As the former owner and director of the New York School of Dog Grooming for more than thirty five years, he has educated, in the art of professional dog grooming, over 10,000 graduates, and countless others who have read the previous three editions of this book. Poodle crosses are easily one of the highest maintenance dogs in reference to their coats. The combination of the soft coat they are mixing poodles with these days is a coat that is extremely prone to matting.

For a short haired, smooth-coated dog, grooming should be done at least once a week. A rough or long-coated dog will need much more regular grooming and will often require clipping to keep the fur at a manageable length. Clipping can be required anything from every four to 12 weeks, with regular – usually daily – maintenance brushes and cleaning in between.Service includes ear flushing, nail trim & file, soothing bath with top-of-the-line shampoo & conditioner,

For example, the coat of long-haired dogs tend to tangle and become smelly, thus they needregular brushing. The ‘silky-coated’ Setters and Spaniels have abundance of dead hair that needs to be removed by hand as the matted hairs become very painful. Wire-haired dogs need stripping of the coat at least once a year. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for a tour of the premises if you want some extra reassurance – a good, reputable groomer would be happy to show you around

Dog Breeds with Low Grooming Needs

If problems with grooming persist, consult your vet for further advice. How do I know if my dog’s nails need to be clipped? Shedding is a natural process of discarding dead hairs off the body. A heavy shedder or a seasonal shedder will continue to shed when its shedding-time comes. But if you are washing your dog at home, you can do this in a bathtub with a non-slip mat indoors or, if the weather permits, outside. I promise you, your groomer really doesn't want to do this but they won't hurt your dog by putting it through dematting, they also don't want to hurt their reputation when the clients go around complaining about how the last groomer "scalped" their dog but there really is not any alternative. Instead of being angry with your groomer if they clip your dog very short please respect their commitment to do what is in your dog's best interest, accept responsibility for not having brushed your dog properly at home, and work with your groomer because, together, you can prevent this happening again. All groomers will be very happy to demonstrate a technique called line brushing which will help make your grooming at home more effective. Just ask! We all want owners to know how to do this

Grooming encompasses, not just brushing and combing the coat, but cleaning and taking care of eyes, ears, nose, skin and nails of your dog. Shedding is but a natural of getting rid of dead hairs, and whether your dog is a heavy or light shedder, grooming is a daily dog care routine. Towel dry your dog or, if he or she is comfortable with a hairdryer, ensure it is put on a cool setting Dogs like Chihuahua, Boston Terrier or Pekingese have prominent eyes where dirt tend to collect. Also, dead hair tend to accumulate in the eyes and ears of dogs having hairy coat like Affenpinscher, Golden Retriever, Japanese Spitz, etc. Cleaning is necessary to wash away the gathered dirt, hair, wax and even mites inside the eye and ear ducts.

Choosing the right groomer for my dog

We’ve teamed up with See Dee pets, Allbreed dog grooming & Bandana and Bows for an exciting competition this month. All Breeds Dog Grooming Centre is located on the Cullion Road on the outskirts of Letterkenny. It was opened in 2002 and is owned and run by Keith McClean. Keith is the longest established pet groomer in Co. Donegal and he has over 30 years experience in grooming and showing.