C-Dogs Unlimited Board Groom Train
Carolyn Contois
| Friday, Sep 26, 2008 |
| Puppy Mills in Sheep's Clothing |
| By Carolyn Contois |
| Friday, Sep 26, 2008 12:11 |
| Buy a puppy on line????? I can't even buy shoes online! How could I know they fit if I don't try them on? It is even more important with the purchase of a living, breathing spirit. The pictures online look great? You don't know where those pictures come from. A dog has to fit you, your family, your budget, and your lifestyle. Before taking the puppy plunge PLEASE review the following:
What type of dog should I get?
Take into consideration your personality type. Are you energetic and sporty? Do you want an active high energy companion? Research the varieties of sporting dogs, hounds, spaniels, retrievers. Small scale sporties are in the terrier group. Do you want a companion, but you are not an active person. Look at toy breeds or you may want to consider an older dog. Age and wisdom has it's virtues. I have a 17 year old dog that came to me about 8 years ago. She needs so little and gives so much.Do you have small children? It's great for them to grow up with a dog as long as it is a learning experience with supervision. Don't expect your kids to take care of the dog. It's mom's job, so if you have enough on your plate DON'T take on another BIG job! How is your budget? In these tough times, don't forget that the purchase price is only the beginning. Vet bills, pet care, grooming, GOOD food, and training will ad up to thousands!Take a good long look at your schedule. Can you make time for a dog? Don't kid yourself, it is going to change your life! Dogs don't know it's Sunday and Holidays. They still have to go to the bathroom and eat, don't you?
Now that you have made the list and you are still on track to get one, don't believe anything you hear and half of what you see when it comes to puppy department stores AKA mills.
No matter how cute those puppies look in the window, remember where they came from. Here are some of the 'glossy' answers you'll get. "They are from a farm in Pennsylvania" "They come from a breeder in the Midwest or the South" Here's my favorite, "they have papers" Anybody with a PC and a printer can have papers. Years ago they used to buy the papers from champions that had past on. You are buying a pet, who cares about papers! They are for show/breeding purposes only, and trust me, you don't want to go there. These puppies can be hard to train and come with a plethora of problems! The mother lives in a small crate. She never gets to come out. She never plays or has interaction with humans or dogs. Just mate and breed. They are crippled and malnourished. They can't teach their young anything because they don't know anything.They are treated like livestock, with a shelf life, as a commodity. What about your guarantee? Sure, you can bring the puppy back and get another! Try telling that to the kids or your conscience. What do you think will happen to the one you took back and do you really think the new one is any better?
I don't like to hang crape! I want people to have dogs! They are one of the most rewarding relationships you can have. Do it right. It is simply a matter of supply and demand. When the customer is educated the puppy stores will no longer be able to trick you and they will dry up in a dog's generation, about 10 years.
My advice, GET EDUCATED. You can use a site like dogproblems.com. There is a wonderful forum here and you can e-mail me at kikicon10@msn.com. See you next week. |
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| Thursday, Sep 18, 2008 |
| Nature vs. Nurture |
| By Carolyn Contois |
| Thursday, Sep 18, 2008 08:14 |
| This is a continuation of last week's blog on grooming.
I learned some standard practices that were widely accepted 20 years ago. Today, there are many conflicting schools of thought. I tend to go with a more natural and gentile approach to grooming, still keeping in mind that we are working with domesticated animals. In many ways, they have been altered from their wild counterparts, so some adjustments to their natural state need to be addressed.
The most obvious one are the breeds that don't shed. If the hair doesn't fall out naturally and you don't keep them combed out, you will have mats and in some cases they can develop dreadlocks. I know that's a fashion statement, but on a dog, it can clog up the feet,eyes,ears and privates.Not a good thing, definitely not hygienic!
