Pjrt

Yup. I (obviously) don't use Blinkblink but im fussy. There is a local place, where you can also DIY - ive had to use twice in a week - once for a regular bath & once the ither day for an emergency "he rolled in poo" bath. Both times ive seen them walk away with dogs on tables for extended periods. Chills me to the bone. I will leave dogs on tables.....there I said it!!! but....... Some dogs are much happier and relaxed sitting on a table with a humane well fitted tether , than in a crate where they scratch and scream until their feet and or mouths bleed. If I leave a dog on a table it is always tethered and always in my line of sight. I designed my salon specifically so that either directly or reflected in the wall mirrors, I can see what any dog is up to at any time, no matter where it is in the salon. On the rare occasion I do leave a dog tethered on the table it is after considering the safety and happiness of the dog. Some are simply much happier sitting up on the table for just a few minutes after their groom until the owner arrives, or while I do a quick walk in nail trim on the other table. Of course the dog on the table will be immediately removed to a safer spot if it shows any inclination for trying to jump down or slip off or becomes agitated. I groom one at a time so most dogs that are waiting it's only for a short time, and there are minimum distractions for me or the dog. Most dogs are happy enough to sit in the trolley or a crate for a short time with some treats or a chew, but Some dogs are simply happier and/or safer spending those few minutes perched up on the table safely tethered. There is however no excuse what so ever for walking away from a table from an un tethered dog, or leaving the line of sight of a tethered dog.

Yep, there is absolutely nothing stopping anyone from hanging out their shingle claiming to be a dog groomer. And unfortunately there are a lot of people from kids just out of school to second career professionals and everyone and anyone In between who seem to reckon "it's only dogs" "how hard can it be" with pretty much zero experience with the equipment or dog handling, who do exactly that across Australia each and every day. The quality of the hairstyling is secondary to the treatment, handling and conditions for the dogs. Personally I would like to see enforcible minimum industry standards as well as a licensing system. Not so much targeted at the ability to put out a smashing style but at least to understand the animals and recognise best handling and safety practices.

DOG GROOMER SENTENCED Dammit can anyone fix the link for me Thanks guys, all fixed

The nuances of dog coat colour names is fascinating. Another example would be the Rhodesian Ridgeback which is only ever wheaten, just light to red wheaten.

I saw this darling again the other day. Her tumour has grown and changed a lot in the six or so weeks since I saw her last. Her time is ticking.......hope to see her at xmas.

Sorry I can't post a link but if you go,to the home page of this site, under the breeders tab at the top, select puppies and then pugs. There is one breeder in NSW currently advertising a black male. Maybe some one else can post the link. A breed where sourcing a quality breeder is paramount.

I wondered the same thing. If you don't even refer to them by the correct name. I did wonder that too...but wasn't sure what the correct name was. Doesnt really matter .I get a couple of phone calls a day from people who want to talk to me about Maremmas - some breed them and some have owned them for a decade or more and they dont pronounce or spell the name correctly whether their experience is with registered ones or not. aIn that sense, no, it doesn't matter. My point was more that people are here spending time giving advice and I'm sure most of them are assuming the dogs in the OP are ANKC registered breeding animals, as they may well be, but Reading the OP there is nothing to indicate whether the animals in question are pedigree breeding animals or back yard bred animals that are barely the essence of staffy, or anything in between. I just reckon folks wouldn't be so keen to use their time advising byb is all.

English staffys.....Are we even talking about registered ANKC pedigree Staffordshire Bull Terriers here?

The level of owner/dog management I have to implement for clients entering the few square metres of reception space in my salon is mind boggling. People just do not watch their dogs. In a tiny area like this i have had so many dogs toilet, right by their owner, right on the end of the lead, and the owner, standing right there, and the only dog/owner in reception, refuse to accept that it was their dog that messed up! they shuffle though their bags or yap on their phone while the dog tries to grab stock, toilets on the walls, stock, pulls its head out of its way too loose collar and runs amok. All this in a tiny space where all they have to concentrate on is their dog!! So yeah, the scope for things to go to shit in and around the hardware store..... the vast majority of Aussies and their dogs just arent ready for it! I am not saying it shouldnt be allowed though....it just needs a lot of education around it so we might start on the path to wider acceptance of dogs in public.

