Dog Grooming For Dummies

Handle grooming yourself to save money and bond with your dog Brush, bathe, and clip your dog like a pro! Whether your dog is destined for a career in the show ring or a spot on the living room couch, good grooming is important. This friendly guide shows you how to develop a grooming routine that will keep your dog clean - and strengthen the bond between you. It includes detailed, step-by-step grooming instructions for all types of coats. Discover how to Train your dog for grooming Care for nails, teeth, and ears Use clippers and scissors Groom specific types of coats Prepare a dog for the show ring

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Conventions Used in This Book 2 What You’re Not to Read 3 Foolish Assumptions 3 How This Book Is Organized 4 Part I: Getting Started 4 Part II: Making Your Dog Look Good: The Basics 4 Part III: Grooming by Coat Type: Beyond the Basics 4 Part IV: Grooming Specialties 5 Part V: The Part of Tens 5 Icons Used in This Book 5 Where to Go from Here 6 Part I: Getting Started 7 Chapter 1: What Good Grooming is All About 9 Big Hairy Deal: Discovering Why Grooming Is Important 9 Sociability 10 Presenting a positive public image 10 Eliminating the spread of dirt and disease 10 Determining whether something’s really wrong with your dog internally 11 Considering the Necessary Investment 11 The cost in money 12 The cost in time 12 The added investment: Grooming for show 13 Familiarizing Yourself with Your Dog’s Coat 14 Coat types: Single versus double 14 Coat textures 16 Coat length 16 Coat color 17 Having the Proper Tools on Hand 17 Coaching Your Canine to Be Groomed 18 Taking Note: Keeping a Grooming Diary 18 Knowing When to Call a Pro 20 Considering the cost 20 Looking for a professional groomer 21 Screening the professional groomer 22 Becoming a Pro Yourself 24 Chapter 2: Inside and Out: What Affects a Dog’s Coat and Grooming 25 Anatomy of the Dog: The Hipbone’s Connected to the 25 Head 27 Neck and shoulders 28 Back and chest 29 Forelegs and hind legs 30 Rear and tail 31 Considering Factors That Influence a Dog’s Appearance 32 Genetics 32 Haircoat 34 Health 35 Exercise 35 Diet 37 Exploring the Importance of Nutrition 37 Providing a balanced diet 38 Feeding for a beautiful coat 39 Supplementing your dog’s diet for a healthy coat 40 Chapter 3: Prepping for the Prettying 41 Gearing Up 41 Taking stock in what you have 42 Gathering the essential equipment 43 Stocking up on important routine supplies 49 Adding optional equipment and supplies 51 Where’s the flea and tick stuff? 53 Purchasing Your Supplies 54 From the grocery store 54 From big-box retailers 55 From big-box pet supply stores 55 From très chic pet boutiques 56 From groomer-supply stores and catalogs 56 From dog shows 57 Online 58 Setting Aside a Grooming Space 58 A groom room of your own 59 The bathroom 60 The great outdoors 60 Dog washes: Options for grooming when you have no space 61 Organizing Your Accoutrements 61 Chapter 4: Training Your Dog for Grooming 63 Refining Your Dog’s Grooming Manners 63 Using positive reinforcement to train your dog 64 Showing your dog how to enjoy grooming procedures 65 Handling sensitive puppy feet 66 Manipulating your dog’s mouth 68 Convincing your dog to accept eye contact 69 Getting Your Dog to Help You Reach the Right Places 70 Helping your dog onto the grooming table 71 Teaching Sit 72 Teaching your dog to lie on his side 73 Teaching her Stay 75 Establishing a Grooming Routine 76 Dealing with Difficult Dogs 76 Handling an uncooperative dog 77 Considering muzzling versus medication 79 Restraining a difficult dog 81 Part II: Making Your Dog Look Good: The Basics 83 Chapter 5: Mastering Brushing and Bathing Basics 85 Brushing and Combing Basics 85 Beyond pulling hairs: Making the experience pleasant 86 Gathering the tools you need 87 Brushing up on basic techniques 88 Rub-A-Dub-Dub: Washing Your Dog 93 Just (rubber) ducky: Making bath time a pleasant experience 94 Gathering the tools you need 95 Scrubbing bubbles 95 Drying 96 Chapter 6: Caring for Your Canine’s Teeth, Toes, Ears, Face, and Ahem, Other Areas 99 Toe (Nail) Tapping 99 Making toenail trimming a pleasant experience 100 Gathering the