Grooming and Care

About Grooming Your Dog / an Interview with Groomer Anna Hawkins

I think something a lot of pet owners overlook when they first get their pet is their grooming and care needs. All dogs need grooming, but not all dogs will require the same effort or type of grooming. To dig a little deeper on this subject, I decided to interview my sister Anna Hawkins, who is based in Alberta. She is knowledgeable about grooming and wants to see people take responsibility of their pets care. I thought she would be a great person to help me with this post!

Anna runs Pawparazzi Pet Services in Taber, Alberta. It is a home-based professional salon for pets. Pawparazzi Pet Services just opened last year, but Anna says she started with hands-on experience the year before. “My friend was running a home-based dog grooming business and she was kind enough to teach me and give me loads of hands-on experience.”, she said. Anna loves animals and devotes herself to treating them with kindness and is very professional. Since opening, Pawparazzi Pet Services has been busy helping keep Tabers animals healthy and looked after.

Anna volunteering her time to trim nails at Pet Valu.
Proceeds went to the Taber Lost Paws Society.

Condition Your Dog

The first thing you need to do to get your dog on the path of regular grooming care is to “condition” them for that type of handling. Animals don’t understand that grooming is good for them and they don’t always enjoy it right away. In order to get a dog (or any other animal) used to being handled by a groomer you have to first start at home handling them in a similar fashion and associate that handling with something positive. You can do this just hanging out in your living room watching a movie. If you have a table you can lift them onto it will help even more as most groomers use a grooming table. If you don’t have a table you can put your dog on, you can still condition your dog from the floor or couch. Sit down with your dog and touch them all over. Associate this touch positively using your tone of voice, your type of touch and food rewards. Make sure you are touching their ears, feet/toes, tails and mouths as well. These are areas most dogs aren’t fond of being touched.

If your dog ever gets a nail or pad injury, ear infection or tooth problem you will need them to be okay with being touched in these areas by a vet or groomer. They will also have to be used to you lifting their tails, as a surprising amount of dog problems come from the butt (as we learned at the K-9 First Aid course hosted by Nikki last summer). Pet and touch your dog then treat. Do this all over and repeatedly. You can work on it for 5 minutes a night and it will still make an impact on how your dog behaves at both the groomers and the vets.

You can also take this one-on-one time with your dog as a way to touch base with their health. Give them a look all over to make sure that all systems are working fine. Peek into the ears, check the gums, you can even go so far as to check your dogs heart rate. Knowing what your dog’s regular resting heart rate is can help you in the case of an emergency to know what is normal and what isn’t normal for your dog. Check between the toes, part the fur and look for any bumps, scrapes or strange growths. If any odd bumps or lesions do show up you can be aware of them, treat them if necessary, and keep an eye on them so that they don’t get infected. If your dog has an injury that hasn’t been noticed it can fester and become a real problem.

At-Home Care

Even if you have a reoccurring appointment with your groomer, you will still need to make sure you are keeping up on regular at-home care for your dog. There are many things people easily overlook such as nails. Sometimes people feel intimidated by trimming their dogs nails themselves and so they simply don’t do it. When you don’t keep up with regular nail care then the blood supply to the nail grows with the nail and it becomes harder to trim them. You have to slowly take off a bit at a time and leave several days in between for the blood supply (known as the “quick”) to recede. I asked Anna what the most overlooked part usually is and her response was, “oh yes, probably the nails. I am always surprised by how often people say their dog doesn’t need a nail trim but then I look at those feet and they are SO overgrown.” Dogs walk on their toes, so if you leave the nails so long that they are past the toes and touching the floor, they can push the toes up and force a dog to walk on the main pad on their foot (kind of like making you walk on your heel). It can be uncomfortable and if left untreated it can even cause foot pain and arthritis in your dog.

It’s important to understand the unique grooming needs of your dog. Some breeds have different types of coat that require different types of care. “Dirty ears and un-plucked ear hair in poodles and poodle-mixes is another very common issue”, Anna says. Some terriers require hand stripping of the fur as well, which is a bit more work and a lot more conditioning than your average type of coat.