Its an unfortunate incident. Im on the fence with the whole Bunnings/dogs thing. I really don't think the vast majority of dogs/dog owners in this country have anywhere near the level of commitment to the social skills of their dog for this to work very well at the moment. Many people tell stories of other countries where dogs are free to move around socially with their owners, both inside and outside of public and private spaces. The thing is though, the level of training of the dogs is generally excellent, as in solid down stay, sit stay etc, and no social novelty of being around other dogs. As well as just growing up with this social aspect in their lives. The average owner/dog combo going in to Bunnings is going to have little ability to do a solid stay while they owner browses shelf items, goes through the checkout etc. Doesn't have the mindset of keeping the dog close and watching for signs of stress, instead letting the dog free range on it's leash, piss on stock, sniff and hassle other shoppers, etc etc. Just like a lot of folks do with dog parks, people will take their dogs in to this new environment with no effort to set the dog up for success, and blame every one else when it goes wrong. The sense of I'm entitled to bring my dog, so stuff off. Bunnings might do well to provide dog in store workshops run by dog trainers, just like they do with tools & techniques for DIY and tradies

I was reminded of this thread when yesterday I received a fat envelope from the RSPCA SA addressed to my grooming business that contained all the information in this link along with lists of recommended trainers and several post cards with the image of the good and bad collars/leads same as the graphic top right of the online story. I very much doubt that the change in legislation has a hope in hell of getting through. RSPCA SA Lead By Example

Probably short thick , or medium double coat. If he is getting on best to just do what he can cope with. Sounds like you're doing fine. Anything is better than nothing. For reducing heat stress it's mostly the body, neck, chest area to concentrate on removing as much dead coat as possible. It won't make a whole lot of difference for heat stress if his pants are a bit thick. Age can bring conditions that will thicken coat and over produce coat, such as cushings. If you think his coat is really over doing it, it may be worth watching and checking for other health issues.

My fav is the Les Pooches slicker brush. Expensive but great for dogs that aren't fans of being brushed. Im a LesPooch junkie. I have about 10 of them!

A short double coat or a long double coat? Breed? Personally i am not a fan of undercaot rakes, but the longer the coat, the longer the tynes need to be to be effective. A horse curry or rake is fine for a short coat, a dog undercoat rake with longer teeth for a fuller longer coat. Personally I dont think anything beats a slicker brush and a steel comb and a thorough going over once or more a week. Push the hair up and back and work through it methodically, called line grooming. Enhance results by very lightly misting the the sections with a spray bottle of water with a drop of conditioner mixed in. Raking goes through and over the coat and will never work as well as line grooming, but line grooming requires a little more patience and effort. The very best way to do a thorough undercoat cleanout is to bath the dog and dry it with a forced air dryer. followed by a good brush and comb. If the dog is petrified of dryers, bath, towel off vigorously, keep the dog confined to a clean area and let it air dry about 75%, or take it for a walk in the sun on a clean surface, then when it is almost dry, brush and comb until it is dry. This method works really well for scared dogs. Not as completely effective as force drying, but better than dry grooming.

Had a crazy lady tell me my dogs wouldn't feel less hot after a clip.And that their coats wont grow back.She was a cav breeder and so set in the standard that apparently i was being cruel Their hair continues to grow back Plus they are one of the few spaniel breeds who dont have a show clip, but their coats are remarkably similar to some. Yeah for a breed that really doesn't have a hair trimmed off for "breed profile" grooming, except maybe trim level under the pads, they are one of the breeds groomers mow day after day!

The Spey neuter coats on many double coat breeds are completely insane and can be quite unmanageable for even the most dedicated owners. One of the easiest ways to reduce grooming issues on long thick double coats is to keep them entire. Not only do entire coats do proper coat drops, unlike Spey coats that often won't budge, but even if quite neglected, entire coats are a much easier fix because they will blow out five times easier and more thoroughly than spey neuter coats with much less grooming stress on the dog. In my perfect world double coats (and combination coats) would be kept entire!

