Grooming

[Tracy A.]

I also purchased the DVD and found it helpful. You can get carried away buying all the gadgets for these guys, I did too. The best purchase would be a grooming table. It really trains them to stay put and they are safe on it. I have ended up stripping Bailey with my fingers more than when I first started out. They do protest thou as you get closer to the sides and stomachs so there I just use the trimming shears. I highly recommend picking up a pair of trimming shears to trim around the face and tummy. Now poor Bailey will be laying with me at nights and I can't help myself...I start picking at him. My DH says I'm addicted

And thinning shears is one of those things that if you don't buy a pair that are somewhat expensive...they don't work very well. I've bought several cheap ones and they don't work very well... I will just have to bite the bullet one of these days and purchase the expensive pair.

[JimS]

I also purchased the DVD and found it helpful. You can get carried away buying all the gadgets for these guys, I did too. The best purchase would be a grooming table. It really trains them to stay put and they are safe on it. I have ended up stripping Bailey with my fingers more than when I first started out. They do protest thou as you get closer to the sides and stomachs so there I just use the trimming shears. I highly recommend picking up a pair of trimming shears to trim around the face and tummy. Now poor Bailey will be laying with me at nights and I can't help myself...I start picking at him. My DH says I'm addicted

And thinning shears is one of those things that if you don't buy a pair that are somewhat expensive...they don't work very well. I've bought several cheap ones and they don't work very well... I will just have to bite the bullet one of these days and purchase the expensive pair.

Ring will be going to see his grooming lady once a month. She gives dogs a really nice bath and massage and treats them like the Little Prince's they are. She also detects any health problems before they get bad. She's the one who found the lump on Ring2's face.. which turned out to be a melanoma, so we got his treatments started earlier than it would have been without her.

But I'll still be doing hand stripping... I think. Maybe hand stripping and taking him to see his girlfriend the groomer will keep me from getting caught-up in the grooming tool web. I do love to buy and hoard "stuff". I've got every pool cue tip tool you can find in captivity! So far I only have a comb........ but I may "need" a slicker brush? ... and if I get a slicker brush, or a Mars tool ... welll... then I will "need" a table ... with a hook over it of course.

[cairnsby3]

Jim, you can strip alot of hair or just alittle, it's your preference if you like the scruffy look. I put mine on the table once a week, it gives me a good opportunity to go over them carefully looking for any lumps or bumps. I wouldn't recomend grooming on the couch. They really aren't crazy about it and so I have been told not to pick at them all the time when they are on my lap. If you are ever in Springfield let me know.

[JimS]

Well........ I'm confused and unsure what I want my groomer to do.

The booklet from the CTCA seems primarily to address the grooming and/or stripping of dogs for show. I don't care about show. I don't care about style.

My only concern is the condition of his skin and coat. I want a happy healthy dog and I like the scruffy look so it seems to me that stripping for my dog will be kept to what is necessary only.

Is my desire for a un-styled dog going to be somehow bad for him? He didn't like being combed tonight and I don't want to freak him out by doing too much grooming. He goes to the groomer Friday and I sent the booklet to her as well. I'll call her tomorrow to get her input. Am I over-stressing this thing?

I did McGuyver a grooming table that seems to be good to go.

[jimnconnie]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. You might try incorporating treats with your combing/brushing sessions to make it more enjoyable for Ringo. Start out with brief sessions, and work up to longer ones over time. If he resists too much, stop & then start over later. A pin brush, and a medium metal comb should be good things to start with. If you don't get him used to frequent brushings, he will wind up with matted fur which can be a problem to get rid of. The Shaggy-look is fine, and lots of owners prefer it, but it still requires brushing & some stripping. Nice picture of Ring on the table!

Jim

[JimS]

I was thinking about it last night as I laid in bed waiting for sleep to come and I realized just what you advised... i.e. use short sessions with treats and gradually increase the length of the sessions and decrease the frequency of the treats.

I just KNEW I had a grooming table somewhere around here?