Anther common issue, is pulling the hair out of the ear canal. This call should be made on an individual basis. Dog's with ears that stand up, like Shepherds, and some Terriers, have less ear infections because the internal canal is exposed to air and light, making it more difficult for yeast and bacteria to settle in. Dogs that have ears that hang down, Poodles, Cocker Spaniels, etc., tend to have more infections. Yeast and bacteria like it dark, moist and warm. A long hairy ear rolls out the red carpet for this scenario. If you have such a breed, check the ears often, say, every 3 days or so.There are many ear cleaners on the market that work fine. You can use plain old alcohol but ONLY if the ear is not red and swollen. It evaporates quickly and gets rid of dirt and wax. It is for healthy ear maintenance ONLY!!!!! Non-shedding breeds have hair that pulls out easily. I'll check the ear and remove SOME of the hair, NOT all of it. Remember, pulling a hair out leaves an open follicle. The hair acts as a safety net and filter system. If the ear is infected, consult your Veterinarian and remember to put the medication IN the ear, it doesn't work on the shelf!
Expressing the anal glands is another controversy. These are glands with a very bad smelling fluid located at the base of the anus. Just like a skunk, these sacks are expressed by the dog when he is scared. Many large breed tend to empty them when they have a bowel movement. Smaller breed don't. Many groomer will empty them during the bath. Sometimes the sacks can fill up and get impacted.This is a job for the Vet. You can do a lot of damage if you attempt this yourself, not to mention the pain and discomfort your dog is feeling! When I start grooming a new puppy, I will empty them only if they are starting to present a problem, like scratching or scooting their butts. Manually emptying the glands may cause the muscle to weaken over time which can cause more problems. If it's not broken ,don't fix it!
That's a good rule of thumb for most questions in life. If you have questions or comments, shot me an e-mail, kikicon10@msn.com. Visit my web site at www.c-dogsunlimited.com. |
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| Monday, Sep 08, 2008 |
| Grooming 102 A great groom is.... |
| By Carolyn Contois |
| Monday, Sep 08, 2008 10:03 |
| Grooming 102: A great groom is... Last week, I said that International Groomers Association was an organization that certifies groomers. I retract my first entry. The organization is International Pet Groomers, http://www.ipgcmg.org, sorry for the mistake. I will always correct myself or update my reviews, according to the latest research. Let's talk about the definition of "a great groom". If you're not in a confirmation dog show ring, then your dog does not have to reflect the breed standard. For example, if you watch a dog show on TV you will see a poodle groomed in a Town & Country or a Continental cut. This is not pet grooming. A good groom is a style that you are comfortable with and works for you. There are different coat types. Some dogs like Poodles, Bichons, Maltese and those designer, mixed breeds, do not shed. These coats need a considerable amount of grooming. I have noticed, however, that the client cannot always explain what they want. Many times they will bring me a picture of what they would like the dog to look like and it is a picture of the dog's head. This tells you what the client sees&. they see the part that looks back at them. They do not have a concept of what the rest of the dog should look like. This gives me the opportunity to ask about the length of the hair, tail and ears. I need to see the condition of the coat and skin. Is the hair too matted to comb? Sometimes you need to get the hair off and start again. If you looked at the damaged hair under a microscope, you would see that the end looks like a corkscrew. These little corkscrews will matt up very quickly and you are back where you started. The process of dematting can also be too traumatic for your dog. It can be painful and irritating to go through the process. I let the client know that, although I want to please them, I won't torture their dog to do it. They will often agree. Breeds like Golden and Labrador Retrievers have hair that grows to a certain length, then falls out& ergo, shedding. These breeds need a lot of brushing to keep them from shedding all over the house. Many of you use the new Furminator combs on the market. They work great, but are a little pricey. Furminator did not invent the comb; they have been around as shedding blades for years. Try a company called Laube. They have great combs for half the cost of Furminator. I do suggest you use these tools outside and make it fun. It can be a great bonding time for the two of you. Many clients will have these breeds shaved to reduce the hair. It is an option; however, I try to keep the dog in a balanced state. Their hair insulates them against the cold as well as the heat. Before dogs slept in your living room, they dug dens and the shed acted as insulation. Shaving can expose the skin and change the coat in a variety of ways depending on the breed and the individual dog's health and age. The dog will still shed, but the pieces will be shorter. Some clients say that it makes living with the dog bearable. In that case, I'd rather the dog loose his hair than his home. Next week... nature vs. nurture on some common grooming practices. As always e-mail me with questions or comments at kikicon10@msn.com |
