Blue Fox 001

Thanks guys for the advice on the groomers friend, I will have a look into it a bit further.

Clyde where did you get your Groomers Friend from? I have been looking at a couple of different restraints and am unsure of just what would be best for those quick snappy little ones.

We're crating our new baby and it's working a treat. We have one of those wire ones, at the moment we have an old quilt cover covering it but have ordered a proper cover. We have the crate next to our bed upstairs and at night we go for a last toilet break at about 11pm (unless I'm dog tired then it might be earlier) and then into the crate. Last night he woke me up at 2.30am and again at 5.30am to go out which I thought was pretty good. If for some reason I can't watch him he goes into the crate also. We have another older dog and I don't want to take any chances so don't leave them alone unsupervised yet. Pup has only been with us for 6 days. We have only had two accidents inside and of course both my fault; once I was on the phone and couldn't get off fast enough once he finished tea and the other time was only about 15 minutes after we'd been outside and he had been to the toilet so I thought we were safe :rolleyes:

I bought my new one a Snuggle Puppie - is a soft fluffy toy, has a heartbeat, heat pads and a renewable heat pack (rice you heat in the micro). If you google snuggle puppie you'll find it. He turns up tomorrow so don't know if he likes it or not yet I bought it direct from the company online, fairly slow delivery (but I am in the middle of nowhere so that is probably why it too a little while).

Ohh bugger! They always have to check out the new stuff! I have just bought some stuff called McNasty on a recommendation from another thread. Haven't used it yet on the dogs (bought it for one particular boarding dog who is back next week) but I tasted it myself just to see and it is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! Kinda hot on your tongue and the taste is definately McNasty Couldn't get rid of the taste even after Coke, milk and water - it just lingered for ages. Got it online from Pets on the Park - good service, fast delivery.

I had two no shows on the weekend and it has got me thinking as well. I know overseas they often take a booking fee eg. if they have no showed before, when they rebook they pay a nominal amount eg. $25 to book, then if they no show you keep the money and if they do show it gets taken off the bill. This sounds all good if you can take a credit card transaction over the phone when they book, I can't and I can't see anyone come in to pay a deposit before the appointment and wouldn't like to ask them to either! Lots of salons also ring the night before as a reminder, I haven't started this and don't want too, but if I find people are forgetting then perhaps I will have too. Both my appointments on the weekend had only book during the week so how one managed to forget completely is beyond me The second was in hospital and has rebooked for this weekend so I suppose I forgive her for that - I imagine ringing the dog groomer was low down on her list! I can't see myself ring someone who has forgotten and asking them to pay full price - like you I just couldn't do it. If it was happening often I think I would look more into the credit card booking fee. We would also use it for the kennels to take perhaps 1/2 of the boarding fee up front if it was a long stay, but again most people have been really good and not cancelled at late notice so no need to yet.

Thanks so much for the reply K9. I am very excited about the pup coming back and hopefully getting some real progress while he is here with this method. I will email you for the info to give the owner shortly. Keep your fingers crossed for me, thanks again and I will let you know how we go.

I have also just started grooming and find "Notes" to be fantastic. But like people have said above not many owners want or can cope with a true breed clip. I was all excited the other day was going to have my first Cocker, read all about it in Notes, looked up everything I could find on the internet, asked questions on a grooming forum I am on - when dog came in had to be cut down with a #9, matted to the skin on body and ears There certainly wasn't anything fancy about how he ended up!

I also have the Double K Airmax and find it brilliant for all sorts of dogs. I use both motors to initially dry my GSD and it's fantastic, cuts down the time immensely. If I've got a nervous shih x in I use one motor with the condenser off - takes more time than with the condenser on but dogs seem happier/calmer. Love it Unfortunately it is quite loud and I'm prone to headaches too. I have the body of the dryer as far away as possible for both the dogs and my comfort, but as I'm doing more grooming as the weeks pass I'm starting to wonder about long term hearing damage so thinking about getting some ear plugs.

Hi Cherob - I am not the expert and when our new one turns up in a few weeks I'll probably be posting like mad wanting help with him but ... Are you crate training? From what I am reading crate training and teaching the pup to enjoy her own company with the help of chew toys is the way too go. Ian Dunbar has a good booklet "Before you get your puppy" do a google search and download for free. It goes through the beginning of crate training, kong toys and how to gradually increase the seperation time while your home and eventually when your not home. At least if she is in a sturdy safe crate she won't be able to hurt herself while she comes to grips with you not being there every minute. How old is she? I don't think this really matters, but apparently the earlier you start the easier they are likely to accept it. I will be crate training the new one because unfortunately I have to go to work full time, and while he will have the GSD for company (as well as any boarding dogs) I want him to enjoy his own company too.

