Author Topic: Groomed the dog myself!  (Read 8074 times)

druth

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Groomed the dog myself!
« on: November 07, 2016, 10:12:35 PM »
Our dog gets super nervous at the groomer.  We wanted to give him his trazodone so he could chill out but it's considered a sedative, which isn't allowed.  The groomer will still see him but said "Maybe it would be best to see if your vet will groom him, looks like he's pretty bitey". Well our vet doesn't do grooming.  So...  no good options.

Looked up a youtube video for "grooming [dog breed]"

We took about 3 hours out of the day today to slowly acclimate him to the scissors and the clipper(make a snipping noise with the scissors... treat.  put a treat on the clippers...  make him reach over the buzzing clippers for a treat...  give him treats while moving the off clippers on him...) and do the cut. We did everything over 4 separate sessions, giving him big breaks in between.  My understanding is that this is how the regular groomer does it also, but instead of getting to run around or sleep in his bed he gets stuffed into a crate in between.

This will save us about 150$ a year for a one time purchase of the 50$ grooming supplies.  I always assumed it would be too difficult but his face actually looks pretty good.  His legs look a little stupid because he gets particularly anxious about us touching them, we are planning to do a touchup tomorrow though.  I doubt the other dogs at the park will judge his legs though!
« Last Edit: November 07, 2016, 10:26:08 PM by druth »

Fireball

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2016, 05:47:34 AM »
Well done!  Pretty much the exact same situation for me and Bruno(the Maltese).  I bought $50 worth of grooming supplies and now it only takes us about an hour to get through it.  We work at it for about 30 mins, give him a 10 minute break to kind of chill out and then finish up the legs(He hates that part too).  Saves us $45 every 3-4 months. 


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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2016, 06:38:38 AM »
Good job. You did that exactly the right way.
I made my boyfriend buy clippers and blades as soon as I moved in. No way I'm hiring out something I'm experienced in. I don't DIY much but dog grooming yes.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2016, 07:35:07 AM »
We got our Labradoodle, Geronimo, in January of this year. He requires quite a bit of grooming, and it takes an effort to keep up on it. He HATED it at first, but now after growing ever more accustomed to it, it's a breeze. It takes about an hour to go head to toe on him, and he just takes it like a champ. We spent about $30 on scissors and matt cutters and the like, and just use the same clippers that we use for my head. Works great. Grooming around where we live can cost $60-$90. F THAT!


clarkfan1979

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2016, 11:05:08 PM »
When my wife worked full-time we paid to have it done. Now that she works part-time, we do it ourselves.

Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2016, 10:57:30 PM »
I want to learn to do this. Thanks for the inspiration! We have two small dogs, and $65 a grooming adds up to about $1200/year. I figure even a really good (well, good enough for non-commercial use) clipper is $100-200, so it pays for itself very quickly. Now to study up and try to find a used clipper for less. 2017 goal!

lizzzi

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2016, 05:50:28 AM »
I want to do Bandit, my nine-pound yorkiepoo. I literally spend more money on his hair than I do on my own. But at 13 months old, he is still so wiggly that I don't know how it could possibly work. Maybe just get into it gradually...as he matures and settles down...I hope.

druth

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2016, 03:18:00 PM »
I want to do Bandit, my nine-pound yorkiepoo. I literally spend more money on his hair than I do on my own. But at 13 months old, he is still so wiggly that I don't know how it could possibly work. Maybe just get into it gradually...as he matures and settles down...I hope.

Start now!  Even if you keep getting him groomed for now you can work up to it.  Like I was saying above, just work on de-sensitizing him to the tools for now, and slowly work up to doing a full groom.  The younger you start though the easier it will be later.

druth

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2016, 03:21:24 PM »
I want to learn to do this. Thanks for the inspiration! We have two small dogs, and $65 a grooming adds up to about $1200/year. I figure even a really good (well, good enough for non-commercial use) clipper is $100-200, so it pays for itself very quickly. Now to study up and try to find a used clipper for less. 2017 goal!

we only spent 60$ total on all the equipment, and it all seems like it will work fine for some time.


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lizzzi

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2016, 04:29:05 PM »
I want to do Bandit, my nine-pound yorkiepoo. I literally spend more money on his hair than I do on my own. But at 13 months old, he is still so wiggly that I don't know how it could possibly work. Maybe just get into it gradually...as he matures and settles down...I hope.