[Tracy A.]

I was thinking about it last night as I laid in bed waiting for sleep to come and I realized just what you advised... i.e. use short sessions with treats and gradually increase the length of the sessions and decrease the frequency of the treats.

I just KNEW I had a grooming table somewhere around here?

Jim,

You know you can just purchse the grooming table arm and build your own table... it would cut the cost of the grooming table.

Yes, some dogs do not like being groomed. my two are prime examples. I like to groom outside becuase it gives the gremlin something to look at while i'm working....keeps them occupied. However in cold weather that isn't an option for me.

[JimS]

I was thinking about it last night as I laid in bed waiting for sleep to come and I realized just what you advised... i.e. use short sessions with treats and gradually increase the length of the sessions and decrease the frequency of the treats.

I just KNEW I had a grooming table somewhere around here?

Jim,

You know you can just purchse the grooming table arm and build your own table... it would cut the cost of the grooming table.

Yes, some dogs do not like being groomed. my two are prime examples. I like to groom outside becuase it gives the gremlin something to look at while i'm working....keeps them occupied. However in cold weather that isn't an option for me.

Yes! I had forgotten that I saw the "arm" for sale seperately!! I'll buy one today.

Last night when I combed him I forgot to open the drape behind him which maybe would help. I've only combed him twice on that table and the first time, with the drapes open, he was easier to deal with. Last night I forgot about opening the drapes and he fussed a lot. Today I'll do a short combing, with a treat or two (but I hate giving him a treat when he's been fussing.. it's reinforceing unwanted behavior) with the drape open and make sure I'm very calm when I start and that I stay that way. I'm prone to emotional excess myself so I'll have to be careful to be cool.

[jimnconnie]

Jim, I was looking at the picture of Ring on the table & it looks like it might be a little slippery when you are grooming him on it. Maybe you could put something on it to provide more secure footing for him? A square of that sticky rubber matting that people put under small rugs to keep them from sliding around on the floor might do the trick, or some of those adhesive strips that can be used in the bath tub to prevent falls. He will be more comfortable on the table if he has solid footing. So much to think of when you care for one of these little guys! Here's a picture of the table I bought & modified for Bailey & Sophie. I extended the legs because I'm 6'4", and it was killing my back to bend over while grooming, also I added the bottom shelf for supplies, and the second grooming loop to keep them from sitting down while is was working on them.

Jim L

[hheldorfer]

When we first adopted Buffy about a year ago I checked out the Colonel Potter website and purchased the "starter kit" for grooming along with a Cairn grooming booklet. I've had good luck with everything EXCEPT using the electric trimmer. I use it sparingly - mainly on the tummy, legs and nether regions, but it seems that I'm not taking any hair off with it. I always use it with (as opposed to against) the growth of the coat. Am I just holding it at the wrong angle? What's the trick?

[JimS]

Holy stilts! You REALLY extended those puppies!! And I thought I McGuyvered miine! LOL I think you've got it up about chin high for me... it'd be great for me to do the underbelly. Actually... I admire your "McGuyering" abilities there. Pretty cool setup. From a guy stand point. From a business standpoint it might be good for them to think about folding legs or telescoping legs.

I'm only 5'10" and washing dishes kills my back but my setup seems, so far, to be about right for me. Having the board on top of the pool observer chair (there's a pool table behind where I'm standing as I took the photo) is just about right for me. I could be about 12" higher but this works. Still.... hmmmmmm. I could nail/screw a piece of 2x10 on edge under my board. Then to make sure it didn't fall off the chair arms, I'd need to be sure that the 2x10's were the same distance apart as the outside of the chair arms then have a piece of 1x4 along the outside edge of the 2x10's. In fact that's worth some serious consideration after I work on him a few more times and see how it feels and how much higher I do or don't need it.

I very much like your idea to make the board less slippery. I have a new runner rug in my office that needs the rubber mat so I'll get enough for it and this job. That matting you mention is something I'm not familiar with. I suppose Lowes will have it. Does it have adhesive on one side and a no slide surface on the other?

