# Groomers or DIY?



## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Since we first got Buffy in 2019, she went to the groomer a couple of times, mainly wanted her to get used to different environments. Covid/lockdown meant I had to do all of it which I don't mind too much, quite a bonding session. 

I brush her twice daily and clip her nails every two weeks or as and when needed. She gets a bath quarterly unless she soaks herself in a muddy puddle! Only hose her down after winter muddy walk. Occasionally she gets a few trim here and there but I had no prior experience about dog grooming, sometimes I wonder whether I need to get her professionally done. Aesthetic is the least we care about as we think she is so beautiful no matter what, lol, tho we are bias!

I need to trim her paws every couple weeks as they grow fast and long. The weather is getting warmer, the fur under her armpits are quite thick so just wondering whether I should take her to the groomer or is it ok I do it?

What are your dogs grooming regimen?


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## Al Pozzolini (Aug 13, 2013)

Clippers work pretty well...


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Double coated dogs should not be clipped unless there is a medical reason or you have an older dog who no longer tolerated brushing. Clipping a double coated dog can permanently damage the coat in some cases. 

In most cases where owners want a dog clipped down due to overheating, a good shedless treatment to remove dead undercoat will make a big difference. When I have clients insist they want their double coated dog clipped I try to convince them to let me do a ventilation clip on the underside so the dog can lay directly on a cool surface and see if that help. 

If the dog you are referring to in your post is the one in your avatar, she appears to be part husky/malamute. Northern breeds are actually triple coated and have a second layer of undercoat. These dogs get groomed a little differently and trying to brush and comb them out can actually damage the coat. Clipping these triple coated dogs can cause even more problems because of how the guard hairs and undercoat work together and if you remove the guard hairs via clipping you can end up with a real mess on your hands.









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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Regular brushing and the very occasional bath. GSD never to the groomers unless you can't do nail trims imo


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## banzai555 (Sep 2, 2019)

I have never taken Willow to a groomer's. I brush her maybe once a week (a bit more often when she's blowing her coat), clip her nails once a fortnight, and wash her with the hose and some doggy shampoo when she rolls in something (1-2x per year). That's it.


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

When our girl was young she'd get a bath, blow dry, nail clip twice a year from a groomer after her heats. She was pup and we had a mobile groomer who knew her come to our campsite. 

Now that she is a big "scary GSD" we are reluctant to take her to standard groomers on our travels.

We brush her regularly, have added a dremel for her nails and a groomers blow dryer. That dryer really gets a lot of dust, dander and loose hair off. After the first blow out with no bath you would've swore she just got back from a groomer, nice and shiny coat and only 2 to 3 baths a year.


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

Ilita gets brushed daily, or at least I try my best to remember. She really likes it, which helps. We are on mostly soft surfaces so her nails need attention more often than some. She is doing really well with the nails as well, thank goodness, because it freaks me out to trim black nails where I can't see the quick, so I am slow and careful. So far, so good. 
Have no plans on hiring a professional groomer, even though my neighbor uses a mobile groomer who does an excellent job. So far no baths have been necessary, although it was tempting after the "Big Romp" in the sand arena. We are looking into one of those camp style showers so we can bath her outside when necessary. Neither DH nor I can wrap our brains around getting her into the tub.
@drparker151 What brand of groomer's blow dryer do you use and how is it different from a regular blow dryer? I like your review of the results, particularly being helpful without a bath involved. That would be very helpful here in our dusty environment.


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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

Here's a recent thread where I asked about blow dryers. I went with a flying pig. 

Which grooming dryer to get?


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

It sounds like you're doing a great job with her grooming. Don't neglect her armpits. Our (now deceased) bearded collie was a rescue and her coat was a mess when we got her. Her armpits were raw, I'd never seen anything like it.


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## Katiebob (Aug 9, 2021)

We only take Juno to the groomers when we come back from holiday so they can give her a really good wash to get all the sand out of her!! 😆 The groomer gets a bit scissor happy so I have to remind her not to trim anything! I like the uneven fluff!

Occasionally we'll get her nails done there but I'm growing in confidence to do this myself. We giver her a quick brush over every day and occasionally take the de-shedding rake to her (this gets done daily when she's properly moulting). We take her to the park, de-shed and leave the fluff for the birds!

She gets tiny matted bits under her arm pits which i try and brush out but have trimmed them out. luckily her "underarm hair" is very sparse


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Bramble said:


> Double coated dogs should not be clipped unless there is a medical reason or you have an older dog who no longer tolerated brushing. Clipping a double coated dog can permanently damage the coat in some cases.
> 
> In most cases where owners want a dog clipped down due to overheating, a good shedless treatment to remove dead undercoat will make a big difference. When I have clients insist they want their double coated dog clipped I try to convince them to let me do a ventilation clip on the underside so the dog can lay directly on a cool surface and see if that help.
> 
> ...