Start now!  Even if you keep getting him groomed for now you can work up to it.  Like I was saying above, just work on de-sensitizing him to the tools for now, and slowly work up to doing a full groom.  The younger you start though the easier it will be later.

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely start working with him.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2016, 04:49:27 PM »
Remember you still need to pay or do it yourself a few other items: toenail trim, hair on bottom of pads, anal gland release and pull the hair out of their ears. If you don't do the ears they get infections and the same goes for the anal gland. A friend of mine learned this the hard way.  YOu can take the dog to a groomer for those things and it is a lot less $ if you have done the haircut.

Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2017, 08:41:28 PM »
This thread inspired be to do my own dog grooming for 2017. Picked up a barely-used, very good quality ($200+ new) clipper last night for $80 (thanks, kijiji!). That's just $12 more than I spend on ONE grooming, and if it ends up not working out, I can just resell it. I have a few weeks to study some YouTube videos on dog grooming before my fur girls are due for their next one. Wish me luck!

druth

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2017, 08:54:33 PM »
This thread inspired be to do my own dog grooming for 2017. Picked up a barely-used, very good quality ($200+ new) clipper last night for $80 (thanks, kijiji!). That's just $12 more than I spend on ONE grooming, and if it ends up not working out, I can just resell it. I have a few weeks to study some YouTube videos on dog grooming before my fur girls are due for their next one. Wish me luck!

Good luck!  It really helped me to watch breed specific videos when I was on youtube.  Also it will go slow the first time so don't be afraid to do it over a couple days, the dog won't know if it looks stupid during that time anyways. Plus you can get some good laughs out of it.  :)

This is my dog after we finished his body but before his legs.  I just wish I had a picture of when only his head was finished.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2017, 08:57:16 PM by druth »

tygertygertyger

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2017, 08:38:51 AM »
This is fantastic. We got our pup (giant schnauzer/labradoodle mix) in October, and for Christmas I asked for scissors (so we can share) and dog clippers. We just got the right length guards and tried it out... it is a slow process and we've only tried doing it while he was occupied with a peanut butter-filled Kong. Which he enjoys laying down with, and so he looks "correct" only on part of his body. We'll try more with other treats to acclimate him. Thanks for sharing this encouragement.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2017, 08:41:19 AM »
Nice Job!  Dog groomers are expensive.  Especially if you have a dog that needs regular grooming.

Reading this makes me glad I have a breed that doesn't need grooming.  Grinding the nails is about all I can manage.

ketchup

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2017, 09:08:30 AM »
Dog grooming is a great place to insource, especially if you have a fluffy breed.

My girlfriend was a dog groomer at Petsmart for a couple years (stopped due to skin problems) and now she only grooms our own dogs, and does a better job than if we took them to a groomer!  She has to buy grooming stuff every so often, but the cost is nothing compared to farming it out.


Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #16 on: January 13, 2017, 11:07:06 PM »
Quote from: druth link=topic=64088.msg1374658#msg1374658 date=1484106873
[/quote

Good luck!  It really helped me to watch breed specific videos when I was on youtube.  Also it will go slow the first time so don't be afraid to do it over a couple days, the dog won't know if it looks stupid during that time anyways. Plus you can get some good laughs out of it.  :)

This is my dog after we finished his body but before his legs.  I just wish I had a picture of when only his head was finished.

Thank you for the tips - your dog looks really good (I'll bet it was quite comical with just the head done!)! :)

GoBigRed

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2017, 12:16:00 PM »
Anyone have any suggestions for nail grinders?  My vet uses a Dremel and looked easy enough.  Would save $10 to $15 every few months on that alone for me. May come in handy for other home projects, but have never needed one.

MicroRN

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2017, 12:46:47 PM »
Yes!  We have a Great Pyrenees, and the local groomer wanted to charge $150 for bath, grooming, and nails.  I got some specialty grooming tools for about $40 and just work on him 2-3 times a week for ~5 minutes each time.  He looks great and has a healthy coat and skin.  We just bathe him in our shower as needed.  You don't clip Pyrs, so we haven't had to get clippers.  Just intensive brushing and dealing with little mats before they become big mats.     

