold where I live (washington state) but he is an indoor dog Posts: 6 | From: lakewood | Registered: Feb 2004

All times are Pacific

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Announcements Dog Grooming Forum Dog Health Forum Dog Training Forum General Dog Chat Off Topic moderators only/private

Contact Us | ProDogGroomingSupplies.com

Copyright © 2006 Pro Dog Grooming Supplies