This is my girl Scarlett Grey. When she's in the shop she likes to pretend she's a grooming dog. Clearly she doesn't require anything other than a bath, nails and ear cleaning. Even then, there's not much to do.  I hardly have to cut her  nails at all.  So she is a great example to help me explain what it is we mean when we tell you "We could only tip the nails." 

What exactly do we mean by this? Well, quite literally, we could only take the very tip of the nail off.  If we were to go any farther, the nail would bleed. This is because dogs have veins in their nails.  Unfortunately, some dogs' veins are very very long, so while their nails seem like they need cut,  we can only do so much. We can only go to the quick.   At  a glance, it sure looks like Scarlett has some crazy long nails that are in need of trimming!

On closer inspection, we can see that her veins are far too long and we would risk making her bleed, which for the majority of dogs, is not fun!  At Digger Dogs, we try to avoid putting our dogs through any stress and try not to give them anything less than an awesome experience. So we will not risk trimming nails too short if we think the quicks are too long. 

 Take a look at my girl's nails and see if you can see the pink inside. 

In her case, I may try to take just the tips off in hopes that it will make the vein recede, but that doesn't always work. Also, with an antsy dog, we may accidentally take more than just the tip!!! Again, it's just not worth it. 

What about a dog with black nails you say? Even trickier! We do our best to gauge the length of the vein based on the shape of the nails, the time between groomings, the age of the dog, etc. 

So what's the alternative if you can't trim your dog's long nails as much as you'd like?  Walk your dog!  It's not a 100% guarantee, but I'd have to guess it's at least 90% for those walking on pavement.  That's why Scarlett's nails look so long in this picture; because it was taken just after all of our horrible heat waves. We were not getting many walks in that horrible weather.  Now that fall is here we'll have a chance to get those nails back in shape!

Remember, every dog is different not only in their physical make up (one dog with long quicks, another with short) but in every way. One dog may not be phased at all when we are trimming their nails, and I've even seen dogs not take notice when we've hit a bit of the vein.  Then there are other dogs who are instantly terrified the second they even SEE the nail cutters.  Both of these responses are normal, and we work with them as needed.

Being careful and minding the sensitivity level of your dog ensures that everyone has a good day and a healthy grooming. It makes for a happy pup, and that's what we like to see! 

As always, if you have any questions about this please feel free to comment below or email us at [email protected].   

Thanks again for stopping by our blog, and we look forward to seeing you in our shop! 

Cheers! 
-ingrid

Our front desk isn't just a place to check in dogs, do paperwork, schedule appointments (and entertain grandkids), it's also where Donna spends a decent amount of her time answering questions.  Our clients have a variety of dog questions ranging from behavior to fashion, and Donna is happy to answer any and all questions.  With that in mind, I sat her down and asked her a few questions of my own. 

Mainly, I wanted to know what the most commonly asked question was regarding grooming. Donna stated that many people inquire about which tools they could be using at home. Her answer to that, she said, is almost always the same:  A slicker brush and a comb.  But does everyone need them?  And why these specific tools?

Let's first tackle who would want these tools. Obviously not your short-haired dog owners. These tools are more for thick coated dogs and/or long coated dogs. If you like the full look of your dog's fur, then doing some work at home may be necessary. For example: 

Toby here has a nice full coat, long tail, and long ears, not to mention his lovely full face.   His hair is similar to that of a Poodle, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, and all "non shedding" or single coated breeds.  The fur doesn't shed, but if it's not brushed, all that hair gets tangled extremely easily causing solid matts like rocks that must be shaved.  Often times, these breeds require much more maintenance than double coated dogs, especially if the owners desire a full, flowing or fluffy look. 

Another type of hair is that of the "shedding" or double coated breeds such as  Goldens, Shepards, Huskies, etc.   This type of hair doesn't quite tangle up the same way as Toby above, (although it can) instead, these dogs have a heavy undercoat that can get so thick, it turns into a solid layer of hair (almost like a rug) that must be shaved. 

Now onto the why:  
What's so special about these simple tools? Donna says that often times, people who are brushing their dogs at home are only "surface brushing". By this she means that the tools they use, or technique, is not getting down to the skin; down to the real mess. So while the top layer looks all nice and pretty, hidden below are those matts and stubborn hair.  That's why she says these tools, when properly used together, are the best for "at home maintenance." 

The slicker brush will pull out all the thick undercoat on those thick double coated dogs, (long or short actually) and will pull apart that poodle-type hair trying to mat up. This brush is also good on those shorter coated dogs that shed (like labs and such).  Even though they don't really need to have home maintenance, if you'd like to keep some hair off your floors, a slicker brush is a great choice.  All in all, for a majority of hairy breeds, this is the brush for you.  No need to purchase this ergonomic style we have, that's mainly for groomers who use it all day long.  Anything similar should do the trick.

