 Barked: Fri Sep 30, '11 1:42pm PST |
 | |  | | I never had dogs that needed a lot of grooming until I had Max and Lily, so dealing with grooming every 4-5 weeks is new to me and I'm looking for some advice from more seasoned folks.
When I first got Maxie, I brought him to a box store, as I had a coupon and their puppy clips were only 20 dollars and I didn't know where else to go. I brought him every 2-3 weeks so he would get used to going. The problem was he hated going, although they said he was good, and then the last time he had some mats from playing in the wet snow that I just couldn't keep up with... and they said they would have to shave him close to even him up. I agreed- and I got back a puppy with such a horrible hack job that I wondered if I could have done better myself with my husband's beard trimmer.He was totally uneven and it looked like they didn't even blow dry him.
So I tried someone else and she did a great job, but then moved. The thing is Maxie still hated going to her too.
Then I started bringing him (and Lily who I had just adopted) to another local groomer and Max's fear has disappeared. It is so good to drop him off happy and Lily likes going there too.
Now the problem I have is that Maxie will develop small mats behind his ears and legs that I try to keep up with at home...but with that poodle type coat, it's hard to keep him completely mat free. So when he goes for his grooming, he does have a few mats...and he often comes back with the same mats. Other than that, he looks good. I do point them out when I drop him off. I don't want to switch groomers again and risk traumatizing him. He has another appt this week and I will talk to the groomer about this- but in the meantime could I get some advice?
Should I just keep him in a shorter clip? I do like him a little longer because I like his curls. Also, I'm not sure of the expectation- is this normal to not remove mats? These are very small mats.
I would rather Max and Lily be happy when they go to the groomer and I am pleased that I have found a caring individual that doesn't roll them around like a sack of potatoes or take them in a back room where I can't see them. Neither one of them is going to Westminster but I would like them to look good.
Any recommendations for products to help with this? I have been using a product called "the Stuff" with a slicker brush and that does allow me to work through a lot of mats, but is there something better?
I also wind up bathing them every week or two in between. I use conditioner. Any shampoos/ conditioners that are better for a poodle type coat? Max has the poodle coat, Lily is more wavy and easier to manage. I try to remove the mats before bathing them but I do let them air dry. Does that contribute?
They are active dogs that wind up full of mud and muck and they also swim in the mucky Mohawk river... so maybe I just need to keep them shorter to accommodate their lifestyle.
Apologize for the length of this. Appreciate any input!Edited by author Fri Sep 30, '11 1:56pm PST
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) and once we were home, found the mats behind his ears were still there! Called the grooming shop, asked for the owner, and told them what I'd found- she was VERY apologetic and told me his next appointment was on the house. I presume the girl who groomed him either got an earful or got fired.