Whether your dog has a unique type of coat or not, the biggest thing you can do between grooming appointments is brush your dog. “If your dog has a smooth-short coat, use a bristle brush and a de-shedding brush.” Anna said about brushing between appointments, “If your dog has floofy thick fur, get that comb right down to the skin, not just the top layer. Cats should be brushed, too, especially long-haired cats.”.

Matted Fur

When an animal’s fur gets tangled and is not treated it can become more and more tangled until it’s a thick matted mess. Mats can be unsightly, annoying and even dangerous. If left untreated, the mats can mat together and form a whole “pelt” that covers the animal. It is so tight all over and can pull on the skin. Since it creates a thick layer over the skin moisture can get trapped against the skin. All that pulling and moisture is a dangerous grounds for infection. It can be extremely painful. It’s best to take care of mats when they’re small and easy to remove. Mats commonly happen in long-haired animals that aren’t brushed, but they can sometimes happen to short-haired animals too.

“Don’t let your dog swim and then roll around to dry off,” Anna said, “because it can create a lot of mats in the coat. If you find a mat, massage it with some corn starch and gently pick it out with a wide-tooth comb.”

Finding The Right Groomer

Grooming animals is one of those professions where anyone can say they’re a groomer (just like anyone can say they’re a dog trainer). So how do you find a good groomer who knows what they’re doing and treats your pets with a fair kindness? Anna says, “People should always ask a groomer where they got their practical (hands-on) training, and what are they doing to update their knowledge and keep their skills sharp? There is SO much to learn in this field and we should never stop studying and seeking improvement”.

I loved the way Anna explained this, as it’s exactly how I feel about dog trainers as well. Hands-on experience is important, someone who is willing to keep learning and keep getting better is essential, and someone who you personally get along with is also important. You’re going to commit to bringing your pet to this person on a regular basis, it’s important that you trust them personally and trust their skills as well.

“I am so grateful to the pet owners in my area for trusting me with their fur-babies.” Anna said, “I have been honored by the tremendous response to my new business, and all the support I have received in only a few short months. I am flattered to have clients from Taber and almost all the surrounding small towns, with some driving nearly an hour to bring their pets to me. I promise to always treat them as if they were my own beloved fur-faces.”.

A good groomer will treat your pet like their own loved pets. That is a great quality to look for in a groomer, and the residents of Taber and it’s surrounding areas are very lucky to have Anna caring for their pets!

Be The Ideal Client

Grooming animals is not for the faint of heart. I knew from an early age, about 12 or so, that I could never hack it as a groomer. I just don’t enjoy it. I do the basic grooming necessary for my dogs and I am fully aware I will not put in extra effort for de-matting and more extensive grooming. I think it’s important people are honest with themselves when they first get a dog, on whether or not they can put the time and effort into their unique care needs. I know I don’t want to deal with the coat of a long haired dog, so I don’t get long haired dogs.

If you’re going to rely on a groomer for regular appointments you should do your best to be an excellent client. This involves regular maintenance in between your appointments, but it goes a little beyond that as well. I asked Anna what her ideal client was and after her answer I realized the ideal client is also the ideal pet owner. It’s someone who’s proactive in their animals care. I think it is also someone who feels comfortable to have free-flowing dialogue with their groomer. Ask questions if you have them, and be curious about your dogs care.

“I really appreciate any client who loves their pet so much that they are trying to do all the right things at home in-between grooming and veterinarian appointments. They research how to brush the pet and they bought the correct type of brush for the coat type. They are feeding the best quality food they can afford. They are hands-on, actively training and socializing, and are very aware of what is happening with their pets physical state. They know when to book the pet with a professional groomer, they are committed to that appointment and see it for what it is: health and wellness care.”

I also asked Anna what her idea pet client is. She said any animal that cooperates in the salon, which brings me back to the beginning of this post. I can’t stress enough how important conditioning your pet to touch is. Anna further explained, “They don’t have to be thrilled with the situation, but please don’t be climbing my arms and snapping at me and leaping around like a little rodeo bull. I do love grooming Pomeranians, Golden Retrievers, and Border Collies especially, though.”

