Importance of grooming

All dog’s from pedigrees to cross breeds, benefit from regular grooming.

Grooming helps to maintain the skin and coat in good condition. It also makes the dog feel better and look great.

Short haired dogs that are groomed regularly should shed less, meaning fewer hairs around your home.

For long haired dogs there is the benefit of keeping the coat matt free, as well as their coat being cut and styled to the length that is manageable for the owner.

We always check your dog’s temperament and ask if they have any medical conditions before we groom them.

We always discuss with the owner how they would like to have their dog styled. We are able to groom to breed standard or however the owner prefers.

Nail clipping

Nail trimming is important for the long term health of all dogs. Overgrown nails can break easily. The longer the nail, the longer the quick. This can make nail clipping difficult.

Long term over growth can cause difficulty in walking, pain, soreness and even contribute to the development of arthritis.

Bathing

The importance of maintaining your dog’s hygiene cannot be ignored. Dogs feel better and look better when clean and bathed.

Dogs that are not well groomed will be more prone to infestations of fleas or ticks which can cause skin problems or allergies and can be transmitted to human family members.

A well groomed dog reflects well on the dog’s owner!

Puppy Socialisation

Socialisation is a process by which a dog is exposed to the type of experiences and events that they are likely to encounter in order to prepare them for a happy and well adjusted life.

It is really important to try and socialise your dog as much as possible at a young age.

Socialising your puppy might include exposing it to such things as meeting children or older people or people with hats, helmets or glasses and of course other canine friends.

Loud noises, horses, trucks, cars and cattle grids can all be distressing for your dog and the earlier in life that they are exposed to them the better.

The more your puppy is socialised with different environments the better the chance of your puppy having a positive association to them. This is where early grooming comes in.

Getting your puppy used to routine care like brushing, bathing, nail trimming, ear cleaning and being touched and handled not only by you but also others can be of great benefit especially if you intend to have your dog regularly groomed.

A good age to send your puppy for its first visit to a groomer is probably between 8-12 weeks.  A puppy of this age will probably just need a bath and possibly a tidy up.

The frequency of subsequent visits will depend on how regularly your dog requires grooming. This will vary according to the breed.

A great way to socialise your puppy is to attend puppy classes or employ the services of a personal dog trainer.

We highly recommend a local trainer; Top Barks for Dogs

Services

Most breeds require Clipping and Scissoring or just a Brush, Bath and Dry.

Certain breeds benefit from Hand Stripping which is a technique where the hair is pulled out using a stripping knife and fingers to remove dead hair from the coat.

The dead hair comes away easily leaving a hard waterproof top coat.

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