Dog grooming salons in the Midlands
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Telephone 01827 898 109 - new number!
We have a VOIP connection which has been causing a few phone issues, leading us to ditch the old phone number in favour of the one that came with the new shop! Hopefully everyone will be able to get through without problems now!
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Buying Coats for Boy Dogs
One of the questions we often get asked is 'where can I buy a nice coat for my dog?' and it seems to be harder to buy cute doggy coats for the boys than it is for the girls, as there is so much pink around. Apparantly it is quite a challenge to get a hubby to walk a small fluffy dog in the first place, let alone a small fluffy dog wearing a tiny coat. So you really do not want that coat to be pink and sparkly :D.
If your little dog is a girl, you still might not wish to dress her head to toe in pink - it just goes to show, just before Christmas we bought a small order of dog coats to sell in our salon retail area. I chose a selection of 'boy colours' and 'girl colours' and we still have some pink and red hoodies and parka jackets left, while the blues, browns and blacks sold out well before Christmas! Of course now we are into the New Year, the weather can still be wintery, and you will need a warm coat for your dog until about April, and then you can swap it for a lightweight rain mac to use occasionally.
Here is a good selection of coats and jumpers for the little boy dogs, and the tomboys among the girls! I have included some dog coats without sleeves - if you have a dog that you wish would wear a coat, but that goes all 'stiff' and won't walk with one on, its usually the sleeves that he doesn't like. You should be fine with a sleeveless design!
All of these designs are available in a range of sizes from 20cm to 40cm (measure along the back, collar to tail.), which as a rough guide, is suitable for small breeds such as Chihuahua/Yorkie up to medium breeds approximately Cocker/Springer size.
Of course if you do still want your doggy dressed in pink , I'd just tell your chap to think of all the female attention he is bound to get walking the princess!
If your little dog is a girl, you still might not wish to dress her head to toe in pink - it just goes to show, just before Christmas we bought a small order of dog coats to sell in our salon retail area. I chose a selection of 'boy colours' and 'girl colours' and we still have some pink and red hoodies and parka jackets left, while the blues, browns and blacks sold out well before Christmas! Of course now we are into the New Year, the weather can still be wintery, and you will need a warm coat for your dog until about April, and then you can swap it for a lightweight rain mac to use occasionally.
Here is a good selection of coats and jumpers for the little boy dogs, and the tomboys among the girls! I have included some dog coats without sleeves - if you have a dog that you wish would wear a coat, but that goes all 'stiff' and won't walk with one on, its usually the sleeves that he doesn't like. You should be fine with a sleeveless design!
This navy blue sweater looks to be extremely comfortable,with knitted cuffs forming the sleeves, so nice and stretchy to allow plenty of movement, the neck line also features a wide, soft knitted cuff for comfort. This elegant design is in dark navy with the regal french Fleur de Lys framed with white borders.
The ever popular military style camouflage parka, this time in shades of blue and featuring a faux fur hood. Another nice detail I like about this coat, is the pocket on the back, useful for treats and poo bags!
This fleece lined hoodie is completely customisable! You choose what words you want and the colour and size of the garment-there is a choice of 8 colours, with blue, white, olive green (shown here), black, and grey for the boys. The designs can be viewed on the website as you make them-its very cool!
I couldn't resist this Australian Flag design hoodie in 100% cotton. It is one of the Glamour Glitz collection, which means you can by matching dog and human shirts, one for mummy-one for the puppy! The Aussie Flag is a sparkly, shiny detail, picked out in red,white and blue rhinestones-gorgeous!
This lightweight raincoat in duck egg blue will be ideal for keeping a dog's fur coat dry during Spring showers. Keep them dry and their hair is far less likely to become matted! This coat is so stylish in the beautiful pale blue with black piping, and matching black toggles and button.
If your dog is one of those who is a nightmare to put a coat on and wriggles all over the place thinking it is a game-this bodywarmer is the coat for him! The zip runs down the back, a genius detail to help you get your dog togged up and ready for outdoors with the minimum of hassle! He will not mind wearing this coat either, as the arm holes are without sleeves, so he wont feel like he is wearing anything once he gets going!
All of these designs are available in a range of sizes from 20cm to 40cm (measure along the back, collar to tail.), which as a rough guide, is suitable for small breeds such as Chihuahua/Yorkie up to medium breeds approximately Cocker/Springer size.
Of course if you do still want your doggy dressed in pink , I'd just tell your chap to think of all the female attention he is bound to get walking the princess!
Monday, 9 January 2012
Trimming your dog's nails at home
As a dog groomer, I trim nails many times a day, every dog that comes through our salon doors has its nails check and if necessary we trim them to the correct length. Many customers explain that they would like to trim their dogs nails themselves from time to time, but are frightened that they will hurt the dog by doing it wrong. So I have put together this little guide to help you provide foot and nail care for your dog in between grooming appointments.