tools you need 101 Just a little off the tip: Trimming basics 101 Do You Hear What I Hear? 103 Making ear cleaning a pleasurable experience 104 Gathering the tools you need 104 Cleaning your dog’s ears 105 Recognizing an ear problem 105 Unclogging Anal Sacs 106 Making anal sac expression a pleasurable experience (Yeah, sure) 106 Gathering the tools you need107 Expressing yourself 107 Pearly Whites — Tooth Brushing 108 Making brushing dog teeth a pleasurable experience 109 Gathering the tools you need 109 Twice a day and between meals: The lowdown on brushing a dog’s teeth 110 Spotting a dental problem 111 The Eyes Have It: Keeping Your Dog’s Eyes Shiny and Bright 112 Making cleansing your dog’s eyes a pleasurable experience 113 Don’t cry for me Argentina: Tear stains 113 Gathering the tools you need to clear up minor tear stains 114 Getting rid of your dog’s tear stains 115 Eyeing other eye issues 116 Knowing when your dog has an eye problem 116 Face Time 116 Making cleaning your dog’s face a pleasurable experience 117 Gathering the tools you need 117 Facing off 117 Chapter 7: Giving Your Dog a Great ’Do: Clipping Basics 119 Deciding Whether to Clip Your Dog 120 Getting Acquainted with Your Tools 120 Clip, clip! Deciding which clippers to buy 121 Becoming a blade-runner 121 Snapping on guide combs 123 Using scissors 124 Getting Down to Clipping Business 124 Preparing for success 125 Using clippers safely 125 Making your first clip 126 Attempting a Pet cut 127 Oops! Righting a wrong 128 Part III: Grooming by Coat Type: Beyond the Basics 131 Chapter 8: Spiffing Up Short- and Medium-Coated Breeds 133 Introducing the Wash-and-Wear Breeds 134 The bald breeds 134 The short coats 135 The medium coats137 Brushing138 Hairless breeds 138 Short coats 139 Medium-length coats 140 Bathing 141 How often and when, really? 141 The basics 142 Drying 143 Preparing for Show 143 Chapter 9: Warming Up to Double-Coated Breeds 145 Introducing the Big Hairy Deal: Double-Coated Breeds 146 Brushing 148 The basics 148 Surviving shedding season 149 Bathing 151 How often and when, really? 151 The basics 151 Preventing tangles and mats 152 Drying 153 Preparing for Show 154 Mousse and a spritz — Conditioning the coat 155 Making the hair stand up 155 Chapter 10: Clarifying the Corded Breed’s Coif 157 Introducing the Corded Breeds 157 Brushing 158 Caring for the coat before cords form 158 As the cords form 159 Maintaining healthy cords 160 Keeping Cords Clean 162 How often and when, really? 162 Bathing basics 162 Drying the cords 163 Preparing for Show 164 Chapter 11: Shaping Up the Clipped Breeds 167 Taking a Little off the Top: Introducing the Clipped Breeds 168 Brushing Basics 169 Terrier-type coats 169 Spaniel-type coats 170 Poodle-type coats 171 Bathing 171 The prebath clip 171 Bathing basics 172 Clipping 173 Terrier-type coats 173 Spaniel-type coats 178 Poodle-type coats 179 Preparing for Show 182 Chapter 12: Beautifying the Stripped Breeds 183 Introducing the Stripped Breeds 184 Brushing 185 The basics 185 Knowing when it’s time to strip 186 Bathing 186 The prebath strip 186 Bathing basics 187 Stripping Your Dog 187 Using a stripping knife 188 Using a shedding blade 189 Hand stripping 190 Rolling the coat 190 Preparing for Show 191 Chapter 13: Tidying the Tresses of the Long-Haired Breeds 193 Introducing the Long-Haired Breeds 193 Brushing 194 The basics 195 Preventing tangles and mats 196 Bathing 196 Prebath brushing and clipping 197 Bathing basics 197 Drying 198 Clipping 199 Neatening the breeds that need it 199 Doing the low-maintenance do: A Puppy cut 200 Preparing for Show 201 Clip and snip 201 Using coat conditioners 201 Chapter 14: Poodles: A Breed Apart 203 Brushing 203 Bathing 204 The prebath clip 204 Bathing basics 204 Clipping 205 Poodle pet cuts 206 Poodle show clips 216 Preparing for Show 221 Part IV: Grooming Specialties 223 Chapter 15: Getting the Sticky and Stinky Stuff Out 225 Taking a Walk on the Prickly Side 226 Getting rid of burrs and stickers 226 Dealing with grass awns (foxtails) 228 Shedding the Slick and Sticky Stuff 229 Oil slick (petroleum-based chemicals) 230 Tar babies 231 Gummy pups 232 Glue 232 Corn syrup and sugary problems 233 Surviving Stinky Skunk