Very informative! Thank you! Yes, mine is a husky/GSD and she is very hairy,lol

I don't really mess with her fur too much, except brushing to get rid of all the debris or dead hair.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

drparker151 said:


> When our girl was young she'd get a bath, blow dry, nail clip twice a year from a groomer after her heats. She was pup and we had a mobile groomer who knew her come to our campsite.
> 
> Now that she is a big "scary GSD" we are reluctant to take her to standard groomers on our travels.
> 
> We brush her regularly, have added a dremel for her nails and a groomers blow dryer. That dryer really gets a lot of dust, dander and loose hair off. After the first blow out with no bath you would've swore she just got back from a groomer, nice and shiny coat and only 2 to 3 baths a year.


Thank you for sharing! I forget to mention the blow dryer as well. Yes, it is a very useful tool when she is moulting.

What about the hair in the ears? I know the hair can block stuff getting in the ears but lately they are getting quit long and dense, so was wondering whether I should trim it a little.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Katiebob said:


> We only take Juno to the groomers when we come back from holiday so they can give her a really good wash to get all the sand out of her!! 😆 The groomer gets a bit scissor happy so I have to remind her not to trim anything! I like the uneven fluff!
> 
> Occasionally we'll get her nails done there but I'm growing in confidence to do this myself. We giver her a quick brush over every day and occasionally take the de-shedding rake to her (this gets done daily when she's properly moulting). We take her to the park, de-shed and leave the fluff for the birds!
> 
> She gets tiny matted bits under her arm pits which i try and brush out but have trimmed them out. luckily her "underarm hair" is very sparse


Buffy has a very hairy underarms, lol. I had to trim a bit yesterday, it wasn't matted but literally a big chunk of thick hair!


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## Katiebob (Aug 9, 2021)

3ymum said:


> Buffy has a very hairy underarms, lol. I had to trim a bit yesterday, it wasn't matted but literally a big chunk of thick hair!


Rocking the European look! 😆


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

Katiebob said:


> Rocking the European look! 😆


😂  🙈


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

@3ymum I also meant to encourage you to stay with your program. Buffy always looks STUNNING!


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

Katiebob said:


> We only take Juno to the groomers when we come back from holiday so they can give her a really good wash to get all the sand out of her!! 😆


Did you find the beach sand stuck like glue? I was wondering if the arena sand Ilita rolled (a lot) had a sticker to reduce dust that might have made it more problematical.


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

I doubt believe this is off-topic since it is about grooming aids. But what do you all use for shampoo when you do give a full or partial bath? I am looking at a waterless shampoo for those spot cleanups that don't require a full bath but where a brushing is insufficient: Wahl's pet friendly waterless shampoo. 

Amazon.com: WAHL Dry Skin & Itch Relief Pet Shampoo for Dogs – Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena - Model 821004-050 

They have different ingredient configurations.


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## Katiebob (Aug 9, 2021)

SMcN said:


> Did you find the beach sand stuck like glue? I was wondering if the arena sand Ilita rolled (a lot) had a sticker to reduce dust that might have made it more problematical.


No, it was pretty good. she always bought sand back in the car each day but overall it wasnt bad. She probably didnt need to go for a full groom but I just wanted to be thorough.


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## banzai555 (Sep 2, 2019)

SMcN said:


> I doubt believe this is off-topic since it is about grooming aids. But what do you all use for shampoo when you do give a full or partial bath? I am looking at a waterless shampoo for those spot cleanups that don't require a full bath but where a brushing is insufficient: Wahl's pet friendly waterless shampoo.
> 
> Amazon.com: WAHL Dry Skin & Itch Relief Pet Shampoo for Dogs – Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena - Model 821004-050
> 
> They have different ingredient configurations.


I use a Burt's Bees oatmeal dog shampoo I found on Chewy.com. I looked at waterless shampoos once but the reviews were always mixed. I figure you probably gotta use water or it's not worth it.


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## 3ymum (Oct 12, 2021)

SMcN said:


> I doubt believe this is off-topic since it is about grooming aids. But what do you all use for shampoo when you do give a full or partial bath? I am looking at a waterless shampoo for those spot cleanups that don't require a full bath but where a brushing is insufficient: Wahl's pet friendly waterless shampoo.
> 
> Amazon.com: WAHL Dry Skin & Itch Relief Pet Shampoo for Dogs – Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena - Model 821004-050
> 
> They have different ingredient configurations.


Not off-topic at all and more different ways/methods to share the merrier. I use Wahl no rinse shampoo if she gets muddy but not warrant a bath. This one is quite good, just run the foam into the dirty area then towel dry, all the dirt comes out, then a quick brush is good enough.

For a proper bath, I use Groomers Simply Naturals.









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Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Wahl No Rinse Shampoo, Shampoo for Pets, Smartgroom, 200 ml, Pet Grooming at Home, Easy to Use Shampoo, Refresh Pet Cleanser, Foaming, Alternative to Bathing Pets at Amazon UK.