I'm going to try the coffee can under the rear 1/2 of the dog idea to stem the sitting down and the moving around. He does NOT like having me mess with his legs. My other terrier was not crazy about that either but didn't resist like this lil guy. I plan to do short sessions with frequent treats.

He's fun to be with and this is fun learning and "McGuyvering".

I got the Cairn Stripping DVD in this morning's mail but haven't had time to look at it yet.

[jimnconnie]

That matting you mention is something I'm not familiar with. I suppose Lowes will have it. Does it have adhesive on one side and a no slide surface on the other?

It's just a thin rubber mesh that is tacky on both sides, no adhesive on either side. Lowes may have it in their carpet dept., and WalMart probably has it too.

[bradl]

Love the shelf Jim. Another surface possibility is the thinly ridged black rubber (sometimes vinyl) runners, also in the carpet department.

[JimS]

Love the shelf Jim. Another surface possibility is the thinly ridged black rubber (sometimes vinyl) runners, also in the carpet department.

I got some of the non-slip rubber for throw rugs. It's .. ok. I'll find something better latter.

I got him to stay calm while I brushed his legs. Every time he sat for 15 sec without jerking his head out of my hand I gave him a tiny piece of the Training Treats from healthypetnet.com. He LOVES that stuff!! Made from New Zealand chicken and venison. Is it bad form to recommend a product? I apologize if I'm out of line.

Anyway Ring didn't get upset during this combing. He didn't stand still but he did perform a reasonable facsimilie of that ... he approached the desired behavior.

Shorter session. Calm groomer. Mucho treats.

[BetsyNoodle]

Jim, when I first got Murphy, I started slowly with the grooming. Since Murphy's back seemed to be the least sensitive, I used a small wire brush in long, unbroken strokes down his back for the first three days. The fourth day, I gently brushed his legs (more sensitive area), but for only a few moments. When he would pull away, I would stop and gently pet him. Then I progressed in the next few days to his chest and head. Again, only for a minute or so. In this way I gradually built up his trust in me not to hurt him with the brush. I never had to use treats which is a good thing because he is a big boned boy!! His belly is so sensitive, as is his tail, so these areas were last.

Now, I brush his entire body every night before bedtime. You would think he was at getting a massage at a spa. It is very, very calming for both of us, and a wonderful way to bond.

[Tracy A.]

Maybe I just have low standards, but I expect both my boys to attempt to nip at me while i'm grooming. They hate being groomed, and will do what eve they can to disrupt me... from moving bodies, paws, heads...etc.... it doesn't phase me anymore... I just keep going and move my hand when needed to keep from getting nipped.

Neither of them have broken the skin, they just let me know they are not happy.

[JimS]

Jim, when I first got Murphy, I started slowly with the grooming. Since Murphy's back seemed to be the least sensitive, I used a small wire brush in long, unbroken strokes down his back for the first three days. The fourth day, I gently brushed his legs (more sensitive area), but for only a few moments. When he would pull away, I would stop and gently pet him. Then I progressed in the next few days to his chest and head. Again, only for a minute or so. In this way I gradually built up his trust in me not to hurt him with the brush. I never had to use treats which is a good thing because he is a big boned boy!! His belly is so sensitive, as is his tail, so these areas were last.

Now, I brush his entire body every night before bedtime. You would think he was at getting a massage at a spa. It is very, very calming for both of us, and a wonderful way to bond.

Ok. I need to slow down a little and settle for brief but multiple periods on the table.

"You would think he was at getting a massage at a spa. It is very, very calming for both of us, and a wonderful way to bond. "

That's the experience I want him to have and I can give it to him but I need to control ME!

Thanks for the encouragement!!

As the weather warmed a bit this morning he wanted to spend more time outside and it became apparent that he has all his Cairn instinctual characteristics are working and consequently when we get a fence built in the spring I will NEED to groom him daily. He wants to go UNDER everything... every low branch, every bush, the screened in back porch (which is built only about 12" above the ground).. any possible place where critters might be he want to go. He's going to get very messed up every time he's allowed, and will need daily grooming work done on him. A positive grooming experience needs to be built now.