Over my 30 yrs grooming my stand has completely back flipped on the clipping double coat debate. I have come to believe that for whatever reason the owner wants the dog clipped, it is their right to have it done. I would much prefer to see a clipped off coat than a matted packed immovable unbreathing body cast. In a perfect world, no, I wouldn't be clipping double coats, but in our not perfect world, if clipping the dog is the best way the owner feels to manage their pet, power to them. I find the clipped ones are usually house pets and very much loved, just have owners that are either too lazy to groom and at least do something about the dogs coat, or prefer the clipped look and convenience that comes with it. I do believe that the clipped off ones are cooler, more comfortable. I don't think the insulating argument stacks up that well in our climate and in the modern day of mostly house pets in temperature controlled environments. My own Chow was impeccably groomed, but when he got older I decided one summer day when he was struggling, to clip him down and OMG he was like a brand new puppy and was kept short for the rest of his life! If we want to get all pedantic we shouldn't be clipping Cavaliers, Maltese, ShihTzu, etc etc....they don't actually have breed clips either. And then there are all the wire coats we clip day in day out.

Could there be some structural issue like hip or elbow issues causing her to be reluctant to walk far, or reluctant to walk on certain surfaces?

Points about fear period and breed characteristics are definitely things to consider, as well as hormonal development (first season if she isnt speyed) . Your breeder would be a great starting point. And possibly the help of a recommended professional trainer. A large immovable anxious dog is no joy, and may become dangerous. I'll put my flame suit on and say I have met more than a few Bullmastiff (and mixes) that have had anxious personalities and fear biting tendencies. You have done the right thing to recognise a problem and seek information and assistance.

I actually think people not being able to do face to face euthanasia with their pet is the reason some very old dogs end up in shelters. Somehow they talk themselves into it being a better alternative than taking them to the vet.

I've stayed with all of mine, and most of the rescues when I was doing rescue A little off topic but the strangest thing that ever happened to me was when many years ago one of my regular grooming clients, a 7 yrs old British Bulldog, passed away in my shop. He used to stay most of the day. His bath was uneventful and he seemed fine. He took up his normal position under my desk to snooze the day away. His mum came later in the afternoon and I call out to him. He didn't respond. I let the owner through and we raced over to him but he was gone. He'd slipped away peacefully. Anyway, his owner decided she didn't want to take him home! I had to ring my vet and see if they could help, then I had to go over the road to a Cav breeder that lived there and ask for help lifting him into the car. I got my vet to check the dog out to satisfy myself I had not harmed the dog. But I still shake my head to this day about that one!

I got Gruf out of the AWL on 5th April 2014. I don't celebrate his gotcha day, and I can't remember when his birthday is. I think it's on his adoption paperwork. He was 9 or 10 months when I got him so I guess he was born around mid 2013.

I found the ad and to be very honest, the parent dogs do not look like show line or bred to standard Pomeranians. The bitch especially. The parent dogs pictures looked like the oversize byb pet style Poms that hit my grooming table frequently. They look more like gigantic Chihuahua mixes. Of course over standard size byb 'Poms' make perfectly good pets for many people, but if you are after a registered pedigree Pomeranian bred to the written standard, then make absolutely sure that is what you are getting. Make sure you know what the breeders prefix is, and check with that states registry (Dogs Qld) that they are current registered members. If they are members, they are obliged to register all puppies, and provide buyers with pedigree papers. They can be full registered or limit registered papers, both are acceptable for a pet puppy. A red flag for me on the gumtree add was that they are asking more for one sex than the other.

Yes off to the vet Do you have grass seeds in your area? I have on two occasions asked my grooming clients whether they were aware their girls had a discharge and told they are desexed....off to the vet and in these two separate cases the girls had managed to get a grass seed in their pants which worked its way into the vulva and into the reproductive tract causing awful problems. Not saying this is your dogs problem but a possibility!