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## drparker151 (Apr 10, 2020)

For regular bathes we've always just used a no tears baby shampoo on our dogs over the years. Even the expensive stuff our vet sells lists base ingredient of baby shampoo. If there was a skin issue, then we used an oatmeal shampoo.


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

banzai555 said:


> I use a Burt's Bees oatmeal dog shampoo I found on Chewy.com. I looked at waterless shampoos once but the reviews were always mixed. I figure you probably gotta use water or it's not worth it.


I like Burt's Bees products. Will look into this one. We will want to have a regular shampoo available, but sometimes it just isn't practical to do the whole Monty and so having something that wouldn't be a big project would be helpful. I SERIOUSLY wish I had had a decent waterless shampoo for my horse when I was riding heavily. Giving a horse an entire body wash with water is definitely more of a project.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

SMcN said:


> I doubt believe this is off-topic since it is about grooming aids. But what do you all use for shampoo when you do give a full or partial bath? I am looking at a waterless shampoo for those spot cleanups that don't require a full bath but where a brushing is insufficient: Wahl's pet friendly waterless shampoo.
> 
> Amazon.com: WAHL Dry Skin & Itch Relief Pet Shampoo for Dogs – Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena - Model 821004-050
> 
> They have different ingredient configurations.








One Shot Dry Clean Spray | Best Shot Pet







www.bestshotpet.com


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

SMcN said:


> I doubt believe this is off-topic since it is about grooming aids. But what do you all use for shampoo when you do give a full or partial bath? I am looking at a waterless shampoo for those spot cleanups that don't require a full bath but where a brushing is insufficient: Wahl's pet friendly waterless shampoo.
> 
> Amazon.com: WAHL Dry Skin & Itch Relief Pet Shampoo for Dogs – Oatmeal Formula with Coconut Lime Verbena - Model 821004-050


Walmart sells the Wahl waterless shampoo. I've used the one in the purple bottle on foster dogs that I wasn't allowed to bathe because some shelter vet had spayed them without bathing them, leaving me stuck with a stinky dog. It definitely helps with the smell.....but I don't love the concept of it.

I'm pretty sure it's full of phthalates as it's very, very perfumy. That whole category is -- regardless of the brand. That's how fragrance works. Many pro grooming products are full of them too -- a lot of the "long lasting" dog perfumes and highly scented rinses are a huge load of endocrine-disruptors for the dog and the person smelling it. 

If I can wipe the dog down with a grooming wipe, I'd rather do that -- but even those are often heavily scented. A cheap pack of "water wipes" from Walmart is pretty effective for quick clean-up on the go (e.g, the dog peed on the back of it's own legs).

I've been buying Wondercide's dog shampoo bars for years, and I absolutely love them. They're the fastest baths ever because you wet the dog, rub it all over quickly, and rinse, without the need to constantly squirt shampoo into your hands. It rinses clean very quickly and easily -- much faster than SLS-detergent-based liquid shampoos. The scent comes from EOs, and there's also no plastic waste. A bar lasts a looooong time too. It's honestly the only "game changing" home grooming product I've ever found.








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Watch the HBO doc "Not So Pretty" that just released this week if you haven't been following phthalates in the beauty industry -- much of what's in it could be applied to the pet grooming product industry too. It's gross.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

dogfaeries said:


> One Shot Dry Clean Spray | Best Shot Pet
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This has a nice label because there's no "fragrance" (which is code for lots of nastiness) -- just mint essence.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Magwart said:


> This has a nice label because there's no "fragrance" (which is code for lots of nastiness) -- just mint essence.


Best Shot is very transparent in disclosing their ingredients. I use a lot of Best Shot products at work. 

If anyone is interested in learning about shampoo and conditioners in the pet industry, Barbara Bird has written the book on it. She explains the science behind the how products work.


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## SMcN (Feb 12, 2021)

I just read this article from Dogs Naturally Magazine on products to avoid in shampoos. 20 Dog Shampoo Ingredients To Avoid | Dogs Naturally (dogsnaturallymagazine.com)

As we try to read food labels, so should we be reading all product labels. Unfortunately, I am still not familiar with some of the terminology used in some. Still learning. The One Shot Dry Clean spray @dogfaeries linked has some terms I need to google. They also use the term 'proprietary' which is also a red flag to me for further checking. It can be a hidden source of other ingredients not listed. Wondercide products seem to use coconut oil as a base (I only looked at four of their labels) which is problematical for me as I am intolerant of tree nuts and, additionally, we try our best not to support the coconut product industry as the production of this 'sustainable' product has, and is continuing to, destroy many ecosystems.

@Magwart Your information is, as always, really helpful. It is so easy to forget to check the labels or not to fully understand what you ARE reading.


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## asx40 (Jan 4, 2022)

Maintain a regular brushing routine and only bathe exceptionally rarely. If you can do nail trims at home, there's no need to take your GSD to the dogs groomer.


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