Grooming - Bathing

Bathing your dog at home

This is a very simple Bathing tutorial for dogs, to give you a basic idea on how to prepare and then bath your dog properly at home. Of course if you have a dog which requires clipping, hand stripping, specific styling or scissoring, then I would highly recommend getting someone experienced in your breed to teach you, or even ask a groomer if they have a class to teach you to maintain your dogs coat between grooms. Many groomers would be very happy to teach you this maintenance as it benefits your dog. If they cannot help then they may be able to give you the details of someone who can.

One thing you really must remember is that all animals are different and have different coat types and requirements, so you need to select the right shampoo and conditioner for your pets coat and skin to prevent drying the skin out, causing reactions, or even to help with any existing conditions.

You will need -

• Towels
• Ear cleaner
• Non-slip mat
• Dog nail clippers
• Cotton wool balls
• Combs and Brushes 
• Bath or Sink with shower attachment
• Good quality dog shampoo that is suitable for your pets coat
• Good quality dog conditioner (unless you have a harsh coated breed)
• Optional - Dryer, if not then just use towels and allow your dog to air dry

First off, make sure you have all items to hand in the bathroom, with the door shut to keep your dog in. Animals who don't want to be bathed are excellent at escaping so you may want to also have your dog on a collar and lead. A very small dog could also be bathed in a sink but you must make sure you have shower attachment or you will not be able to rinse the shampoo out properly.

Non-slip mats are ideal. They can be bought cheaply.

Put the non-slip mat in the bath or sink, lay towels on the floor, and choose your combs and begin brushing out the coat, removing as many tangles and debris as possible before your dog goes in the water. If a tangled coat gets wet it can mat up so it is much better to remove them before bathing.

Once you can run a fine toothed comb all the way through to the skin, all over your dogs body, it is time to move on to the bathing. With the non-slip mat in the bottom of the bath, take the shower and warm the water to just above body temperature. If it feels too warm when tested on your elbow as you would do for a baby, then it is too warm for your pup. If your dog isn't fond of bathing then, if possible, they should be tethered safely in the bath.

Wetting the coat down before the shampooing.

With the shower head held around 2cm from the dogs skin, wet the entire coat, working from the neck all the way down the back. Remember to soak the chest, stomach and legs too. Lastly, gently wet the dogs head. Once he is thoroughly wet all the way through, it is time to start shampooing.

Which shampoo you should choose depends on the dogs skin and coat. I recommend the Pet Head range as they are very high quality and they all smell lovely. If your dog has a pale coloured coat that needs brightening, try the Pet Head White Party shampoo. If you need something more gentle then try the Pet Head Puppy Fun shampoo. If your dog has itchy skin, then try the Pet Head Lifes In Itch shampoo. The Pet Head range are all gentle enough to use on puppies and older dogs too. My personal favourite is the Pet Head Feeling Flaky shampoo, as it leaves the dogs coats very soft, cleans brilliantly and smells amazing.

Some of the Pet Head range - They also do cat shampoo

I must add that I do not get paid or get any sort of benefits to advertise them or anything, it is just my personal recommendation. Throughout the years they have always been top quality at an affordable price. All of my dog have used it including my rescue girl who has severe allergies (never had a reaction to the Pet Head range), and so have my show dogs, and their results speak for themselves!

Work the shampoo through the whole coat, being very careful around the face not to get it in your pets eyes or ears. Let it sit there for a couple of minutes, then wash it out. Repeat the wash and rinse to make sure the coat is clean. Then re-rinse the coat to make sure there is no shampoo left in the coat at all, as any left in could cause the dogs skin irritation.

If your dog is a terrier or other breed which requires a harsh coat, then skip this step. If not then it is time to move on to the conditioner. I always use the Pet Head Furtastic Creme Rinse for my dogs as it leaves their coats beautifully soft and silky. As you did with the shampoo, work it right into the coat all the way through the body. Let it sit in the coat for up to 5 minutes. While it is working, massage your dog all over to make sure you work it fully in and check your dog over for any abnormal lumps, bumps, or other problems. When the coat is wet you can usually see and feel the skin easier and its a perfect time to give your dog a good massage too. Its great for them and they love it too. Once the conditioner has done its job it's time to wash it out. Once again, make sure you rinse it all out. When you think you have got it all out, rinse the coat again just in case there is any still in there that has been missed.

Drying off in a towel

Shorter coat being dried with a dryer

Next it is time to get your dog out of the bath and start drying. If your dog has a very short coat then simply rub him down with a towel to absorb the worse of the water and leave him to dry off naturally. If your dog has longer hair you can use this method, but I would recommend using a dryer. Be careful if using a human hair dryer that it is not too hot. It needs to just be warm enough to dry him off, and you must keep it moving so as not to heat up one area too much. If possible, a blaster dryer is the best option but it can be rather expensive. If you have several dogs or a dog with an especially long or thick coat then it will be essential if you want to dry your dog off properly and prevent them getting chilled in the colder months.