The comb is good back up to the brush, and by itself also a golden tool to own. As a back-up, after you've done some good brushing, this is where Donna says you should get "down to the skin". Use that comb to make sure your brushing did enough work. The comb will really 'get in there" to reveal undercoat and will reach whatever the brush couldn't, or what ever the brush loosened up but didn't remove.  And on the non-shedding breeds with little knots everywhere, the brush & comb team work to keep those knots in check. 

By itself, the comb works great to keep that long flowing hair in good shape, just as we humans comb our own hair to keep knots away. The comb is also great for ears and tails that are so prone to tangle up.  Gentle, regular combing will keep them from needing shaved because once they knot up, those sensitive areas are too delicate to be pulling and working out mats. 

Again, it doesn't have to look exactly like this comb, anything similar. In fact, these tools come in many sizes depending on your needs. 

These tools can be found in almost any chain pet supply store, and even online at places like Amazon.com.  Remember, not everyone needs these tools, and not everyone has the time to use them even if they wanted to. But for those of you curious as to what type of home maintenance you can do, this is Donna's most famous answer. 

Still have questions? Feel free reach out via email, Facebook, or hey,  just ask us at the front desk!  

Thanks for stopping by!

-ingrid

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous heat, Or to take arms against a sea of hair and by opposing - shave them. 

Sorry, Shakespeare nerd here.  But it truly is The Question!  So many people ask us if they should shave their dog. Is it healthy, is it safe, and most common; "Doesn't their hair keep them cool?"  So, here we go:

There are certainly pros and cons to shaving your dog's hair, but first let me state that by "shaving" we do not mean taking a Bic to your dog and making them bald. For those who have never seen the look we are describing, here is a lovely cocker spaniel (Hanna) who has been "completely shaved" (that means, ears, top of head, face - ALL).

So you see, it's really just a super short haircut, not a "surgical shave" one may see in small doses during vet visits.  Is she cooler? You bet!!  Let's do some quick pros/cons.

Pros: short hair means better grooming management, better view of any pests, get to reveal any hidden skin issues, less hair in your home, and a much cooler dog.

Cons: now the mosquitos can get a better chance at that skin! Thin coated dogs should watch for sunburn for the first few weeks after grooming (as any short-haired breed dog should be monitored for sunburn),  and lastly, you may not like the look. 

Now to answer a few common questions:
YES, the hair will grow back, albeit at different speeds for different dogs. 
YES, the hair will grow back with the same look. Sometimes older dogs who have been shaved multiple times per year over the course of their lives have strange growth patterns as the hair returns, but it's not common and most owners simply keep shaving them for comfort reasons. 

Lastly, "doesn't the hair keep my dog cool".  The answer is Yes AND No. 

The full coat of hair is meant to keep a dog cool by way of a "fur insulator" which is meant to keep a pocket of cool air close to their skin. Keep in mind these are man made breeds, not wild animals.  Wild animals with loads of hair don't tend to live in hot regions. If they do, they have options to hide in cool caves, swim in lakes, and migrate to cooler areas. Our pets are not migrating (one hopes) so it's up to us to keep them cool. This means the hair needs maintenance. If those pockets of cool air are filled with matted hair, dead hair, or any other sort of dirt and debris, there goes the "fur insulator".  Yes, if you are vigilant you can brush your hairy partner to keep that coat in full function. If it's not a total mess, we can do that for you as well, but either way, it needs to be maintained throughout the hot, humid season.   Unfortunately, we don't all have the time we wish we had. This is why many owners decide to shave. Shaving the dog will help get air to the skin when the fur has become too thick and even though dogs do not sweat through their skin, shaving a thick coat of unbreathable fur will certainly help!! ESPECIALLY, if the dog is matted. At that point not only do you risk an over heated dog, but sores and such from the matted skin. Brushing is no longer an option, so shaving is indeed your best bet.

The bottom line is time, and preference.  Do you have time to do a percentage of the work at home? Keeping your dog fairly brushed and clean? If so, we can do something like this: 

Salute here was in pretty darn good shape for all that hair! Some tight knots in the back end required going a bit shorter, and some matting behind the ears (VERY normal) had to be shaved, but all in all - this was a very do-able brush-out!   Other breeds are harder to keep up with. Many of us don't have time, or maybe just no time this particular season, or simply LOVE the look, not to mention the clean house one gets from a short-haired dog! (you long-haired breeds know what I mean, it's not just the little hairs everywhere, it's the tumbleweeds blowing around from room to room!)  So here's an elkhound (Damien) who's hair was so thick this year, he was loving his shave-down. 

This breed has probably one of the most drastic changes for a shave-down, Collies and Shelties would be other examples. Dogs with that full mane look always seem totally changed when shaved. Yes, he lost his dark colored fur, yes he looks very different, but it'll all grow back. And when it does, his owner will have a better chance of keeping that coat in check.  Plus- it's kinda hard to make this guy look bad, we think he looks handsome with his new look!! 

Now, for fear of turning into a full-length Shakespeare play, I'll end this humble blog post. I hope we answered your questions, but if you have more, by all means, post them in the comments or shoot us an email! Thanks for stopping by! 

-ingrid