Digger Dogs Pet Grooming is known for letting dogs roam free, and letting owners leave their dogs with us almost all day long. Most dogs love this atmosphere and it's what most of our clients have come to expect, and what they seem to love most about Digger Dogs. But it is not for everyone.

We understand that sometimes your schedule is demanding and you need to have your dog returned earlier, or at a specific time. That's absolutely fine with us as long as we know ahead of time. Unfortunately, when working with live animals, it's extremely hard to predict a day's outcome for everyone.

There has been a recent review about us that we wanted to share and use as an opportunity to explain and discuss why some days fall behind schedule. Here is the 1 star review:

will not return
digger dogs does nice work on our dogs but each time we have a 9:00 am appointment and cannot pick our dogs up till 3:30. that is entirely too long and very stressful on our pets. this has happened each time we have had a appointment. if you are given an appointment time it should not take over 6 hours to wait at home for the phone call to pick up. it is just not a good system. sorry

As our website states, most grooming shop requires approximately 4 hours to groom a dog unless they are a specialty shop or mobile groomer  that works straight through each dog one at a time (and they charge much more).  Therefore having 2 dogs could very well take longer. We also state that time (and pricing) depend upon the condition and behavior of your dog. Therefore, a once-a-year grooming will be more difficult than a dog who is groomed more frequently, which is the case here.  Lastly, when you show up for your appointment on the wrong day, and we tell you this but squeeze you in anyway, we'd like to think we'd get a bit of leniency regarding how long we have your dogs that day.  This was also the case with these dogs. People make mistakes, ourselves included, so we try to be fair when people arrive on the wrong day, or at the wrong time. It happens.

But there are loads of other factors that play into how our days run:
We may get a surprise by someone who booked one dog but brought in two. Or someone decides last minute to get a shave when we thought we booked a bath. A new dog may come in who  needs much more attention than we anticipated. And of course we can NEVER  guess how difficult a haircut will be until they are on our table.  All of these factors, and many more, will dictate how fast we can get each dog home. That's just the nature of working with dogs. Not to mention we like to take our time with each dog to ensure they have the best experience possible.  When we send a dog home late, or keep an owner waiting 5 more minutes, it's tough on us too because we don't like to disappoint. And we don't like to see our dogs stressed out by seeing their owners come back before they are finished. It's not fair to the dogs.

For the most part - our clients are amazing! They come in on time, they give as much info as possible when booking their appointment, they tell us when booking if they need their dog back by a certain time, and they forgive us when we have unexpected long days.

So while we understand our system is not for everyone, we wanted to take a moment to explain WHY we are sometimes behind so that those who may not understand can have a better idea. And actually, and more importantly, we wanted to THANK all of our amazing customers who DO understand and WILL return.

We can't tell you enough how much we love you!!!

If you have seen our Facebook page, or have looked through our photos here on our website, you may have noticed we have a lot of Shih-Tzu in our shop. 
Ut-Oh!  Did I keep that singular? Yes I did, because the word Shih-Tzu is both singular and plural, much like the word sheep, or fish.  I have only recently learned that little fact. It made we wonder what other little bits about the breed I may have not known.  I love learning about breeds, hearing their origins, and comparing their ancient lives to their modern lives.  That is why we have decided to select a breed each month for discussion so we may share what we know, and learn what you know!  

Our first choice, is the Shih Tzu! Time has changed things for so many breeds, but actually, not so much for the this breed. 

I'm sure everyone knows about how Shih-Tzu came from China, and means "Lion Dog", but do you know why?  Apparently, the breed was designed to look like the Buddhists' idea of what a lion looked like.  The lion was a significant image because in the story of Buddha, when he came to earth from heaven, he rode on a lion.  In fact, many sources say that the Shih Tzu really originated in Tibet, going as far back as the 17th century where it was considered a Holy Dog.  This is perhaps the biggest difference between then, and now.  The Shih Tzu is no longer reserved for only the royalty and holy men, in fact it's one of the most popular breeds in America.  (according to the American Kennel Club, as of February 2012,  "the Rottweiler  made news by unseating the Shih Tzu - which had been in the top 10 since 2000. "  http://www.akc.org)

You may also know that Pekingese have a similar history and are equally as 
"royal" in ancient China. But don't be fooled when looking at historical pictures that feature dogs. One way to tell the Pekingese from the Shih Tzu is that the Shih Tzu will have little bumps on its head which is their top-knot, or pony tail keeping their hair out of their face.  Today mostly only show dogs have that style as it requires vigilant upkeep, but we still love to decorate our modern day Shih Tzu with bows and such, if not for the same purpose, but simply because they are so darn cute! However, we do have a few Shih Tzu on the longer side. 

Another thing I think is probably a well known fact, is that this breed tends to have respiratory issues and therefore should not be over exerted. I did a little research to find out what games or sports are best for this breed, and it turns out, they are pretty darn good at nose work! You'd think that with respiratory concerns that wouldn't work out real well for them, but my research finds many sources suggesting a game of "tracking" or "find it". (hiding a treat or toy around for them to find)  Other websites mention that more and more people are getting their Shih Tzu into agility as well, but for the most part, all agree these are lap dogs.  Again, that has not changed too much over the centuries. 

For such a popular and ancient breed, it's hard to believe so many end up in shelters and pounds across the country. Because they are so popular, and so stinking cute, it's super easy (and tempting) to breed and sell puppies just about anywhere.  But when people find out that they are a lot of work grooming wise, or learn their dog is not good being left alone, or any other number of possibilities, these dogs end up homeless.  It's hard to believe, I know, and yet there are Shih Tzu rescues across the country specifically working to help re-home all the unwanted Shih Tzu.  (United States Shih Tzu Rescue)

It is always best to research a breed before purchasing or adopting, and this blog post has only been a tiny bit of information about this breed. They really are fun, funny, cuddly dogs with so much to talk about and we just LOVE them.  And regardless of all the books, all the history, all the breeders'  knowledge, you can bet there are exceptions to the "rules".  If you have any unique or funny stories about your Shih Tzu, (or Shih Tzu mix) or any pictures, please share. We'll post them on our Facebook page if you don't mind. Send them to us via Facebook, or email them to diggerdogspetgrooming@gmail.com. Tell us what you've learned about the breed and what you've proved wrong! 

Thanks again for stopping by, we'll have another breed to discuss next month! 

-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