The first thing to find out is whether he or she actually needs the claws (nails) trimmed. Every dog is different, some need their nails clipped as often as every couple of weeks, and others may last 6 months to a year. A lot will depend on the breed of the dog, the size and weight, the gait and the lifestyle, and we do tend to find that as a dog ages he or she may need more trims as exercise becomes limited and the gait changes, altering the way the nails are worn down. Not only that, but nails on the same dog and even the same foot can vary widely so assess each nail as you go, do not just blindly cut the same amount off each one. It is worth checking your dog for 'extra' nails as well, some dogs have more than their fair share, and these unexpected extras can point in alarming directions if they go unnoticed for too long!
As a very basic guide we would say that there needs to be approx. 2mm of nail beyond the tip of the quick (which is the vein that supplies blood to the nail and which one can see through a pale coloured nail). Also look at the foot when it is on the floor, do the nails sit comfortably just above the floor, or are they so long that they push the toes up when the dog is standing? Another sign that they are too long is that they are curling excessively and maybe putting pressure against the pads. . Don’t forget about the dewclaws either, these are the nails that occur further up the dog’s leg, and as these do not come into contact with the floor, they need to be checked and trimmed more often, before they curl too far and cause discomfort. All too often dew claws are disregarded and in bad cases, the nail can penetrate back into the pad, causing pain and infection. (If you suspect this has already happened, then a trip to the vet is in order to remove the nail and clean the wound.
I recommend asking a friend to help when you trim your dog’s nails, have some high value treats handy, liver cake or cheese are good, or some small pieces of sausage or ham-whatever you know you pet values highly enough to help him or her relax for you. Make your dog secure – use a collar and lead or harness so that your assistant can hold him steady. If the dog is small, it may be easy to have him in their arms with the legs sticking out while the assistant gives treats and you get on with the nails.
Use a good pair of nail clippers, and ensure that they are sharp, because over-worn clippers can squeeze the nail a little while you are cutting, and this will cause discomfort to the dog. You will find on some of the clippers there is a little metal ‘guard’ that you can pull across behind the blades. This is to stop the nail shooting through too far at the last minute if the dog wriggles and should not be used as a guide as to how much to cut from the nail. As I have mentioned above, each nail is different and must be judged individually. If ever you trim too close to the quick, the nail will bleed and usually this will cause pain to your dog, so do try and be very careful where you cut. Have styptic powder or pencil ready on hand to stop the bleeding if this should happen. It is quite likely that, should you 'quick' the dog's nail and cause him pain, he will be mistrustful of you and others attempting to trim his nails in the future, so do be very careful.
There are two ways to trim a nail, the upright method i.e. with the foot upright as it is when the dog is standing, and the nails approached from the front. Also there is the ‘farrier’ method which is the one I favour as it allows one to see the quick quite easily, particularly useful on dogs with black nails. The leg is gently folded, allowing access to the underside of the foot. One can usually see a small ‘hook’ on each nail which is the excess that can be trimmed away. (You can see the little hook in my pictures-before and after. )Another good point of the farrier method is that the dog can see less of what is going on, so is less likely to stress out and struggle!
My advice is to err on the side of caution and take less off the nail rather than more. Be patient and try not to react badly if your dog doesn’t sit perfectly still for you. He probably will not, at least to begin with! Allocate half an hour, so that you are not in a rush. If you are still wary and unsure…..find a nice local groomer who will quickly and quietly trim the nails for you and will only charge you about a fiver for this professional service.
The first thing to find out is whether he or she actually needs the claws (nails) trimmed. Every dog is different, some need their nails clipped as often as every couple of weeks, and others may last 6 months to a year. A lot will depend on the breed of the dog, the size and weight, the gait and the lifestyle, and we do tend to find that as a dog ages he or she may need more trims as exercise becomes limited and the gait changes, altering the way the nails are worn down. Not only that, but nails on the same dog and even the same foot can vary widely so assess each nail as you go, do not just blindly cut the same amount off each one. It is worth checking your dog for 'extra' nails as well, some dogs have more than their fair share, and these unexpected extras can point in alarming directions if they go unnoticed for too long!
As a very basic guide we would say that there needs to be approx. 2mm of nail beyond the tip of the quick (which is the vein that supplies blood to the nail and which one can see through a pale coloured nail). Also look at the foot when it is on the floor, do the nails sit comfortably just above the floor, or are they so long that they push the toes up when the dog is standing? Another sign that they are too long is that they are curling excessively and maybe putting pressure against the pads. . Don’t forget about the dewclaws either, these are the nails that occur further up the dog’s leg, and as these do not come into contact with the floor, they need to be checked and trimmed more often, before they curl too far and cause discomfort. All too often dew claws are disregarded and in bad cases, the nail can penetrate back into the pad, causing pain and infection. (If you suspect this has already happened, then a trip to the vet is in order to remove the nail and clean the wound.
