# Grooming puppy self



## Caesar's Mommie (Apr 8, 2004)

I am curious, for those of you who groom your puppy yourself, what have you found to work best? We gave Caesar his first haircut yesterday, and we tried the 1 inch with human clippers, but it wouldnt take his hair, so we just trimmed him with scissors. He did well, I held him and hubby trimmed him. He just looks a little choppy







, but hes not a show dog our anything, just our lil' baby.


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## TikisMom (Jul 22, 2003)

I use scissors also..... you will get better with time. As with any hair cut; human or not; it will look much better in a few days







. I know when I first did Tiki I thought it was awful, but no one else seemed to notice. 

Judi


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## Maxismom (Mar 24, 2004)

:lol: I wish my baby would let me but there is no way he would ever let me trim his coat he fights with me when i brush him, he can't stand it
so i have him groomed once a month and than i bathe him once a week
he hates it but he has such a beautiful coat that i love to keep him clean


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## Janja (Apr 15, 2004)

yesterday I gave my Ogi his first haircut and I useed scissors
I think he looks ok and I can see that he's happy


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## TikisMom (Jul 22, 2003)

Welcome Janja! You have a cutie there! Good job on the cut!
I know Tiki loves when he gets a hair cut..... I think he stays cooler and feels lighter; like when we get a new dooo







.

Judi


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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

I decided to start cutting Lexi's hair myself. Yesterday I went to Sally's and getting the Wahl Designer clippers (for human hair). It is on sale at Sally's this month for $35 (the cost of haircut at PetSmart) and Sally's has a 90 day return policy.

I used it on Lexi yesterday and was very suprised how easy it was to use. I used the 1/2 inch guide. I have to say she did not look to bad afterwards! I think what really helped was having someone else hold her still while I used the clippers. With someone holding her it was so easy. I first tried it with just me holding and clipping. That did not work at all, so I had my furture sister-in-law hold her while I did her body. Worked great. I am thinking for the first couple of months cutting her hair every 2-3 weeks to get her used to it. I think eventually she will do great.


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## Maxismom (Mar 24, 2004)

Maxi would never let me do it without a fight he hates even when i bathe and comb him aqnd yet when he goes to the groomer he is so well behaved
go figure


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## ilove_d&m (Apr 7, 2004)

Nichole,

Thanks for the info that is very helpfull since I will be cutting Maya's hair 
and I want to keep it a little long.

Would you be kind to explain how do you cut the face with the beard trimmer?
Just last week I cut Daezies hair using clippers but I wasnt able to touch her face and she needs her face to be trimmed. 

Thanks


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## LoveMaltese6820 (Apr 12, 2004)

To cut the face I just use really little scissors. They work great and you can find them anywhere.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## Lucky's Dad (Jun 22, 2004)

This could have gone under Lexi's Mom's post too, but I've always cut Lucky's hair myself (puppy cut). Electric trimmers take off too much fur and I found them hard to use. My stylist taught me about thinning shears (I bought a cheap pair at Sally's for about $20). They leave a shaggier look by cutting every other few strands. If you lightly tug the hair down after closing the blades, you get a nice blended end -- like it grew that way -- and you avoid the really sharp lines that you get when using a regular scissors. After cutting his hair, you'd never know Lucky just had a trim. They even work around the face and have a nice, safe blunt end.

I do have an electric "peanut" trimmer (Wahl?) that (without any attachments) is perfect for trimming between the paws. Way quicker and safer than using scissors and much more comfortable for your Malt once they get used to it. The blades are really small and I don't think you could cut your Malt's skin with them. Oh, it does a nice job on the butt area too, but Lucky was *really* nervous about that the first time around and ended up with a baboon-butt for a few weeks because he jumped when it touched him back there.







Since, then he's done fine. 

Regards, 

Jay


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## kit001 (Jul 6, 2003)

I use scissors also, only use electric clippers to shave his paws on the undersides.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## kit001 (Jul 6, 2003)

That's where the electric clippers come in handy once they get used to them. I purchased a nice Wahl rechargeable, at Petco. I use it on both Morgan & Bailey's paws. Bailey isn't so hot with it yet as he hasn't had to have his done too much as of yet. Morgan just sits for me on the grooming table and waits it out, like "Ho Hum" lol


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## Puddles Mom (Jun 20, 2004)

Puddles does not like baths at all, so I am sure grooming him will be a big problem. Once a week we go for it, I have more water on me than he does. 

As far as the trimming, I am not sure of doing it myself. Hes still a puppy and a very busy one.