I WILL slow me down and make the experience something that he can look forward to. Thanks again for your positive input.

What kind of brush did/do you use?

Tracy A.: Thanks for your input... which I'll take as a warning that he may react as your guys did. If he attempts to nip me I don't think I can ignore that behavior.. I'll have to 'splain to him that little dog doesn't bite big dog. I hope I can identify the behavior when it begins and move to alter things before he gets to the nipping stage. I'd like to get him relaxed and happy on the grooming table and change any unhappy or dominant behavior as soon as it shows it's teeth... so to speak. A nip will also communicate to me that I need to see about altering my behavior.

I talked to my groomer yesterday and as I had anticipated, she doesn't like stripping, thinks it's for show dogs and that for regular ole pet-type dogs...even Cairns.. stripping is unnecessary. She believes that regular brushing and combing will be sufficient. She does have Cairn experience and she has about 15 years of daily grooming experience in her own shop... so I want to believe her as I can't like the idea of purposely pulling his hair out.

[Tracy A.]

I talked to my groomer yesterday and as I had anticipated, she doesn't like stripping, thinks it's for show dogs and that for regular ole pet-type dogs...even Cairns.. stripping is unnecessary. She believes that regular brushing and combing will be sufficient. She does have Cairn experience and she has about 15 years of daily grooming experience in her own shop... so I want to believe her as I can't like the idea of purposely pulling his hair out.

Not surprising to hear, it's hard to find a groomer who will hand strip. Jim, just remember that you aren't going to try to hand strip the whole dog, just the jacket - everything else you can cut. Infact, you may jsut want to strip the jacket then let the groomer do the rest with clipeprs- or you can just save money and do the whole dog yourself.

[bradl]

I'm often puzzled by the perception that there is something magically different about grooming and show dogs, and that proper grooming is only for show dogs. That's like saying personal hygiene or quality clothing is only for movie stars.

The skin and coat health is the same, whether the dog ever steps into a ring or not. Sure, show dogs are scrutinized regarding the shaping and their outline and the lay of the coat and the purity of technique. But for the fundamentals of grooming, it's more that 'show' is done carefully and with high regard to finished visual appearance while in the same house, the other dogs not being shown are groomed the same way, but in a more casual manner. But the techniques (yanking, brushing, trimming, etc.) are roughly the same. I just don't care if someone spots a few blunt ends on my retired girl's skirt and knows I used a thinning shear there instead of plucking. I still pull her jacket because I like dogs that smell good and don't itch!

Brad Pitt and Brad L. can both put on jeans and t-shirt, but no one is going to mistake the movie star Brad for the pet-quality Brad. Yet that does not lower my worth as a human being, just because I'm not a Show Brad. I just have a different job in the world and I'm entitled to be clean, wear nice clothes, etc. just like the other one. It's just not my job to look awesome doing it.

Sorry, I am like the King of Bad Analogies (there's yet another joke in there, but I'm trying to be good )

[kjwarnold]

I agree with Brad. I don't show my dogs but having had several Cairns now and trying the different ways to groom them, I know that stripping is best. I had a groomer cut and trim my first Cairn and while he looked nice, his fur got steadily softer and softer and I had to bathe him more and more frequently. Luckily he never had skin problems.

Now with Packy and Kirby, I've tried stripping them myself and find that they stay cleaner and rarely need a bath. I don't think my "smell" standards have changed, so it's got to be the better quality of their coats. Dirt just seems to fall off their coarse fur much easier than with my first Cairn's soft coat. They also seem to handle weather extremes better -- they must have better insulation with the undercoat and harsh outer coat in better shape. Oh, and by doing the stripping myself, I've saved a lot of grooming fees.

Do they look like Brad Pitt? Nope, but they do look like Cairns! Love the analogy, Brad...