My parents had an American Eskimo that they got groomed every 6 weeks at around $100 each time.  That adds up fast!

ketchup

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2017, 01:57:25 PM »
Anyone have any suggestions for nail grinders?  My vet uses a Dremel and looked easy enough.  Would save $10 to $15 every few months on that alone for me. May come in handy for other home projects, but have never needed one.
Yes, a Dremel is absolutely the way to go. Be sure to get one you plug in and not a battery powered one, as those are wimpier and less convenient.

And a Dremel is indeed a very useful household tool. We have two, his and hers from before we moved in together.

startingsmall

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2017, 06:53:37 PM »
Please be super-careful if you're using scissors. As a veterinarian, I've lost count of the number of owner-inflicted grooming injuries I've sutured or stapled in the last 10 years.... Cats with big V-shaped lacerations, dogs with portions of their ears cut off, all kinds of crazy stuff.

GoBigRed

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #21 on: January 24, 2017, 05:05:22 PM »
Anyone have any suggestions for nail grinders?  My vet uses a Dremel and looked easy enough.  Would save $10 to $15 every few months on that alone for me. May come in handy for other home projects, but have never needed one.
Yes, a Dremel is absolutely the way to go. Be sure to get one you plug in and not a battery powered one, as those are wimpier and less convenient.

And a Dremel is indeed a very useful household tool. We have two, his and hers from before we moved in together.

Thanks!  I will keep an eye out for a deal this year.

Metric Mouse

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #22 on: January 25, 2017, 01:11:44 AM »
And a Dremel is indeed a very useful household tool. We have two, his and hers from before we moved in together.

This is definitely solid advice.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2017, 09:51:33 AM »
My dog has very fast growing nails.  If you hear your dog's nails clicking on the floor it is time to cut them.   I clip them every week and use the Dremel to smooth the rough edges.  I found that using only the Dremel took too much grinding.

She has very ticklish feet, so I started with just handling them, separating out the toes so I could see the nails, handling them. Then clipped one nail and gave a treat. Changed feet. Clipped one nail, gave a treat.  Now she hops up on her (homemade) grooming table, I do her nails, then she hops off and goes to the treat jar.  She has me well trained.

She is a double coated breed and the groomers charge a small fortune for dogs like her.  So I just comb, comb, comb. 

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #24 on: January 27, 2017, 01:29:27 PM »
When we first adopted our red girl she would visibly worry about why we wanted to roll her on her back and come at her with that shiny metal things that makes the weird clip-clip-clip sound.

Now when we pull out the scissors, and ask her to lay down she'll roll over, go spread eagle and happily wait while we take care of any matted fur.

we treat her like a little human careful not to try comb out any tangles. Yep - I know that would hurt.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #25 on: January 27, 2017, 01:34:34 PM »
My dog has very fast growing nails.  If you hear your dog's nails clicking on the floor it is time to cut them.   I clip them every week and use the Dremel to smooth the rough edges.  I found that using only the Dremel took too much grinding.


We dremel one of the dogs's nails and clip the other's.  The first- her nails are so thick, even the sharpest clippers it is more like crushing them off rather than clipping them; she hates it, and I imagine it hurts. She isn't a fan of the dremel, but she'll sit patiently for it.  The second, he won't sit for the dremel, and his fine nails clip easily- it is much quicker.

So far the only grooming we do is bathing and brushing. The short hair dog doesn't need to be clipped. The long hair dog we've cut a few mats; I don't know if he'll ever need actual "grooming".

Metric Mouse

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #26 on: January 27, 2017, 10:04:34 PM »
When we first adopted our red girl she would visibly worry about why we wanted to roll her on her back and come at her with that shiny metal things that makes the weird clip-clip-clip sound.

Now when we pull out the scissors, and ask her to lay down she'll roll over, go spread eagle and happily wait while we take care of any matted fur.

we treat her like a little human careful not to try comb out any tangles. Yep - I know that would hurt.

Growing up we had a dog that loved the shop vac, because we used it to suck the undercoat off of her. All the other pets ran the other way when we started it up, but she came trotting over and plopped down, ready to be groomed.

Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #27 on: January 28, 2017, 05:03:15 PM »
Well, today was the day and it could hardly have gone better! The dogs behaved perfectly and they look pretty decent considering it's my first attempt. Just one very tiny mishap where I nicked a bit of skin on a back leg (I feel so bad; it's really tiny and my dog did not even react, but still... :'( ) - I will look into a guard for the clippers.

Thanks for the mustachian inspiration!

Metric Mouse

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #28 on: January 28, 2017, 05:07:32 PM »
Awesome! Congrats on the success!

bigalsmith101

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #29 on: January 28, 2017, 10:11:34 PM »
Well, today was the day and it could hardly have gone better! The dogs behaved perfectly and they look pretty decent considering it's my first attempt. Just one very tiny mishap where I nicked a bit of skin on a back leg (I feel so bad; it's really tiny and my dog did not even react, but still... :'( ) - I will look into a guard for the clippers.

Thanks for the mustachian inspiration!

It's a tiny cut, the dog didn't care, and you saved money. Nothing to worry about.  Great success!

MicroRN

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #30 on: January 29, 2017, 02:35:40 PM »
Well, today was the day and it could hardly have gone better! The dogs behaved perfectly and they look pretty decent considering it's my first attempt. Just one very tiny mishap where I nicked a bit of skin on a back leg (I feel so bad; it's really tiny and my dog did not even react, but still... :'( ) - I will look into a guard for the clippers.

Thanks for the mustachian inspiration!

I'm going to admit that I actually nicked one of my kids a tiny bit behind the ear when I did the second round of home haircuts.  I just about gave up on the whole thing.  We've done great since then though, and he hasn't held it against me :-).  Guards make it much easier, I was using mini trimmers at the time. 

Metric Mouse

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #31 on: January 29, 2017, 06:22:32 PM »
Well, today was the day and it could hardly have gone better! The dogs behaved perfectly and they look pretty decent considering it's my first attempt. Just one very tiny mishap where I nicked a bit of skin on a back leg (I feel so bad; it's really tiny and my dog did not even react, but still... :'( ) - I will look into a guard for the clippers.

Thanks for the mustachian inspiration!

I'm going to admit that I actually nicked one of my kids a tiny bit behind the ear when I did the second round of home haircuts.  I just about gave up on the whole thing.  We've done great since then though, and he hasn't held it against me :-).  Guards make it much easier, I was using mini trimmers at the time.
Guess we now know which one isn't your favorite. :D

Peach

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #32 on: September 11, 2019, 08:32:05 AM »
We have been grooming our cocker spaniels for years.  Since we live in a hot climate, we keep their hair short and don't want them to have the "cocker cut".  Their cuts aren't always perfect, but they always look pretty darn good. 

Their hair grows so fast that we are constantly trimming them.  We found that trimming them a little at a time works best.  Short bouts with the clippers keeps them from getting too antsy and keeps the blades from getting too hot. 

Clipping and bathing them has saved us tons over the years.  They are much happier not having to go to a groomer.  We are much happier not having to drop them off to a groomer for the day.  With us doing it, we're able to stay on top of it so that they never get shaggy.

FireHiker

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #33 on: September 11, 2019, 04:22:09 PM »
Oh man, this is high up on my to-learn list. This thread gives me hope that it's possible!

Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #34 on: September 11, 2019, 10:31:56 PM »
Thanks for reviving this thead! It reminded me that I’ve been grooming my two dogs for more than a year and a half now, saving nearly $1500 in the process. And, as someone else mentioned, it’s really convenient - no running back and forth to the groomer. In-sourcing for the win! I easily justified buying some mini-trimmers (new, from the super helpful guy at the grooming/sharpening shop) to make their little legs easier to trim - have not used them yet but I will this weekend. I don’t mind paying a bit more to support a local business with great service.

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #35 on: September 11, 2019, 11:28:31 PM »
Nice!

We have a short-haired breed, but when she was a puppy we took her to a groomer, thinking a professional could help with socialization process for nail trims, baths, etc.

Instead it was a complete disaster.  The groomer made me leave the premises rather than wait inside, which meant our dog was immediately anxious and frantic, not knowing where I was.  The groomer then cut the quick of one of her nails and apparently frightened her with the loud tub faucet and dremel.  The groomer ended up not being able to trim the nails or do much of anything due to my dog's panic... but still charged me $40 for this service.

