Post by workingdawg on Mar 3, 2004 21:28:18 GMT -5
ok, since this is my chosen profession, i thought i might throw some recommendations out here to those that show their dogs, and those that just like their pooches to look their very best 
shampoos:
www.quadrupedpetcare.com
the yucca shampoo is outstanding for numerous things such as skin probs, as well as flea infestations etc.
the protein shampoo is also wonderful, it is made from real whole milk proteins, and actually adds some volume to the coat...wonderful wonderful stuff!
conditioners:
the coathandler leave in conditioner
this product is simply fantastic, it leaves absolutley NO residue, but will help even the DRIEST of coats. it dilutes down nicely, approx one cup to a gallon of water, and you simply pour on the dog, starting behind the ears and work your way to the tail..leave it in, do NOT rinse it..trust me..( i likely rinsed away about 200.00 worth of this product in the first year because i just could NOT believe it would do what the label promised
)
a little goes a LONG way, and this can be kept premixed in sprayer bottles as well for misting in between full groomings.
www.petedge.com/sdx/H17197.jsp
bathing in warm water will help loosen all that dreaded undercoat, i usually rinse the dog with a cooler rinse, this helps close up those pores.dogs will normally shed *more* for the first 72 hours after grooming. each follicle contains roughly 8-10 hair,(trying in vain to remember the correct numbers here..this could be off, i am old and forgetful now
) so this very reason is why it seems as though our dogs never ever ever ever ever ever stop shedding ;D
drying: if you use your hair dryer on pooch...be careful you do not burn their skin...it is better if you don't have a high velocity dryer,(forced air), to simply towel dry the dog as best as possible after conditioning, then put him/her into a crate with a fan on them to dry. letting the dog simply "air dry" will usually still leave that "wet dog smell" on them.
nails:
dremelling the nails on a regular basis will keep the nails short and smooth, as well as help keep the foot nice and tight. believe it or not, toenails left too long can actually cause back/shoulder probs in your dog..the nails get overlong, the foot splays.
ears:ears can be cleaned out with plain old rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, i also usually mix a little tea tree oil in my ear cleaner as well. the alcohol dries up nicely in the ear canal, most commercially packaged ear cleaners actually contain some water...UGH
teeth: nothing works better than raw meaty bones for a doggie tooth brush
finishing sprays etc: some of these sprays contain alcohol which dries the coat out, so check labels and use sparingly...an old trick i learned a long time ago was plain old yellow listerine mixed with water, you mist the dog shortly before showing, and it seems to make the black "pop". my current favorite is still the coat handler leave in conditioner, as long as your dog has healthy skin and coat, this is all you really need to use in my opinion.
brushing and combing:it is better to not brush a dry coat, mist with water or a leave in conditioner, then comb out or use a soft bristle brush or "hound glove".
use a good stainless steel comb, a greyhound comb can be purcashed almost anywhere, and usually a "medium/coarse" will be more than suitable for your grooming use.a good quality slicker brush is useful as well, i highly recommend the new ones millers forge makes, again, these are available at most pet stores.
undercoat rakes are a MUST for GSD owners.
ok, i think i listed everything..and please keep in mind, this is just my observation and opinion
shampoos:
www.quadrupedpetcare.com
the yucca shampoo is outstanding for numerous things such as skin probs, as well as flea infestations etc.
the protein shampoo is also wonderful, it is made from real whole milk proteins, and actually adds some volume to the coat...wonderful wonderful stuff!
conditioners:
the coathandler leave in conditioner
this product is simply fantastic, it leaves absolutley NO residue, but will help even the DRIEST of coats. it dilutes down nicely, approx one cup to a gallon of water, and you simply pour on the dog, starting behind the ears and work your way to the tail..leave it in, do NOT rinse it..trust me..( i likely rinsed away about 200.00 worth of this product in the first year because i just could NOT believe it would do what the label promised
)a little goes a LONG way, and this can be kept premixed in sprayer bottles as well for misting in between full groomings.
www.petedge.com/sdx/H17197.jsp
bathing in warm water will help loosen all that dreaded undercoat, i usually rinse the dog with a cooler rinse, this helps close up those pores.dogs will normally shed *more* for the first 72 hours after grooming. each follicle contains roughly 8-10 hair,(trying in vain to remember the correct numbers here..this could be off, i am old and forgetful now
) so this very reason is why it seems as though our dogs never ever ever ever ever ever stop shedding ;Ddrying: if you use your hair dryer on pooch...be careful you do not burn their skin...it is better if you don't have a high velocity dryer,(forced air), to simply towel dry the dog as best as possible after conditioning, then put him/her into a crate with a fan on them to dry. letting the dog simply "air dry" will usually still leave that "wet dog smell" on them.
nails:
dremelling the nails on a regular basis will keep the nails short and smooth, as well as help keep the foot nice and tight. believe it or not, toenails left too long can actually cause back/shoulder probs in your dog..the nails get overlong, the foot splays.
ears:ears can be cleaned out with plain old rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, i also usually mix a little tea tree oil in my ear cleaner as well. the alcohol dries up nicely in the ear canal, most commercially packaged ear cleaners actually contain some water...UGH
teeth: nothing works better than raw meaty bones for a doggie tooth brush
finishing sprays etc: some of these sprays contain alcohol which dries the coat out, so check labels and use sparingly...an old trick i learned a long time ago was plain old yellow listerine mixed with water, you mist the dog shortly before showing, and it seems to make the black "pop". my current favorite is still the coat handler leave in conditioner, as long as your dog has healthy skin and coat, this is all you really need to use in my opinion.
brushing and combing:it is better to not brush a dry coat, mist with water or a leave in conditioner, then comb out or use a soft bristle brush or "hound glove".
use a good stainless steel comb, a greyhound comb can be purcashed almost anywhere, and usually a "medium/coarse" will be more than suitable for your grooming use.a good quality slicker brush is useful as well, i highly recommend the new ones millers forge makes, again, these are available at most pet stores.
undercoat rakes are a MUST for GSD owners.
ok, i think i listed everything..and please keep in mind, this is just my observation and opinion