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| Thursday, Sep 04, 2008 |
| Grooming 101 |
| By Carolyn Contois |
| Thursday, Sep 04, 2008 10:02 |
| Grooming 101: the study of dog grooming. How do you find a good groomer? There are no government standards for the industry, such as state licensing. Anyone who buys a clipper can call themselves a groomer. They can be grooming for 20 years.... doesn't mean they ever learned to do it right!So how can you know if your groomer is good? Most people will tell you to look at other people's dogs.If you like what you see, ask them for a referral.This method may work some of the time. Better yet, visit some local shops,look around.Is it noisy, smelly, does anyone look or act in a professional manner? Will they allow you to see where your dog will be kept during his stay? Is the place disorganized and cluttered? Chances are, the ambiance will reflect in their work and their attitude. Next, do they have any credentials? To date, I know of two organizations that do volunteer certifications. They are the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA) and the International Groomers Association (IGA). Unless they have credentials with either or both ... they are not certified.. period! Each has a member listing you can check online. No.... the American Kennel Club (AKC) is not for people... it's for dogs. I actually read a groomer advertisement that claimed they were certified by the AKC.I've also seen ads that say New York certified. It may be true, but when I e-mailed this person about how they obtained this, I did not get a response. When people e-mail me for information, weather it's a potential client or fellow tradesmen, I'm proud to share what it took 25 years to learn! I'm eager to share the knowledge, especially if it is a young person that would like to get into the business.I want to encourage them to seek proper channels and be exited about their decision. Certification may not make them the best groomer, but at least it shows the clients that they care enough about their work to take on the challenge. Here's an idea. There are huge grooming shows all over the country.Goggle Groomexpo or Intergroom. These are two big east coast shows in the spring and fall,there; you can link to other shows in your area. Admission to the floor is usually free. There are vendors with everything imaginable for your pet and then some. The best part is that in the center of the floor, are ongoing grooming competitions. Want to see how your dog should really look? Take a seat and watch the pros groom! These people are amazing talents, and most of them have grooming shops. Talk to them after the competition, they are proud of their work. If they are not in your area they can direct you to someone who is.It's how I started in the business. It's a fun day. Please ... always feel free to e-mail kikicon10@msn.com or check my web site www.c-dogsunlimited.com for answers to your questions. If I don't have an answer... I'll get one. Next week... Grooming 102 |
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| Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 |
| A Storm of Changes |
| By Carolyn Contois |
| Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 03:14 |
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Hurricane Season...... wait, watch, hope....pick up the pieces and move on. We, in the dog world, have learned to do the same. As we prepare for Gustave to make land fall, preparation and prayers are in full swing. All the best planning can only lessen the event of losses and tragedy. Many pets will never return to their homes, but as fate would have it .... they may find there way to yours.
Here are a few tips if you find yourself rescuing a lost sole.
1. Be careful. This animal is scared, lost, possibly injured, hungry and dehydrated. Approach them with extreme caution and keep them separate from your pets.
2. If you get past the initial introduction, give food and water in small amounts, even he seems ravenous. 3. Contact local authorities, check for any identification. Take them to a local vet or shelter to check for a microchip or tattoo. Many shelters use tattoos for identification. Check the internet lost and found listings.
4. If you decide to keep the dog, please make sure that you have tried to find the owner. If it was you , you would have wanted the same courtesy.
5.If you cannot keep him yourself and /or you cannot find a suitable home, PLEASE, take him to a shelter... DON'T just dump him off somewhere , thinking he'll have another chance.... he won't. They get lost, starve , get hit by cars, and an infinite variety of other catastrophes. I was a Humane agent in Miami for years... I've seen it all.
Don't know what to do ? Call your local shelter or you can E-mail me. I will always try to help. kikicon10@msn.com. Or visit my website www.c-dogsunlimited.com |
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Adopting A Dog
