Getting your dog shaved/groomed...

i use a-1 pet grooming off of airport / western. great people, great jobs, awesome with my dogs and inexpensive.

I have a persian cat, I use to pay $50 to have him shaved. I bought a pet grooming kid for $20..and have used it twice...saving me $80. Shaving and grooming your pets is not hard, it does not require a degree and is not rocket science.

kid = kit

out east, the pet supplies stores have them in house - very nice. similar to what kimono said tho, i bought a wahl shaver at costco and thin and trim my golden myself - all the other dogs laugh at him the first week and then get over it.

my main concern was if that breed is supposed to be shaved or not. who am i to say?

We have a terrier mix and a Westie-Maltese-Poodle mix (not quite sure of the lineage) for whom we get haircuts, and in the summer they get a bit shorter (though not shaved). We used to do our own grooming, but lately it does not seem that the time spent grooming our own dogs is worth the money and hassle. Anyways, we use Clip-N-Dales on Sylvania:

Pampered Pets in Maumee does a excellent job on our two pups.

lots of brushing and thinning cut will help if you wish to leave it longer

Our groomer is just about to retire, hence I'm very interested in this thread as to good groomers. We have always gotten our medium or long haired dogs, regardless of breed, mutt or purebred, regular summer haircuts. Not shaved, but clipped close. Everybody is more comfortable, us and the pooches. We let them begin to grow out in September. By the time cold weather comes around they have their coats back and are ready for the cold.

I am making an exception to this practice for the first time with our purebred Yorkie. Her coat, at seven months, is just coming in. Their coat is not particularly thick and they have no undercoat so we'll see how it goes. She will have to be trimmed eventually as their coat does not stop growing in length. I cant imagine long hair dragging through freshy cut grass or all the other goodies in the yard.

or their goodies Holland, lol.

Thanks, i will take him in for a trim and see how that goes. he is a lover so i know he wont mind the actual trim process, just hoping it helps him.

my main concern was if that breed is supposed to be shaved or not. who am i to say?

this is probably the wrong board to ask a question like that

I dont [STET] want to look like a freak...

Yeah, well... good luck with that. How about if we rephrase this to I don't want my dog to suffer because I, the owner, made a bad decision. Better?

Unless your breed has extenuating circumstances of some sort, such as a Portuguese Water Dog might have, go ahead and take him to Clip and Dale's place. Explain that your dog is uncomfortable in the heat and you'd like him trimmed up. After getting his hair cut the only things you need to do are:

Examine him and make sure the groomer didn't shave him too closely with the clippers - kind of like getting a razor burn if you shaved a little too close with a blade. A spot like this will require medication for a week or so.

His fur is cut and so is his protection from the elements. If he gets wet from a lawn sprinkler, he'll likely get cold now, which he wouldn't before. Ditto with the sun - he can get sunburned now and he wouldn't have before.

He may be embarrassed for a few days. Take some extra time and play with him and tell him what a handsome dog he is. You may think this is foolish; it isn't. Your dog has feelings too and he needs reassurance.

Getting him trimmed will make him much more comfortable during the summer, and he'll be back on the sofa right away.

http://www.rapturecarepets.com/

omg!!!!

That link is too funny.

Ryan, I was blessed to have a schnoodle (your typical Benji type) in my life for 15 years, and every summer, she got a radical cut -- shaved, with just her face and the end of her tail left fluffy. She was a bit embarrassed for about a day, but then loved the way she felt -- especially when we fussed and told her how pretty she was.

Wow, I miss her.

I remember hearing about the rapture pet thing right after the nut job started calling for it to happen in May. Makes you wonder if it really was going to happen and those folks wont be in the rapture, are they the ones you really want looking after your pet????

Good luck finding a suitable groomer. I wanted to mention, though, that at your next vet visit, please tell the vet about your dog's "new" intolerance to heat. Occasionally this can suggest a medical problem. My dad's Golden started to prefer lying on their bathroom-tiled floor and she had Cushing's Disease. My Boston Terrier did the same thing during the summer he was battling a brain tumor. I am sure everything is fine, but I'd let the vet know anyway.

You can also help your dog by making sure he's not carrying around extra unneeded pounds, and by putting an additional water bowl or two around the house.

GREAT, NOW I HAVE THAT TO WORRY ABOUT....

No, no, no. Don't "worry." Just mention it to your vet, and let him/her decide whether there is a need to worry or not. I have read your other posts about pets, Ryan, and I know you consider yourself a well-informed pet owner who provides comprehensive care for his pets. This is just one of those things that I thought you'd want to note to your vet, in keeping with your own standard of care.

In the absence of any other new or odd behaviors, I'm sure your dog is fine. And I'm sure he will appreciate the haircut.

Thanks, wasnt being snarky - just can get freaky when it comes to the animals. After having to lay my one to rest I cant even think about something happening to this one now. He is actually due for annuals so will bring it up. He also has been laying between two pieces of furniture he never has before which is making me nervous. But I think that just may be a "safe place".