So...How do I properly brush my dog?

So…How do I properly brush my dog?

Have you ever been brushing your dog and thought, “Why am I not getting more hair off of him,” “Why are there knots and tangles,” or, “Why is she still shedding so much?”  It could be you’re not doing it quite the right way.  Often times I will hear people tell Sam and Michelle, “Her coat looks so much better after you’ve done it.”  So, they have decided to share a few secrets on how to properly and thoroughly brush your dog.

First of all, you need to know that there are different types of coats.  In fact many types of coats, including Natural Long Hair, Silky, Heavy, Double Coated, Combination, Smooth and Short Coated, Curly and Wavy Coated, Long Coats and the list goes on.  Michelle explained some of the differences in coats and how to brush them to me.  

To make things easier to understand, we combined some of the technical classes of coats into three main groups-Short Coated, Long Coated and Curly, Double or Heavily Coated.

We started with an easy one, Short Coats, which includes smooth coated dogs as well.   A Short Coat is exactly what it sounds like, short, close to the body, usually straight and doesn’t require trimming.  “Short coats shed the most, but because of the hair size, people don’t realize it.  Keeping the dog washed regularly with a high quality pet grade shampoo, using conditioner and weekly brushing helps with the shedding,” according to Michelle.  The use of a “Zoom Groom” brush every few days, and a de-shedding tool once a week is what she recommends.  Brush from the head to the tail in gentle, short strokes.  Slicker brushes are not effective.   Some examples of short coated dogs are Bassetts, Beagles, Pit Bulls, Labradors, Pugs, Rottweilers, Boxers, Great Danes and Bulldogs.

Long Coats-Guess what, they are just what they sound like, long hair.  Some common examples of dogs with this coat type are:  Shih Tzu,  Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Yorkies, full coated Cocker Spaniels and full coated Schnauzers.   Michelle recommends regular bathing with a high quality pet grade shampoo and also recommends using conditioner.  “I start with a slicker brush, going with and against the grain of the hair in short strokes from the head to the tail, followed up with a medium/fine tooth comb to ensure all the tangles are combed out,” says Michelle.  If there are heavy matts or tangles present, you may want to consider taking your dog to a professional groomer, as they have other tools available that they can use to safely remove them. Matts can be dangerous and painfully to your dog, which we will explain more about in a future post, and, if allowed to get to severe, will have to be shaved out.

Curly, Double or Heavily Coated dogs.  Some examples of these types of dogs are Bichon Frise, Poodles, some Doodles, Husky, Golden Retrievers, Shelties, St. Bernard, German Shepherds and Chows.  Again, Michelle recommends regular bathing with a high quality pet grade shampoo and also recommends using conditioner.  She prefers to start with a slicker brush, going with and against the grain of the hair in short strokes from head to tail.  Try to get as close to the skin as possible by parting the hair with one hand and brushing with the other.  Then, follow up with a medium/fine tooth comb to ensure all tangles and undercoat is removed.  The undercoat is the finer hair closest to the skin which is where matts tend to form.  For a Double and Heavy coated dog, use the “Zoom Groom” and deshedding tool as well, there is no need to use them on a curly coated dog as they will not be effective.

Of course, each dog is unique and individual, and there are too many types of coats to explain in this blog, so Sam and Michelle invite you to stop in and bring your dog, so they can evaluate their coat and teach you some “tricks” to make brushing easier, more enjoyable for you and your pet and to give them a beautiful, less shedding coat.  You may also want to consider signing up for the Pristine Program offered at Dames and Sires Beauty Spa which is a regular maintenance program, designed to keep you and your furry friend on a regular schedule at a discounted rate.  Please ask Sam and Michelle for more information on this program and to see how it can help you keep your dogs coat in the best condition possible.

Here are some other tips to help maintain your dogs coat and make brushing easier:  -Make sure the coat is completely dry before beginning any brushing.

-Diet is important and plays a big role in your dog’s coat.

-Use a high quality pet grade shampoo, human shampoo is not ph balanced for pets and can dry out their skin.

Samantha Hudgins owns and operates Dames and Sires Beauty Spa, located at Tails to Remember in Springfield, IL.  Michelle Michael has been an Academy Instructor and groomer for many years.  Together, Sam and Michelle have over 28 years of experience in grooming a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs.  Dames and Sires Beauty Spa is available for all your pet grooming needs, they are now open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be contacted by calling 217-361-5733 or by booking online at DamesandSires.com.  They are located at Tails to Remember Pet Services, 3036 Peoria Road, Springfield, IL 62702.

Why is brushing your pet so important?

We are beginning a series of blog post about grooming and caring for your pets.  Today’s topic is, “Why is Brushing your Pet Important?”

When I first started  thinking about topics for my Blog Post, I wanted to tackle some of the common issues we hear from Pet owners, so I sat down with Sam and Michelle from Dames and Sires Beauty Spa and asked them what are some of the issues they see and what are some of the questions they get asked? 

First of all, I asked, “Why is Brushing so Important?”  Both of them responded, “Do you think we want to shave a dog or cat who has a perfectly healthy coat of hair, except they are knotted, tangled and matted?”  I then asked, what are the benefits of brushing, besides the obvious of making them look great?  “Brushing helps remove dead hair and helps with the natural shedding process and prevents matting,” said Samantha Hudgins, owner of Dames and Sires Beauty Spa.  Michelle chimed in and mentioned that it’s also a great way to look at the overall health of their skin and coat.  “When brushing, look at their skin, see if there are any fleas, hot spots, burrs or inflammation,” said Michelle Michael, a canine stylist at Dames and Sires.  Both agreed that regular daily brushing helps promote your pet’s coats natural sheen, and who doesn’t like a massage, which is what brushing is like to most pets.  I think the response that left me the most compelled to brush Scotch is what both Sam and Michelle said, “It’s great bonding time.”  And after all, who doesn’t like to bond with their pet.  Proper brushing doesn’t take long and we’ll explore ways to properly brush your pet(s) in future posts, but for now, give your pet a “brushing massage” and bond with them for awhile.