I recommend asking a friend to help when you trim your dog’s nails, have some high value treats handy, liver cake or cheese are good, or some small pieces of sausage or ham-whatever you know you pet values highly enough to help him or her relax for you. Make your dog secure – use a collar and lead or harness so that your assistant can hold him steady. If the dog is small, it may be easy to have him in their arms with the legs sticking out while the assistant gives treats and you get on with the nails.
Use a good pair of nail clippers, and ensure that they are sharp, because over-worn clippers can squeeze the nail a little while you are cutting, and this will cause discomfort to the dog. You will find on some of the clippers there is a little metal ‘guard’ that you can pull across behind the blades. This is to stop the nail shooting through too far at the last minute if the dog wriggles and should not be used as a guide as to how much to cut from the nail. As I have mentioned above, each nail is different and must be judged individually. If ever you trim too close to the quick, the nail will bleed and usually this will cause pain to your dog, so do try and be very careful where you cut. Have styptic powder or pencil ready on hand to stop the bleeding if this should happen. It is quite likely that, should you 'quick' the dog's nail and cause him pain, he will be mistrustful of you and others attempting to trim his nails in the future, so do be very careful.
There are two ways to trim a nail, the upright method i.e. with the foot upright as it is when the dog is standing, and the nails approached from the front. Also there is the ‘farrier’ method which is the one I favour as it allows one to see the quick quite easily, particularly useful on dogs with black nails. The leg is gently folded, allowing access to the underside of the foot. One can usually see a small ‘hook’ on each nail which is the excess that can be trimmed away. (You can see the little hook in my pictures-before and after. )Another good point of the farrier method is that the dog can see less of what is going on, so is less likely to stress out and struggle!
My advice is to err on the side of caution and take less off the nail rather than more. Be patient and try not to react badly if your dog doesn’t sit perfectly still for you. He probably will not, at least to begin with! Allocate half an hour, so that you are not in a rush. If you are still wary and unsure…..find a nice local groomer who will quickly and quietly trim the nails for you and will only charge you about a fiver for this professional service.
So this is what you need:
Your dog
Plenty of time
Treats (high value like cheese/peanut butter)
Good pair of nail clippers
A helpful friend or relative
Styptic powder/pen in case of a bleed (hopefully you will not need this!)
Maybe a towel or blanket (some dogs like the feeling of being cuddled up to do their nails)
The number of a good local professional groomer as an alternative option
Your dog
Plenty of time
Treats (high value like cheese/peanut butter)
Good pair of nail clippers
A helpful friend or relative
Styptic powder/pen in case of a bleed (hopefully you will not need this!)
Maybe a towel or blanket (some dogs like the feeling of being cuddled up to do their nails)
The number of a good local professional groomer as an alternative option
 |
| Oh dear- this is what can happen if the feet are neglected. This is the foot of a shih tzu that came in to us as a customer. The owner was oblivious to the dog's pain and discomfort. |
This foot has had the excess hair trimmed away -the hair was hiding the true extent of the overgrown nails.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Charcoal grey wool dog sweater
I am always looking for cute sweaters and jackets for my girls-although it can be easier to have them made to measure for Emma and Reba as they are 'larger ladies'. (Reba is 50 cms and can sometimes get away with smaller clothes as she has a tiny waist, but Emma is a more portly build, being a Lab!) We have some gorgeous dog jumpers available to buy on out new website, in beautiful and unique patterns and colours. This one is the Balmoral wool sweater, suitable for boys and girls in sizes 20cm-40cm (measure from collar to base of tail). It is a crewe neck jumper and the pure wool allows skin to breathe whatever the weather. I just think dogs look fab and adorable in patterned sweaters just like this. Many of my clients have their dogs trimmed shorter in the winter, and have them wear jackets or jumpers while out-it being easier to wash a sweater and dry a sweater, than wash and dry a dog :D
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Personalised dog bows!
When I get the time I like to make up personalised dog bows for our customers to wear home on their bandanas or in their topknots. Today was a day of giving these bows, I made them up specially last night and will have name bows tomorrow to give out as well, during sunday grooming. I think sometimes it is cute to give them a customised bow, but do not always get the time to make them up!
Here is the lovely blonde lurcher Poppy in her special bow
Friday, 6 January 2012
How to make simple vegan dog treats
Traditionally each year we have given our dog grooming customers in December a small gift, such as a wrapped squeaky toy or rope toy, and we either pop them all in a basket as a lucky dip or under the tree (the tree is on the big window will , to stop dogs weeing on the tree or pinching the treats) .This year we decided to do something different for our doggy clients and we baked a batch of dog treats fresh each morning and wrapped them in baking paper or cellophane and tied them with festive ribbon and tags.In total we baked about 500 dog bones including 'spares' and 'testers' (my dogs Emma and Reba were the main testers) and quite a few of our doggy visitors tried the biscuits while they were being pampered. I do not think I saw one dog refuse one of these biscuits, which I find pretty surprising, given that I baked them and I really can't cook! Also these biscuits are really so plain and simple and do not contain meat that I am amazed dogs find them so irresistible -but they do! I'm going to share the recipe here in case you fancy baking some dog cookies for your own pet.