Persephone did not mean he is having a midlife crisis, rather that at this advanced stage of his life everything has suddenly changed and he is adjusting. obviously he is not happy. Rescue remedy will not harm the dog but help him relax. It doesnt zonk them out it is not a drug. Maybe you need to take an overall look at his behaviour he sounds like he is doing his darndest to tell you he is NOT happy and wants you to make a change now. Personally I dont see the problem letting him wander with you since you let him be boss dog for all these years. If he carries on at dogs through the fences then you really do need to train him more to be accepting of what you want from him. And yes he is a boy shepherd so a MASSIVE sooky la la :cool: He is definately a sooky la la Ahh GSD people your so onto it You two have summed him up completely. Apologies Persephone I miss read your post - he certainly is having to get use to lots of things at once and I think all in all he is coping quite well - it really is just this one thing. I am aware of rescue remedy, my vet use to use it quite a bit when I was vet nursing in Pt Macquarie many years ago. He use to make up remedies specifically for each patient taylored to their particular problems, and it did work a treat. I will order some when I'm next stocking up from the supplier. He really doesn't seem unhappy with his lot in life - he does not bark at the others when he is left to roam on his own, he is not aggressive towards them, his behaviour in every other way is as per normal. I certainly understand he is not happy when we spend time with the others, he makes that perfectly clear I am sure he would like not to have us play/walk/spend time with the other dogs, but that is not an option and we will hopefully not be closing the doors on our new business in the forseeable future! I don't much fancy having to control an out of control 8 month old ridgie X on a lead and not have the pup jump all over him or dart off in every direction trying to get at him - doesn't seem like much chop for anyone. I just can't see letting him wander with us working. We are currently building a play yard so each boarding dog will have free run of the yard each morning - I am not sure if his barking will continue if we're out there playing but able to go to him and reasure him that he is still the boss dog. And should I even be continuing to do this eg. sooky la laing him? I wonder if he will eventually come to grips with the fact that these dogs come and go and he still gets the most attention and is still top dog?

K9 is this method safe - by that I mean if I was to have a go at it is there any possibility of making the dog worse? The reason I ask is I have a boarding dog who is coming back in early September and I would like to speak with the owner about starting this while he is here with me for a week and have her continue with him when he goes home. Just one disclaimer I have not done this before! Will be starting with my GSD tomorrow. He is a very headstrong 8 month old pup, not well socialised and very use to getting his own way. I am thinking with a week of this and some basic obedience he would be on the way to being a lovely dog, but if he continues in this vein I don't think he will live to be a very old dog as he will become to big, too strong and too much hassle for them. What do you think - worth giving it a go? Also can you split the days food into 4 or 5 portions and do this more often to get faster results? We will only have 5 days to show some real improvement or I feel they won't go on with it. Apologies if this has been asked. I got to page 14 and then just had to ask my questions

Sorry persephone I didn't perhaps add enough information. We have built an american barn, the kennels are in one wing, our kitchen is downstairs adjacent to the kennels and we live upstairs so he is in our house - they all are or rather we are in their kennel. He is put in his kennel overnight and then let out to have the run of the place during the day when we are home. He has all his old things from the last house, his bed, his toys. There is a radio playing all day in the kennels for all the dogs and he/along with the others gets bones each night. He is not having a midlife crisis, he is a happy well adjusted dog, except for the fact that he seems to resent us spending time with the other dogs. I don't believe he needs rescue remedy - more training probably. I have never done the TOT with him but maybe it is time to start, perhaps the Alpha heirachy has slipped. Look foward to other response if anyone can offer some advice.

We have just built and opened a small boarding kennel, and we're getting busier everyday. The boarding dogs on the whole have been quite good - it's our GSD that is the problem. Everytime we take one of the dogs out for a walk he carried on, barking, howling, circling etc.. He has the the only dog for pretty much his entire 9 years of life and is very close to me, although he does the same when my OH walks the dogs and I stay cleaning the kennels. It looks like jealousy to me, just unhappy that it is another dog and not him that's with us. He has a solid basic obedience education, and apart from this new behaviour he is a wonderful dog. Obviously his barking and carrying on sets the others off (not good for them) and also not good for our neighbours who are not close by but at 5.30am it is probably a little annoying. I have tried letting him out first for a run and toileting - makes no difference. I have tried ignoring him - makes no difference. Tonight I tried walking closer to the kennel block and giving him commands to try and divert him from making the noise - made no difference. It is not possible to walk him and a boarding dog at the same time as most of the boarding dogs have had very little socialisation or obedience and it's a full time effort just to keep hold of them. We also have a new pup coming in a few weeks and I don't want him to teach the new one this bad behaviour. So my apologies for such a long post but I felt I should explain in a little detail. Any suggestions on what to do would be greatly appreciated. Edit to add - it doesn't matter if we're walking within sight or out of sight the carry on is the same.