Drying while combing.

To properly dry off your dog with a dryer, use a comb along with it. Use your grooming tools to comb through the coat as you dry it, combing with the lay of the coat to flatten it down, or brushing it against the lay of the coat to fluff it up, it all depends on what your dog requires. Once you have done this throughout the whole coat then the bathing process is finished.

The final steps are simple but essential. Use some ear cleaning fluid on a ball of cotton wool to gently wipe the inside of the ear leathers, making sure not to push it into the ear canal. Then repeat with the other ear. Next use some clean water on a cotton wool ball to gently wipe the dogs eyes.

Where to cut when clipping your dogs nails.

Next move on to the nails. Some dogs nails are kept naturally short with just their normal walks on concrete, but most will need their nails trimming. You must be careful to avoid the quick (the vein that runs through the nail). This looks pink or red, and can be hard to see. If you are unsure then just trim a small amount off at a time. Dark nails can be very hard to see the quick but if you shine a torch through the nail after trimming the end off, you can usually see where you need to clip. Remember to check your dogs dew claws too. Even if your dogs nails wear down naturally, if they have dew claws then these will need to be trimmed. By trimming the nails after a bath, they are softer and easier to clip.

This is really all you need to know for doing a basic bath and groom. If you have any questions feel free to ask - I would love to see photos of your pups being bathed too! Feel free to post them here, on Pretty Pooches Canine Coutures facebook page, or on Instagram and tag @MaisiesAdventures 

Spotlight on Grooming!

As some of you may know, before opening Pretty Pooches Canine Couture, I was lucky enough to study at one of the top Animal Care colleges in the UK. It was there that I fell in love with Dog Grooming and after I finished my National Diploma in Animal Management (Care) course, I went on to learn to properly groom, only stopping due to an injury that has left me unable to take on the workload of a professional groomer.

I have groomed pet dog, working dogs, and show dogs. Cats, Rabbits and Guinea pigs too. I have even done a little creative grooming! While I may not be able to do this for a living, I always love to help out others wanting to learn all about Dog Grooming, whether is is just for your own dog at home or working towards grooming as a career.

This series of post are a basic "How To" - Feel free to ask if you have a specific breed that you would like advice on grooming. Grooming is a fantastic way to bond with your pet while giving them a thorough health check at the same time. If you know your pet very well it means any health issues can be spotted much quicker and treated easier, it could even save your pets life.

Insta-great!

Maisie has almost 2500 followers now on her Instagram account @MaisiesAdventures and she is so proud! Thank you so much to all of her fans. Such a big goal for a tiny dog!

Maisie looks so cute with this new filter, so she decided to get a new hairdo! How cute! 

Chihuahuas - The smallest dogs with the biggest personality!

Someone recently challanged me to describe the Chihuahua breed in just one sentence. To me I can only sum them up in one way -

"Chihuahuas - The smallest breed with the biggest personality!"

Every chihuahua I have ever met has had an amazing personality, and been extremely loyal to their families. There seems to be some difference between the two coat types personalities, and I find the smoothcoats are much more feisty than the longcoats, who in my experience are generally more laid back. 

The UK breed standard calls for the breed to be up to 6lb, with 4lb to 6lb preferred for the show ring. Pet chihuahuas (as in those not in the shown) can be a larger but they are all still very small dogs. In the UK show ring and for Kennel Club registration, the two coat types are designated as different breeds. The longcoats and smoothcoats are not shown together, and if bred together, their puppies are not eligible to be registered with the KC. 

These are two examples of some of the top winning show chihuahuas. Both are fantastic examples of the breed, and as you can see, both are very very cute! 

This is the smoothcoat Best Of Breed winner from Crufts 2015,
KC name CH SUNDOWNER PLAY MISTY FOR ME AT DACHIDAS. 

This is the longcoat Best Of Breed winner at Crufts 2014, KC name CH/IR CH X-TRA SPECIAL FOR HELENA OF EUROPEAN FRIENDSHIP NETH JUN CH, AN CH 13.

You can see from the photos that the two are very similar, although some people say there are differences in the body shape of the two breeds. The smoothcoat and longcoat breed standards are almost identical, with the exception of the coat details. They may be tiny but the chihuahuas are very good at walking into the show ring and showing off! That 'look at me' behaviour is one of the traits that the chihuahuas seem to always have! They usually love attention, and the show ring is the perfect place for them to show off.

