Thanks for the tip! I'll look into them too!
Basic Grooming Supplies
Hey, everyone. I know you're probably tired of hearing from me, but I have more questions.
I am so completely NEW to grooming that I have no idea what supplies I should buy for even basic grooming. Right now, we have a German Shepherd, we use a de-shedding brush for her undercoat, but other than that and her nails, she doesn't need much. So basically, she is the complete opposite of a poodle.
We are getting a standard poodle puppy this summer, and I want to know my "must have" products, even if we don't plan to groom him completely on our own. What type of brush do I need? Are there any brands that I should avoid or prefer? Best shampoos? Do you bathe your dogs between full grooming, or just when they get groomed every 4-6 weeks?
I would love any grooming advice that you all have for me. I am starting my Amazon list for buying puppy supplies, and it's sorely lacking in the grooming department.
Thank you!
I am so completely NEW to grooming that I have no idea what supplies I should buy for even basic grooming. Right now, we have a German Shepherd, we use a de-shedding brush for her undercoat, but other than that and her nails, she doesn't need much. So basically, she is the complete opposite of a poodle.
We are getting a standard poodle puppy this summer, and I want to know my "must have" products, even if we don't plan to groom him completely on our own. What type of brush do I need? Are there any brands that I should avoid or prefer? Best shampoos? Do you bathe your dogs between full grooming, or just when they get groomed every 4-6 weeks?
I would love any grooming advice that you all have for me. I am starting my Amazon list for buying puppy supplies, and it's sorely lacking in the grooming department.
Thank you!
21 - 31 of 31 Posts
I do prefer the longer clips, because I think they're absolutely gorgeous. Is a longer clip unrealistic to maintain for someone without grooming experience?
I'm so full of questions.
Thank you all for being so helpful!
OMGoodness, while I don't have a Madan slicker, I do have a Madan metal pin brush and before this tool I didn't realize it was possible to fall in love with a hair brush.... Good gracious, I LOVE Madan!!!! Based on my experience, whatever they offer is worth considering though know not every tool fits every dog. Or cat
.Also must say I really love my very soft yet insanely effective Doggie Man slicker as well as my slightly harder yet perfectly crafted Chris Christensen slicker. Each has its place, depending on what I'm doing. Honestly Lexiz, start with *a few* high quality products, keep gently working with your dog, and over time with education and practice you'll learn what works well for you. The retail pet supply stores often do not have useful products. Exceptions I've noted have been metal combs (though I'm soon to graduate to a comb no retail store would carry). And maybe the JB (?) soft cat slicker, which of course can also be used on a young Poodle or in a pinch.
Most here know I go gaga when we start talking grooming tools, and yet I still use a human hair dryer on my Toy Poodle...not there yet on HV for him since *gentle low heat* use still works incredibly well for us... Also, I want to give mention to my beloved Chris Christensen wood pin brush, which is used during blow drying...
.
Streetcar, thank you so much for the advice. I was wondering, when a spoo is a puppy, would a human hair dryer work well enough? How do you make it so that the puppy isn't afraid of the noise? Any tips for that?
Thank you Streetcar - I looked into the official CC Canadian distributer and yes they were much more reasonable. It was just crazy because on Amazon US, a CC 27mm brush is $26 and on Amazon.ca the same item is sold for $65.81. Crazy how that happens because there is a "distributer". I'm glad to learn that I can source it from legitimate distributer in Canada. It is definitely on my wishlist now
In terms of whether the face/feet/tail trim needs to be done between your regular visits to the groomer, that really depends. Firstly, obviously a longer cut on the face feet and tail will do just fine for that amount of time. The first photo here shows Hendrix in something I made up myself, which barely ever needed to be cut. The second photo is what he looks like now, and this needs a cut much more often simply because the FFT are short.
If you do want short FFT, it depends on the growth rate of your dog's coat. If I want to keep Hendrix's face short enough it doesn't stain and short enough his skin shows through, I need to shave it pretty often. Exactly three weeks ago I shaved his face last and it's now 1cm long all over, which means it catches food in it and looks like he's growing a beard, lol.
I would invest in a high quality trimmer. A set of clippers and scissors will be ideal if you want to groom the whole dog, but for the FFT you will want a trimmer. They are smaller and usually cordless.
With Hendrix, the maintenance is really quick. I shave his face, then his tail, then his feet. I give him breaks in between, too (and a treat after shaving in front of his ears, he hates that so he gets rewards if he accepts it with grace). The face, tail and jaw are really easy, but the paws and cheek area can take a bit of practice. Also with a puppy, you have to go slow, their attention span is short and they usually come a bit green with the whole grooming thing.
It's a good idea to groom a puppy yourself, because the groomer may just tie them up and rush them, and I feel it's best to take it slow and teach them to stay still and calm for it, but it's up to personal preference. A good breeder will get your puppy used to being groomed, but I still would want to handle my own dog, you know?
The FFT could be left that long, it would just get scruffy looking (at least, enough that I would need to shave it because it would annoy the hell out of me). I just have an obsession with his face being short, if you don't care then you'll be fine.
If you do want short FFT, it depends on the growth rate of your dog's coat. If I want to keep Hendrix's face short enough it doesn't stain and short enough his skin shows through, I need to shave it pretty often. Exactly three weeks ago I shaved his face last and it's now 1cm long all over, which means it catches food in it and looks like he's growing a beard, lol.
I would invest in a high quality trimmer. A set of clippers and scissors will be ideal if you want to groom the whole dog, but for the FFT you will want a trimmer. They are smaller and usually cordless.
With Hendrix, the maintenance is really quick. I shave his face, then his tail, then his feet. I give him breaks in between, too (and a treat after shaving in front of his ears, he hates that so he gets rewards if he accepts it with grace). The face, tail and jaw are really easy, but the paws and cheek area can take a bit of practice. Also with a puppy, you have to go slow, their attention span is short and they usually come a bit green with the whole grooming thing.
It's a good idea to groom a puppy yourself, because the groomer may just tie them up and rush them, and I feel it's best to take it slow and teach them to stay still and calm for it, but it's up to personal preference. A good breeder will get your puppy used to being groomed, but I still would want to handle my own dog, you know?
The FFT could be left that long, it would just get scruffy looking (at least, enough that I would need to shave it because it would annoy the hell out of me). I just have an obsession with his face being short, if you don't care then you'll be fine.
Attachments
Thank you very much. From what everyone has been saying, grooming is a great way to bond with your puppy/dog as well.
I definitely want to try my hand at it.
21 - 31 of 31 Posts