Well he's not quite with us yet but all going well should only be a few more weeks. Name: T.C (Kirada Toledo Steel) Sex: Male Date of birth: 28th June 2008 Age: 6 weeks Colour: Blue/Smokey Black - waiting for true colour to develop Breed: Standard Poodle Hobbies: Not sure but he has had a few baths, grooming and clipping courtesy of his breeder Loves & Hates: Well not sure yet will post again after we have had him at home for a few days

The Furminators are fantastic - I have one for the GSD and the cat and it is amazing just how much fur continues to come out. We use one of those sticky rollers (got ours from IKEA) for the furniture and clothes and it works a treat too. Love Clipperworld but we got the furminators from the US and they were much cheaper than any I could find in Australia - like just over half the price even with freight. Not sure what they would be now with the exchange rate and all but probably worth a look.

Hi Kaffy I am a little spoilt as we were building so I had washing machine taps put in, and we can swap from rain water to tap water if we're running low. It is a single tank with heater and auto rinse so you never run out of warm water to rinse with. I love it! Can wash dogs day or night in comfort. The waste water goes straight out a floor drain and is recycle out to our garden. Edit to add - I wish I had chosen a colour, if you have an option for this I would as you have to live with it for a long time.

Pretty sure the shampoo is diluted properly. I am using Plush Puppy and as it is quite expensive I have been very careful with the dilution, measuring it out by medicine cup My poor old wolfie cross doesn't have much of a coat at all. They (and the vet) think he had a heart attack some 4 - 5 months ago and since then his top coat is basically falling out. He has nearly no guard hairs, just soft, downy undercoat - quite thick. He is deaf as a post, and quite stiff through the back so I suppose I was extra careful with him. He was lovely actually, the sound of the hydrobath and the dryer were completely lost on him so he wasn't concerned at all.

I've had some near misses with the plastic ones coming off!!! They flip off and you are left with a very short blade on their skin I've got the stainless steel ones so I'm glad their good. I can take chunks out without combs coming off ;)

I know Ceilidh it is way too long! ;) Perhaps not that long for a SWF but 10 minutes at least for one of them. The 20 minutes was for an Irish Wolfie X I did the other night. By the time I rinse really thoroughly twice and then do the conditioner, and then rinse again, until I'm doubly sure there is no residue it just seems to take ages. Once again it is probably just practice until I get a speedy reliable system. Oh yes I am charging her full price Ari - she was booked in for 8 weeks, but she rang yesterday and said dog was chewing at her paws and she was having trouble keeping her mat free so I brought her appointment forward. Initially she wanted me to just shorten her paws but she was happy with my suggestion to bring her appointment forward.

Oh thank doG I thought I was the only one. I am very new (in fact have only done two malt X's) and it took me two hours for both. I did a lot of hand scissoring on both and left them quite long - too long for one ladies liking and she is back this Saturday (is still 6 weeks since she was done) for me to take it off by half! We don't really offer full grooming, but I am finding more people are happy to let me give it a go, so hopefully my skills and time will improve. I thought I would do this one on Saturday with a snap on all over (including legs) and really limit the scissoring, #10 essentials of course. Do the pro's shampoo twice? I have been but it takes me a good 15 - 20 minutes in the bath if I do this and quite a bit of water to rinse properly, the results are fantastic but I wonder if it is overkill. Any suggestions most welcome.

Hi Kaffy I have recently purchased a Perfect Paws hydrobath - single tank autofill, cost us $2,600 I think but it has all the bells and whistles and you would certainly get a basic model cheaper. I would love to tell you how well it works but I haven't been able to hook it up, as our barn is still under construction and I have no power or water yet. Hopefully in 3 weeks tops once we've moved in and got settled I will be able to let you know how its going :D As for the dryer after much reading and talking to people in the know I bought a Double K Airmax 2 speed - and it is fantastic so far. It has oodles of power for force drying, but if you take the condenser off and drop back to one motor it will happily fluff dry a malt without blowing it off the table. I suppose it depends on what your drying but this so far seems pretty versatile. We bought ours from Clipperworld for around $450 I think - not sure exactly cause we bought a few things and got discount. Hope that helps.

Thanks guys for your replies. Sorry I forget sarcasm doesn't come over clearly in print - I wasn't being sarcastic Sorry Clyde - I meant my sarcasm saying I "need"more gear - I am sure I have more than enough but I just love buying new products to try.

Hi becks - that sounds like the Lip system in the US. They have chains and then just link the grooming loop to the chains where ever it is positioned best for the height of the dog. I am thinking I will just get started with what I have and see how I go, perhaps the OH can make me some sort of frame if I feel I need it later. I will have the small dog table with the short side against the wall which will have the grooming arm on it and I have a large dog table which will be positioned in a corner so has walls on two sides of the table. We can of course move these around depending on how we go.

I bought the Pixie Dust to try out on my Mum's Maltese so she won't mind if it comes off on her Does it really make them sparkle? The Reviva Coat is for him as well, he's going to be my first real guinea pig for clipping, scissoring and trying some new products and a bit of colouring too Quite looking forward to it. Thanks catsmother. My products turned up yesterday so I might try some on the black & white moggie I have later today - should give me some indication of what it's like on her white parts.