PetsMart has a bath, face/feet trim, ears plucked, nails trimmed for $ 14.99. I think thats a bargin !! If you have one in your area, might want to look into it. I am going to let them do the training... then later maybe I can keep his face trimed between appts. 

Puddles Mom


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## TikisMom (Jul 22, 2003)

Great post Nicole. 

I solved the "messy" problem by taking Tiki in the bathtub or shower with me. I just put on an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt. My shower has one of those attachments with a long hose. Both Tiki and I prefer the bathtub though; I put about 3 inches of very warm water in the bottom and in he goes. I sit on the side of the tub or kneel down in the water and use a cup to put the water over him. When it is time to rinse I will add the conditioner to fresh warm water in the bottom of the tub and scoop it up to pour over him.... after That I do another quick rinse with fresh warm water. I also wrap him in a warm towel, and I sit on the floor with him in my lap all wraped up. this is when I trim his nails and put the ear drying solution in his ears, he can't squirm to much wraped in the towel







He doesn't love his bath but tollerates it well as he knows he is going to get lots of treats after it is all over. He also seems to love the blow drier.... even when he isn't wet and I am using it he will come a lay by my feet so I will blow it on him. ***Does he love the blow drier or is he tuned into the fact that he always gets a special treat after he is all done?





















*** Oh, he has me trained so, so well









Judi

A second thought, I did notice that Tiki is much happier at bath time with a very very warm bath. A dogs body temp is 101/102, much warmer than ours. Be sure that your bath water is quite warm.... cooler water gives them a chill.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## Caesar's Mommie (Apr 8, 2004)

Caesar doesnt mind his baths at all. He just stands in the sink and doesnt try to fight it at all. He just isnt terribly fond of the blow dryer







. I never knew about warmer water either. Im always afraid it might be too warm. Thats interesting, thanks Tiki's mom!


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## Mystify79 (Apr 6, 2004)




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## TikisMom (Jul 22, 2003)

Mystify79, 

I don't pluck Tiki's ears... it freaked me out the first time I tried it and when I asked the vet he said not to do it unless we had problems with his ears. I use the drying solution after every bath or exposure to water (the pool or very heavy rain) and have never had a problem. You may want to check with your vet and see what she/he thinks about it.

Judi


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

TikisMom: What is the drying solution that you use? And where did you get it? I have tried putting cotton in Lexi's ears when I give her a bath but the end up falling out everytime. So now I just try to not to get water in her ears. But I think I still do.


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## Caesar's Mommie (Apr 8, 2004)

We use drying solution for Caesar too. You can get it at any pet store I'm pretty sure. There is a powder and a wet solution. He still doesn't like us putting in the wet solution so when this bottle is gone we may try the powder to see if he tolerates it better. I have never plucked his ear hair either, the vet said not to that it can be pretty painful to them and can be unneccessray if there are no problems. The solution we have now we got from Petsmart it's called Veterinarian's Best. It comes with 2 bottles, one is an ear wash and one is the " Ear Relief Dry". Sometimes we can only get the wash in Caesars ear, he really hates us putting stuff in his ear. But the wash also helps to dry the ear. We haven't had a problem with his ears yet, no infection or anything.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## TikisMom (Jul 22, 2003)

I use NOLVASAN Solution. I bought it from my vet. I dilute it (1 to 5) and put a squirt into the ear canal after each bath. If I think the ears got very wet inside (like going in the pool) I do it for 3 days.

Judi


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2004)

I go once every 2 weeks for the puppy package at Petsmart. Lacey is pretty good about it. I myself give her a bath once a week, even when she goes and gets groomed. I might only put her in the tub and let her get wet the weeks she goes and gets groomed but she thinks she is getting a bath. I usually only wash her paws, belly and face so her hair doesn't get dried out. At first she wasn't to happy with the bath but now she is better. I have given her 4 baths since I have had her and the last time she was really good about it. Afterwards I wrap her in a towel and take one leg out at a time and clip her nails and trim the hair in between her pads. This seems to keep her quiet and calm. After I let her run like a wild woman for about 10 minutes in the house and then I blow dry her. Took some work but she now lays and chews her bone while I brush/comb her while drying her. Just be patience and keep doing it and these little ones calm down and let you do what you have to do. I also brush/comb her everynight. At first I could do this for about 2 minutes and she wanted down but now she will lay on a pillow on my lap, chew her bone and let me groom her for as long as I like. I think she is doing pretty good for only being 19 weeks old!


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