Q. How often is it safe to shampoo my dog?

A. With the right products, you can safely shampoo your dog every week although this is not recommended by us. Modern shampoos and conditioners have put to rest old myths about too frequent bathing.  Regular shampooing will  help control odour and moulting.
 Depending upon your family’s lifestyle and whether your dog spends time outdoors, you may want to shampoo more frequently than those who don't.  We do recommend that the bedding is changed at least once a week and washed in NON BIO powder.

Q. Can I use baby shampoo to bath my dog?

A. No, we do not recommend this although it has to be said that some of our customers insist we do! Pets’ skin has a different ph from ours and human products can be irritating. It’s important to use a quality shampoo that is specifically formulated for pets. 

Q: How often should my dog have a haircut?

A: The answer depends upon both the breed of dog that you have and the amount of time that you can commit to home maintenance of your pet’s coat. Unless you are willing to spend time every day brushing and combing your pet, your dog needs a haircut at least every six to ten weeks, depending upon the breed.

Fluffy coats, like Poodles and Bichons, need attention every four to six weeks as do dogs with long straight coats like the Shih Tzu or Afghan and soft-coated terriers like Kerry Blues and Wheatens. Consulting with a professional groomer is a good way to understand your individual pet’s needs.

Q: I have a flat-coated outdoor dog. Does he need grooming?

A: Smooth and flat-coated breeds have minimal grooming needs, but every dog does need attention. The coat should be brushed once a week to remove the shedding hair and to stimulate a good healthy protective cover. While shampooing is probably not needed as frequently as for indoor pets, you will still want your dog nice to be near. Also, unless your pet spends a lot of time on hard pavement, his nails will also need to be trimmed.

Q: How do I choose a good style for my pet?

A: If you need help with this answer then please do not hesitate to call us. We do have photos of dogs but it is always a good idea to try and find a photo of how you want your dog to look.  Please remember we are beauticians and not magicians! If your dog comes to us all matted then we will probably have to clip it all off and start again. We can explain the requirements for achieving a style in terms of maintenance and cost.

The style you choose for your pet should take into consideration how much time and money you want to spend maintaining the style. Elaborate, show-dog styles require daily maintenance. However, that does not mean that a very short clip is the only option. In fact, an attractive style with some length is possible, as long as you are willing to schedule regular grooming sessions for your pet.

For more information on grooming ask me during your next visit.

DON'T LEAVE IT THIS LATE! (only joking this dog should look like this.  I think the owner would sue me if I clipped this coat off!)

THIS IS NOT WHAT EITHER OF US WANT!

This 12 month old Wheaton Terrier came in for its first clip!  The poor dog was 100% matted from head to tail.  The middle picture shows the coat being clipped like a lambs fleece. all this matting had made the dog very uncomfortable and the skin was sore in many places. I had no option but to clip off - poor thing!

DON'T BLAME THE GROOMER IF YOUR DOG COMES IN LIKE THIS AND LEAVES WITH NO COAT!

DOGGIES PARADISE

excellent grooming tips website

http://www.doggiesparadise.com/grooming-tips.shtml