A huge THANK YOU to Anna of Pawparazzi Pet Services for helping me with writing this blog as well as for providing the “Grooming Tips” and photos. As an on-going effort to raise awareness about grooming as care for your dog, I will have these grooming tips peppered throughout my blogs, website, and social medias.

Dogs and Children

Dog Blog, Dogs and Children, GUIDE 1: SAFETY & REGULATIONS

I’ve decided to make my three-part article about dogs and children available for free. This subject is near and dear to my heart as well as just being extremely important information. Most dog bites to children happen to the face and can be traumatizing, disfiguring or even fatal. If both dogs and children are taught from a young age how to safely and respectfully interact they can build a beautiful friendship together.
[ PART ONE ] [ PART TWO ] [ PART THREE ] [ PART FOUR ]

I grew up constantly around dogs. We always had at least one family dog (if not two) and since I was 5 years old I knew dogs were something special and that I had a special connection with them. You could even say I was a little obsessed (to the point my family had to tell me to talk about dogs a little less).

Having dogs can be extremely beneficial for children. Studies have shown that kids who grow up around dogs build a better immune system and have less problems with animal allergies. Kids who grow up with dogs also learn about responsibility, love and caring for another being. They also learn about the unfortunate cycle of life and death. They learn about love, loss and friendship. They have someone who is always there for them, always loves them and always has a sympathetic shoulder when they need it. Dogs can also help a child be more physically active through walks, play, training and dog sports. The benefits are so big I feel every kid should grow up with a dog in their life. That all being said; it is also extremely important that parents/caregivers learn how to help kids and dogs interact safely.

SO many dog bites towards children could be prevented. Dog bites towards small children can also be extremely devastating. From the moment a baby is born or a puppy brought home it is the responsibility of the caregivers to teach both dog and child how to interact safely.

It starts with supervision. Even the most friendly of family dogs can bite if pushed past their limits. Babies and small children should ALWAYS be supervised with dogs. They do not have the brain development yet to learn how to safely interact with dogs. Babies and toddlers tend to pinch, grab and pull as a way to explore their world and they don’t understand that it can hurt someone else. They also like to explore their worlds through putting things in their mouths and physically crawling, climbing and tumbling. Dogs can have a lot of patience but even the sweetest of dogs will react to pain. Never ever leave a baby, toddler or small child alone with any dog.

Likewise, puppies and dogs need to learn they can’t jump on, paw at or constantly lick at a baby. Large dogs can easily knock over toddling toddlers. They need to learn to give space to small ones and keep their paws to themselves. A large, rambunctious puppy can easily hurt a baby or toddler with the intentions of play.

You can introduce dogs and children at any age, whether the child is an infant, toddler or older child and likewise; whether the dog is a full grown adult or puppy. How you introduce children and dogs may vary a bit, expectations can be different based on their age, but no matter what you want the introduction to be soft, slow and calm.

How to Introduce Babies and Dogs

When you first introduce a dog to your baby make sure it is in a calm environment. Wait until all the visitors are gone and the house is quiet. Have the dog sit and you hold the baby so that the dog can sniff from a seated position. Dogs may get excited at the smell of a newborn baby so a leash may be needed if you have an easily excited dog who likes to jump about and express their excitement with their whole bodies. Tell your dog to sit if they start to get excited. If your dog is overly excited, unresponsive or you feel too nervous to let them get too close, then don’t. Dogs can learn a lot about social interactions from not directly touching or being close enough to touch anyone. In fact, a positive experience where nobody gets upset and nobody gets hurt is extremely beneficial to teaching a dog to be calm around new people or animals. Likewise, it teaches the same lessons to the baby too.