[JimS]

Thanks to bradl and kjwarnold.. and everybody who has put up with my lack of knowledge... ignorance actually, regarding this subject.

My groomer doesn't want to do the stripping so I'll learn to do hand stripping or use the Mars or????, and just do a little at a time.

I have resources; the Cairn Club Gromming Guide for Idiots I have this website, other web sources, and I have the DVD from the Detroit folks, so I'll learn to do it. She (my groomer) would also be glad to show me how to do it.. we're good friends after 12 years of month work on Ring2.

So... do I hand strip or use a Mars or???

If I do the hand stripping do I need to order anything? It looks like the rubber fingers would be good... what else? All I have is a comb. My groomer is going to be recommending a brush after she sees the coat.

I have a good spot with good lighting and a make-shift groomging table, with a hook ordered, and I have a comb.

What tools do you folks recommend to get started?

But wait.... I just found this thread http://www.cairnterrier.org/forum/topic/10862-brushcomb/

Perhaps I'll find out what I need to know if I look in the proper place. ?????

[Tracy A.]

HI Jim,

I have a mars coat king 12 blade and 2 mars stripping combs- I use the Mars to help remove top coat and undercoat... the stripping knives for undercoat... and I do handstrip the top coat.

Since your groomer has said that she would teach you... take her up on the offer.

You just want the mechanics and focus on the jacket (which is the main body of the dog)... you can get fussy with trying to have your dog somwhat look nice later! stripping has a learning curve... I have put more holes in top coat with light undercoat showing through more times than I care to mention... Hair grows back.

But my driving force is know that I am keeping my dogs skin healthy. Mettwurst has a softer dense coat...and a ton of undercoat... if I didn't strip him I know that he would have a host of skin issues.

He is getting itchy right now and i'm going to break down and do some grooming in the house since the weather isn't looking like it's going to give us a warm up.

[cairnsby3]

Jim, you will find as you go that you keep acquiring more and more tools, but returning to some that you like best. If the rubber fingers are ackward, try surgical gloves, they sell them in all the stores now. Some of the books are going to tell you to take all the coat off down to the undercoat, but you don't have to be that extreme. Some of your references will talk about rolling the coat, this is where you just pull the longest deadest hairs and you can make the coat whatever length you like. I keep my dogs kind of short, but you don't have to, with pet dogs its just personal preference. I do mine once a week, it takes not more that an hour a dog, ususally less. Some things like legs, trimming around feet, trimming around privates, you won't do every week, just as needed.

[bradl]

Good advice above!

I'm a gadget hound and have wasted an embarrassing amount of $ on tools of all sorts. In the end, what I *actually* use, in decreasing order of frequency:

• A pin brush - whichever one is handy (I like the Chris Christensen ones I've gotten at dog shows, but any old pin brush will do)
  
• Finger cots on my thumb and index finger (I use the thin latex cots from the safety supply store or drugstore, not the thick gum fingers from the office supply store)
  
• A small lightweight metal comb (called a 'greyhound' comb in many catalogs - I use a small 6" one when I want to put it in my pocket at a show or a large one if that's what's handy by the table at home)
  
• A dremel "Stylus" for nails
  
• A pair of thinning shears to trim the belly and sometimes shape the legs or tail
  
• A small pair of blunt-tipped 'baby' scissors to trim around the wee bits and feet
  
• A number 16 Mars coat king for taking volume out of wildly overgrown coat and thinning the pantaloon areas
  

I have a lovely Pearson "bowsprit" stripping knife - rarely use it

I have two overly sharp Hauptner stripping knives - rarely use them

I have a set of gorgeous rosewood-handled Pearson stripping knives - hardly ever use them.

[BetsyNoodle]

lol, Brad!! I like your analogy. I strip Murphy's jacket because I feel it really helps decrease his itching and scratching, but I use thinning shears on the rest of him.

Jim, I used a small wire pin brush each night. It is amazing how much hair will come by simply brushing regularly.