Samantha Hudgins owns and operates Dames and Sires Beauty Spa, located at Tails to Remember in Springfield, IL.  Together, Sam and Michelle have over 28 years of experience in grooming a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs.  Dames and Sires Beauty Spa is available for all your grooming needs, they are open Wednesday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and  can be contacted by calling 217-361-5733 or book online at DamesandSires.com.  They are located at Tails to Remember Pet Services, 3036 Peoria Road, Springfield, IL 62702.

Are Your Pets Messing with Your Sex Life? - Pet360 Pet Parenting Simplified

This is the final post on our pets in bed series.  If you missed the first two, check out our blog post to catch up.  We have offered opposing views on the subject, but thought, this one is important as well.  After you've read the articles, please visit our facebook page and let us know what you think, do you let your pets sleep with you, or banish them to another room?.  We are just curious how many people let their pets sleep with them.

Are Your Pets Messing with Your Sex Life?

by Dorri Olds

There are times you want that warm, sweet, furry body nuzzled against yours in bed. (Sorry, guys, we’re talking about the pets.) And there are times (now, gents, we’re talking about you) that you don’t.

Should pets exit the room when it's sex time, or hunker down with you, in full view, until it's over? 

In a random sampling of pet-owning couples, all said they allow their pets to sleep with them in bed. But when they try to use that bed for another pastime that didn’t involve sleep, respondents were evenly split on whether their other love mates should continue their bedroom privileges – or be temporarily banished. Among the comments in both camps:

Let ‘em Stay

Prying eyes: “When we have sex, the cat sits there and stares at us,” says one interviewee. “When she starts sniffing around, my husband pushes her away. We made it work. Now, we have a second cat in the bed and he snores. Does it put a damper on things? Not really. I tell myself that cats do it in front of the whole world, so from their perspective what we are doing is perfectly normal.”

Exploring new terrority: “We got our first Yorkie two months after we moved into our house. She lasted one night in a crate and then became a permanent fixture in our bed. She has been spooning my husband for 14 years now and sighs when she can't get next to him. So, yes, it puts a damper on spontaneous sex in the bedroom. But there are other rooms in the house to sneak off to.”

Speaking in (wagging) tongues: “The dogs just look at us like, ‘Here they go again’ and slowly move to the end of the bed. Then, every few minutes they do a quick glance as if to say, ‘Enough already.’ When they’ve had all they can take they retreat to the living room and slowly work their way back, checking to see if all is quiet again. If not, they go back to the living room as if to say, ‘Can’t you two get a room?’”

Animal magnetism = well-groomed canines: “Yes, they do put a damper on sex. There’s nothing like a cold dog nose against my rear end to break the mood. We have tried a crate and shutting the bedroom door, but both without success. They whine and cry because they want to be with us. Or maybe with just me — I have that animal magnetism thing going on. Our solution? We accept it and laugh it off and we live for the days they go to the groomer!”

Keep ‘em Out

Taking cover: “The first dog we let sleep in our bed was a dachshund and there is no negotiating with them. They make themselves right at home, under the covers, whether you want them to or not. Yes, it sometimes puts a damper on things. So we put the dogs outside of the bedroom and lock the door and they’re pretty good.”

Happy reunions. “We have to kick our dog out. He’s okay in the beginning but when one of us gets vocal he doesn't like that. Not only do we have to shut the door but we have a piece of baby gate we set up in front of it because he kept scratching the door. When we let him back in, it's always a joyful doggie kissy fest on the bed, so we’re all happy.”

No fuss when we frolic: “It was never a question about them sleeping with us, that was a given. When we are getting our groove on we make sure to put the ‘kids’ in another room so it doesn’t disrupt us and make anything feel weird. It’s almost like they understand not to cause a fuss.”

So what do the experts say?

“There is nothing wrong with pets sleeping in the bed unless they use that position to the owner’s disadvantage,” says animal behaviorist and author Darlene Arden. “Then they should lose the privilege until they can behave in a more generous manner.”

Adds Marty Klein, PhD, author of Sexual Intelligence and other books about sexuality: “Pet owners can arrange almost anything they want. If you can’t train your pet to do what, you need to (teach them) to behave better. People use the uncontrollability of their pet as an excuse. When a couple says to me, ‘We have no choice, we don’t want to make the pet uncomfortable or we can’t make the pet do what we want them to do,’ what I hear is, ‘We’d rather discomfort ourselves than discomfort the animal.’”

When you want to keep both species happy, it may help to ensure the four-legged variety is too tired to be a distraction:

“For cats, I suggest playtime for the pets before bedtime,” says Arden. “Take out an interactive wand toy to play with the cat, and tire her enough to fall asleep. Give her a treat and put her in another room with her scratching post, food, water, a bed, and a couple of safe toys to play with. And of course, a litter box.

“For dogs,” she adds, “I suggest a long walk and some play before bedtime. Give him a treat, put him in a separate room with a bed or a crate with the door open, water and toys. You want him to be happy and tired enough not to care because he’d rather sleep.”