Add the oil to the flour in a large mixing bowl, and rub it in thoroughly. Next slowly add the stock into the bowl a bit at a time. Stir it in a little first, then knead the mixture with your hands and add a little more flour if needs be. The final mixture should be soft and pliable, not too stiff. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for one hour (you can skip this step if you are making these biscuits in a rush) . Pop some flour onto your chopping board and roll out your dough to about 1cm thickness-try and make an even thickness throughout . Then take your cookie cutter. I used one in the shape of a doggy bone to make mine but you can make just about any kind of shape, bones, little kennels etc. You can even buy dog breed cookie cutters! Try and work it so that you get as many cut-outs from the first rolling of the dough, and lay them onto baking paper on a baking tray, evenly spaced and not touching. My bones were about 4 inches and the mixture made about 30 treats. You need the oven on about 190 degrees and the biscuits take 8-10 minutes to turn the desired colour, golden brown.
Once the biscuits are finished, pop them onto a wire rack to cool (out of the reach of furry 'taste experts' until they are quite cool) , once perfectly cool you are ready to serve them up! They make a great training treat as you can break them into tiny morsels and therefore avoid giving too much all in one go. Why not wrap some up for a friend as a great idea for a dog lovers gift? The best thing about these treats is that you know exactly what is in them-no nasty hidden fillers and other unfortunate ingredients that could be in commercial treats. Its nice to be able to have some control over the additives that go into your pet's diet. They are vegan and quite low in fat, with no added salt or sugar too.
If you are making these as a gift for a dog, you can use grease proof/baking paper or a cellophane gift bag tied with either some pretty ribbon or raffia and a handmade tag. There are some superb ones available, including personalised doggy gift tags or you can even make your own.
We printed 'Scottie dog' Christmas tags off and cut them out for our little doggy parcels! Here is a picture of one of our treat bags, hanging from the salon Christmas tree.
Ingredients for Dog Treats
1 Mug of plain flour
3/4 Mug of vegetable stock
1 x teaspoon of vegetable oil
Add the oil to the flour in a large mixing bowl, and rub it in thoroughly. Next slowly add the stock into the bowl a bit at a time. Stir it in a little first, then knead the mixture with your hands and add a little more flour if needs be. The final mixture should be soft and pliable, not too stiff. Wrap the dough in cling film and leave in the fridge for one hour (you can skip this step if you are making these biscuits in a rush) . Pop some flour onto your chopping board and roll out your dough to about 1cm thickness-try and make an even thickness throughout . Then take your cookie cutter. I used one in the shape of a doggy bone to make mine but you can make just about any kind of shape, bones, little kennels etc. You can even buy dog breed cookie cutters! Try and work it so that you get as many cut-outs from the first rolling of the dough, and lay them onto baking paper on a baking tray, evenly spaced and not touching. My bones were about 4 inches and the mixture made about 30 treats. You need the oven on about 190 degrees and the biscuits take 8-10 minutes to turn the desired colour, golden brown.
Once the biscuits are finished, pop them onto a wire rack to cool (out of the reach of furry 'taste experts' until they are quite cool) , once perfectly cool you are ready to serve them up! They make a great training treat as you can break them into tiny morsels and therefore avoid giving too much all in one go. Why not wrap some up for a friend as a great idea for a dog lovers gift? The best thing about these treats is that you know exactly what is in them-no nasty hidden fillers and other unfortunate ingredients that could be in commercial treats. Its nice to be able to have some control over the additives that go into your pet's diet. They are vegan and quite low in fat, with no added salt or sugar too.
If you are making these as a gift for a dog, you can use grease proof/baking paper or a cellophane gift bag tied with either some pretty ribbon or raffia and a handmade tag. There are some superb ones available, including personalised doggy gift tags or you can even make your own.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Smart Dog Clothing - New Website
We started to supply some more little coats and harnesses from the shop this year. Although we receive a lot of enquiries about jackets, collars and other cute doggy 'bling' items, we haven't really got the space to stock loads and loads of items. So we have got a website of lovely 'smart dog clothing' as an additional place to look for scrummy stuff for pampered dogs! You can even order blingy diamante personalised collars in the 'design you own'/'design your own' section. Reba and Emma have their eye on one of these each already! Here is the link to the new website www.smartdogclothing.co.uk - thats if anyone has got any money left after Christmas :D
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