It took months of re-training before we could calm our dog down enough to give her a bath and cut her nails ourselves without a massive freak-out.

We lived near the groomer until recently, and we saw her out on the street every once in a while.  My dog generally loves people, but years after that experience, she still barks angrily at the groomer whenever we pass.

Anyway, yeah, we have done all our own grooming since then and wish we had never bothered with the professional.

FIRE Artist

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #36 on: September 12, 2019, 08:21:48 AM »
We have been grooming our cocker spaniels for years.  Since we live in a hot climate, we keep their hair short and don't want them to have the "cocker cut".  Their cuts aren't always perfect, but they always look pretty darn good. 

Their hair grows so fast that we are constantly trimming them.  We found that trimming them a little at a time works best.  Short bouts with the clippers keeps them from getting too antsy and keeps the blades from getting too hot. 

Clipping and bathing them has saved us tons over the years.  They are much happier not having to go to a groomer.  We are much happier not having to drop them off to a groomer for the day.  With us doing it, we're able to stay on top of it so that they never get shaggy.

Cocker owner here too. I have been grooming her myself since I brought her home 8 years ago. So much savings.

I don’t live in a warm climate, but her thick coat is too hot in summer and too easily matted in winter so I keep her at a #10 clip in summer and #7 in winter. I also keep her in a classic cocker head, so cute and easy to maintain.

Peach

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #37 on: September 13, 2019, 05:23:38 PM »
Because of the heat, I use the #10 most of the time for our girls. With cockers being so prone to ear infections, it's great to be able to frequently trim their ears at home.  I only wish their hair grew slower.

trygeek

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #38 on: November 25, 2019, 11:38:40 AM »
My dog was super nervous as well but I just couldn't see spending the money every few months for what seems like a simple thing. It's not as simple as it looks but it's not that hard either especially after you do it a couple of times. It gets easier for the dog and easier for me as well. The expense was pretty minimal for the savings I will see over the year. The hardest part for me was clipping the nails I thought I would cut them too short but I simply started small and moved my way up the nail.
These are the tools i purchased:

https://amzn.to/2OhMcBi nail clippers
https://amzn.to/2XPv5Kf  stainless steel dog grooming scissors kit
https://amzn.to/2R0qgN5 Low Noise Rechargeable cat and dog clippers and grooming kit.


lizzzi

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #39 on: November 25, 2019, 02:15:40 PM »
I want to do Bandit, my nine-pound yorkiepoo. I literally spend more money on his hair than I do on my own. But at 13 months old, he is still so wiggly that I don't know how it could possibly work. Maybe just get into it gradually...as he matures and settles down...I hope.

I just noticed my post of three years ago exactly. After quite a few frustrating trips to the groomers, where they seemed to take forever and he came out looking worse than when he went in, I bought some tools and have been trimming him myself for around a year now. He mats very easily, and hates to have his face and his rear end done. So I take it slow, sometimes spread a full grooming over several days--I bathe him once a month--and he looks better than he used to coming home from the groomers. My philosophy is that if I'm going to pay a fortune for a bad haircut, I'll give him a bad haircut myself for free. But he looks pretty good, I must say.

Cassie

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #40 on: November 25, 2019, 04:34:16 PM »
For those of you with small dogs are you having the anal glands done or doing it yourself?

Step37

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #41 on: November 26, 2019, 09:02:08 PM »
For those of you with small dogs are you having the anal glands done or doing it yourself?

No, no I am not doing that. I ask the vet or tech to do it when they are in for their annual appointments (and invariably they have to go in the odd other time as well)... it seems not to be a problem.

lizzzi

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Re: Groomed the dog myself!
« Reply #42 on: November 27, 2019, 07:34:41 AM »
For those of you with small dogs are you having the anal glands done or doing it yourself?

No, no I am not doing that. I ask the vet or tech to do it when they are in for their annual appointments (and invariably they have to go in the odd other time as well)... it seems not to be a problem.

It doesn't seem to be a problem with my dog. If he starts scooting on his butt, it has always been because his hair is too long and is collecting dingleberries. I wash his rear, cut off the little poops with small, blunt scissors, and realize it's time for his full body grooming. If he's at the vet, I ask them to check him, but so far his glands have been fine, with no need to express the glands.