When it comes to attention, some chihuahuas are fantastic with children. My own longcoat chihuahuas are very close to my little nephew Jack, and my tricolour Shelby is his biggest fan. Maisie loves everyone, and is a close second. Pictured here are Maisie, my longcoat chihuahua, and Pippi, a rescued Chihuahua/Pug mix. Jack was roughly 18 months old here.

They really are an amazing breed, and most people can't just have one. My pack of 8 is proof of that! If you have any questions about the breed, or general dog questions, please ask and I will answer them as soon as possible!

Crufts Review

This update is long overdue but here it is - our Crufts review! So sorry for the delay for anyone that has been waiting for this, but we have been extremely busy.

Maisie and I had a fantastic time at Crufts 2016, and bought home lots of goodies. We were given a press pass and a special dog plaza pass so we were able to go into the press office and take a photo in front of the Crufts background! As you can see, Maisie thought it was great!

Maisie extremely happy to be at Crufts!

We arrived at almost 12.30pm after a 4 hour train journey. It was exhausting just getting there but Maisie loved meeting all the new people on her journey. She made friends with several people at every stop along the way, and slept in between curled up on my lap. Thankfully there was a tea trolley on the train so I was able to get a cup of tea on the way!

Maisie and I at Crufts

 Just outside we spotted this banner and a lovely lady offered to take a photo of us (Thank you!). Sadly a teenage boy decided to try and throw himself through the banner from the back as Maisie was sitting by it and scared her. Its a pity someone would try and destroy someone elses property and scare a small dog just because they can. Thankfully, Maisie was ok after a couple of minutes and the teenager embaressed himself in front of his friends. Thats what you get for trying to show off!

Some beautiful longcoat chihuahuas in the ring.

The main breed we were looking to see was the Chihuahua. Maisie got to say hello to lots of her relatives and we had so much fun talking to their owners. I wish I could have stopped and cuddled every single one, but we had to keep going. Lots more dogs to see, lots of stalls to visit, and lots of Maisies fans to meet!

One of the adorable smoothcoat chihuahuas. Loved this ladies jumper too!

The Cavaliers in the ring.

We went on Toy and Utility day so there were a lot of small dogs around. Some of our favourites were the sweet little Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and the Chinese Cresteds. Both breeds are so different but both are such lovely breeds. It was great seeing the difference between the hairless and powderpuff cresties while being shown in the same class.

Powderpuff and Hairless cresties in the ring.

A lovely Bichon after its class. Beautifully groomed!

Maisie wasnt too happy that I wouldnt let her go in the ring too. She loves showing!

Some Chinese Cresteds in their matching onesies. Arent they adorable! 

Maisie made a new friend. She had to have a cuddle with her.

A stunning Boston Terrier. This dog was being shown from overseas. People travel from all over the world to show at Crufts, and this little pup really had the wow factor for me.

Meeting the amazing Victoria Stilwell.

 We were very lucky to be able to meet celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell too. Victoria is such a lovely lady too. She was more than happy to talk to everyone and pose for photos with her fans. I was so pleased to get the chance to see her and have a quick chat about dogs and training. Even though she was very busy, she was so friendly and made the time to talk to everyone. I love this lady!

Very sleepy after a long day.

Maisie was exhausted after such a long day, but she loved it. Of course, she had to sleep on her new vet bed after eating lots of treats we picked up from the stalls. She was also very lucky and won a years supply of food while she was there. So proud of her!

Hopefully we will be invited back this coming year. Maisie wants to say a big thank you to all of her fans, friends, and everyone who gave her so much attention throughout the day. She also wants me to book her a hotel so she can go on more than one day next year, but we will have to see if I can make that wish come true. But even if not, she knows she will be spoilt rotten.

And the winner is....

Thank you for your patience in the results of our competition. It has taken me rather a long while to recover from our Crufts trip as my Fibromyalgia flared up, but I'm starting to feel better now, and all entries have been verified so its time to announce the winner.

The winner was chosen at random and I am very please to announce that our winner is Gemma M!
Congratulations Gemma, please check your Twitter and let us know your dogs size/age/gender and I will get your dogs mystery box sent out!

A few updates

I have really been busy recently and the blog is way behind right now, sorry about that! But Maisies Instagram account has been kept up to date so at least you get your daily dose of cuteness!

Our competition has ended, and the winner will be announced shortly once all the entries have been checked. Good luck to everyone who entered. Check back in a few days time to see who won!

I will be doing "Group Spotlights" rather than breed by breed for the dogs at Crufts, as well as posting info on how Maisie's getting ready for her big day at Crufts!

The one good thing about insomnia - catching up on things that I didn't to during the day!