Woe!!!

E

enigmaquandry

Forums Regular
Oh dear! Pidge dreadfully needed a good grooming with pretty much the works, however after pricing out the groomers in our area my husband and I decided that it could not possibly be worth the cost of feeding a family to get her groomed (when we had it done before she was still considered a "puppy'' and it was cheaper). One enormous explosion and three and a half hours later she looks like someone took a chainsaw to her and our bathroom is indescribable (fur all the way up the walls).

Is there any way on this earth that people can successfully groom their own shelties? I am at a loss, her "pants" were so thick it was like clipping through cotton balls, she had so many tiny mats behind her ears you couldn't find her skin! And Pidge is a pretty clean dog! I used her furminator on her for about a half hour and then clipped the little "poop dangles" out of her pants, then wrestled her for about another half hour trying to "thin out" said pants...bath, more furminating, more clipping, teeth brushed... she handled it better than we expected and she is ECSTATIC now that she's done but oh my, please tell me the proper way to do this! I'm beginning to think a good groomer is worth every penny...instead of thinning the pants I think I just obliterated them altogether! We even tried an electric razor with a guard...all of the scissor marks seem really bad, is there a trick?! Thanks :(
 
So many people here have good books, sites and tips, that I am going to let them chime in.

What I will tell you that I do and I am by no means a great groomer is that I just never let the pupper go longer than 2 or 3 weeks and I brush most days.

This way by staying on top of it, I never have to do much thinning and the mats are caught sort of as they form. Where do those things (mats) come from has always been my question.

As far as the poop dingle berries, seach "poop chute" and you will get a ton of threads on how to handle those.

Good Luck, and remember it does grow back (at least in time!:biggrin2:)
 
ronjantetrault said:
So many people here have good books, sites and tips, that I am going to let them chime in.

What I will tell you that I do and I am by no means a great groomer is that I just never let the pupper go longer than 2 or 3 weeks and I brush most days.

This way by staying on top of it, I never have to do much thinning and the mats are caught sort of as they form. Where do those things (mats) come from has always been my question.

As far as the poop dingle berries, seach "poop chute" and you will get a ton of threads on how to handle those.

Good Luck, and remember it does grow back (at least in time!:biggrin2:)
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Groomers charge an arm and a leg don't they not that they don't earn their money as you found out. You also can't always trust what they'll do to your dog. There are some real horror stories out there.

I agree with Jan. You have to keep on top of it. I brush mine a couple of times a week and check them daily for mats. I found if you keep them brushed on a regular basis you can go quite awhile without bathing. The dirt just seems to brush out that is unless they roll in something smelly or get covered in mud.:rolleyes2: Also when you brush make sure you line brush.Part the hair in narrow lines as you go and brush against the direction of the way the hair grows that lets you get under the top coat into the under coat. It sound complicated but once you get the hang of it you can do it very quickly. There is probably a better explanation some videos on the grooming thread here and I know there are some on Youtube if you need a visual.

As far as dingleberries I am a very lucky sheltie mom as the two I have now don't have that problem but I've had shelties in the past who have. I usually do a daily tail lift and butt check anyway, just in case. It's much easier to take care of them if they don't get out of control.

Happy grooming!
 
Here's a great book with illustrations !!

The Illustrated Guide to Sheltie Grooming By: Barb Ross
I use to have difficulty with the grooming as well but with daily brushings and The few tricks from Barb Ross for the paws and the Poop Chute to keep the Dingles under controll. It has gotten a lot easier and will for you as well. You may want to invest in both Chris's suggestion and the book. Groomers do charge an aweful lot but It is sometimes well worth the price. :eek2:
 
Smudge said:
I've been thinking about this for a while. How long are you allowed to view it after you've paid for it?
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I can't remember how long you have online access (maybe a year?), but I bought the DVD too which of course you have forever and can use with a TV if you groom near one. I found that more helpful than online access. It probably gives you more details on the website.
 
Ann said:
I can't remember how long you have online access (maybe a year?), but I bought the DVD too which of course you have forever and can use with a TV if you groom near one. I found that more helpful than online access. It probably gives you more details on the website.
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I only saw where you can buy the cd and the online access. Where did you find the DVD? :confused2:
 
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