Babies and kids learn a lot from what we set as an example. Keep this in mind when you’re interacting with your dog in front of your baby, keep this in mind. Since babies have very poor motor skills, it’s best to avoid petting areas of the dog that the baby may accidently grab or poke that are sensitive (such as the head/face). Start with petting the dog’s shoulders, chest or back. Show your baby how you gently pet your dog. You can even repeat to the baby “gentle pets” and explain it’s a nice dog you’re giving gentle pets to. Talk in a soft, sing-song voice that your baby enjoys.

If your baby grabs the dog’s fur, hold their hand so that they can’t pull on the dog’s fur and release their little grip. Small babies are too young to understand, nor do they even have the ability to control whether they grab at the dogs fur or not. Just release them and continue on with the calm interaction. If your baby seems to grab and pull too much for your dog’s comfort then stop and try again another day. Watch your dog and gauge their reaction. If they seem nervous then stop all interactions between baby and dog for a bit. Instead, focus on peaceful cohabitation from afar.

How to Introduce Toddlers and Dogs

Toddlers can be very unpredictable and this can be hard for dogs. They squeal, run, poke, grab, and climb on everything. This is all totally normal and important skill-building and world-exploration for your toddler, but just like the other safety rules in your house your toddler needs to learn the rules about interacting with the dog. Don’t let your toddler do things like grab, pull, poke or climb on the dog. Teach them, instead, that we pet and play with the dog nicely. Show your toddler by example how to pet and tell them “gentle pets”. Put a lot of emphasis on being gentle with the dog. This can be a hard concept for some toddlers to get, and may take many many repetitions. If your toddler is particularly too rough and your dog isn’t comfortable, then it’s time to end the interaction and try again another time when your toddler can be calmer.

Toddlers can play simple games like throwing a ball for a dog. Getting the ball back from the dog should be the responsibility of an adult or older child. Toddlers should NOT be allowed to take anything from the dog, whether it’s a ball thrown or another toy or chew/bone of the dog. If your dog has any sort of possession issues and you notice signs of their resource guarding (growling, hovering over, and generally protecting their item from anyone) then it is very important you pick up ALL items the dog my guard and remove them access when the toddler is on the floor. This is a very important rule to prevent bites.Your dog can have access to these items when the toddler is not around or when the dog is in a locked crate or room. Do NOT give a dog access to items it may guard when any children are around. Work on this behavior separately and until a child is old enough to understand not to grab an item from a dog.

How to Introduce a Child to a Dog

Children who are 5 or older can be introduced to dogs with a bit more instruction. Let them know to remain calm. Don’t run from a dog (especially excited dogs or puppies), don’t make sudden movements; pet the dog from the chest, neck or back. Do not reach over the dog’s head. Give the dog a treat or throw a ball for them. Older children can pick up the ball from the dog, or give commands such as drop it/release. If a dog enjoys it, a child can rub their belly or brush their fur.

If the dog is extra rambunctious, then just like when introducing a baby or toddler, you can put the dog on leash and ask for a sit or down. Have the child give the command and reward with a treat. Let the dog sniff the child. If they seem overwhelmed or unsure, let them have space from the child and/or take a break.

Teach your child to always ask before petting a stranger’s dog. Have them practice asking “can I pet your dog” and explain that if someone tells them no then it’s important to respect that.

Older Children/Teenagers and Dogs

Dogs are a great companionship for older children and can encourage physical activity and responsibility. Older children can take on the job of feeding, brushing, playing with, walking and even training the family dog (with adult guidance). Dog sports such as Dog Agility or Flyball are great ways for kids and teens to get active and compete in sports with their dogs. Overall responsibility of purchasing food and providing veterinary care should always fall on the shoulders of the adults in the family.

Give the Dog Their Own Space

One of the most important things you can do is make sure your dog has a safe space to retreat to when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Kids can be overwhelming for anyone, including dogs. Keep a kennel or bed in a quiet part of a room that your dog can always have access to. Don’t ever allow the children to climb on or in the dog’s bed or kennel. This space is completely off-limits to children and is a safe retreat for your dog. You can encourage your dog to go to this space whenever the kids get chaotic or you notice your dog getting overwhelmed.

Shara Walsh

Master Dog Trainer

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