Odor 233 Dealing with Downright Dangerous Chemical Poisons 235 Chapter 16: The Skinny on Hairy Health Issues 237 Canine Cuteness More Than Just Skin Deep 237 Allergies 238 Contact allergies 238 Food allergies 239 Flea allergy dermatitis 240 Coat Funk 241 Collar Rot 241 Cushing’s Disease 242 Fleas, Ticks, Lice, and Mites 243 Fleas 243 Ticks 246 Lice 249 Mites (or mite not) 250 Cooling Down Those Hot Spots 253 Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism 253 Hypothyroidism 253 Hyperthyroidism 254 Internal Parasites254 Hookworms255 Roundworms 255 Tapeworms 256 Whipworms256 Heartworms 256 Lick Granulomas 257 Sebaceous Adentitis 257 Ringworm 258 Seborrhea 258 Tumors and Cysts 259 Zinc Responsive Dermatosis 259 Chapter 17: Grooming Emergencies: Knowing Doggie First Aid 261 Preparing for a Grooming Emergency 261 Preventing an emergency 262 Assembling a first-aid kit 263 Emergency know-how 264 Handling Minor Grooming Snafus 267 Cuts and nicks 267 Skin irritation 268 Doggie 911 268 Serious cuts 268 Allergic reaction 269 Overheating 270 Dehydration 272 Strangulation 272 Electric shock 273 Hypothermia 273 Dog bites 274 Chapter 18: It’s Showtime! Grooming a Dog for the Ring 275 Brushing Up on Dog Show Basics 275 Grooming for the Show 279 In the weeks leading up to the show 280 The night before the big event 280 The morning of the show 281 Putting on the Finishing Touches at the Show 283 Touching up before entering the ring 284 Handling your dog in the show ring 285 Chapter 19: Going Pro: Starting a Dog Grooming Business 289 Deciding Whether Professional Grooming Is Right for You 289 Weighing the pros and cons of starting a grooming business 290 Considering whether you’re ready to be the boss 291 Evaluating the need in your area 292 Training 293 Heading back to school 293 Taking correspondence courses 295 Working for an established groomer 297 Home-schooling yourself 298 Getting Down to Business 299 Choosing how to set up your business 299 Creating a business plan 300 Securing licensing 300 Paying taxes 301 Setting Up Shop 301 Finding a workspace 301 Obtaining insurance and bonding 304 Purchasing supplies and equipment 304 Getting the word out: Marketing 305 Satisfying Your First Customers 307 Exhibiting professionalism 307 Dealing with difficult clients/difficult dogs 308 Some tips to keep customers coming back 309 Part V: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 20: Ten Popular Myths About Grooming Dogs 313 Never Bathe Your Dog Unless He Is Really Dirty 313 Certain Breeds Are Hypoallergenic 314 Lamb and Rice Is a Good Food for Coats 315 Tomato Juice Gets Rid of Skunk Odor 315 Dogs Naturally Have Bad Breath 316 Raw Egg Is Good for Your Dog’s Coat 316 Never, Ever Shave Your Dog’s Coat 316 Garlic and Brewer’s Yeast Get Rid of Fleas 317 Never Use Human Shampoo on Dogs 317 A Dog’s Saliva Has Fewer Germs than a Human’s 318 Chapter 21: Ten Timesaving Grooming Tips 319 Use No-Rinse Shampoo for Touchups 319 Keep a Rubber Basin Handy for Quick Cleanups 320 Grind Rather Than Clip Your Dog’s Nails 320 Brush Regularly to Keep Fido’s Breath Fresh and Teeth Clean 321 Employ Snoods and Hoods to Keep Clean 321 Keep Your Pooch in a Pet Cut 321 Add Beautiful Shine to Your Dog’s Coat 322 Enjoy a Refreshing Blast 322 Perform a Quick Hair Pickup 323 Substitute in a Pinch 323 Chapter 22: Ten Best Ways to Make Grooming a Pleasant Experience 325 Getting into a Grooming Routine 325 Starting Out Small and Building Up 326 Taking Your Time While Grooming 326 Using the Right Equipment 327 Controlling the Situation at All Times 327 Sparing Yourself the Agony: Ergonomics 328 Making Your Dog Comfortable 329 Showing Your Dog that Grooming Is Fun 330 Procrastination = Grooming Nightmare 330 Don’t Worry, Be Happy: Keeping It Upbeat 330 Appendix: Grooming Resources 333 Web Sites 333 Grooming your own dog 333 Grooming for yourself and others 333 Grooming Supplies 334 Grooming and Dog-Related Magazines 337 Other Useful Reference Books 337 Index 339

About the Author :
Margaret H. Bonham is an award-winning dog writer, a veteran dog trainer, and an experienced dog groomer. The author of The Complete Guide to Mutts and Having Fun with Agility, she lives with 17 dogs and one cat.