When it comes to taking care of your pet Poodle, grooming her curly locks may be the most challenging part. Below are more questions about grooming a Poodle.

1. Clipping my Poodle isn't really much trouble until I get to her feet. Why is she so jumpy about it and what can I do to make the job easier?

Many Poodles are extremely sensitive about having their feet clipped, especially the front ones. I think that the first few grooming sessions set the pattern for this sensitivity. You may never be able to change him now, even if you manage to develop a gentle touch with the clipper.

It is important to hold the weight of the clipper in your hand instead of resting it on your dog's foot while you clip. Pull the hair away from the toenail with your fingers so the clipper can pick it up easily.

Do not dig it out with the sharp points of the blade. When you clean the hair from between the toes, let your finger separating the pads beneath the toes protrude just enough to protect the web. Any dog that has been poked and cut will always flinch, so it may be necessary to get someone to hold the leg at the elbow to prevent movement.

2. Everyone tells me that I should show my new Poodle puppy. Should I do anything special about his clipping?

I believe that getting involved with a kennel club and learning all of the ins-and-outs from them is one of the best ways to go about this concern. There is much more to being a show dog than meets the eye. This includes expending lots of energy and time. In the meanwhile, be sure any groomer who clips your puppy knows you intend to show her so the groomer won't cut the hair you will need later.

3. My Poodle's teeth need to be professionally cleaned by the vet once or twice a year. Is there any way I can keep from having to have this done? She refuses to chew bones.

In the first place, chewing bones is not always all that effective, and, of course, you have to be very careful about that anyway. I have seen dogs that chew that have terrible teeth and dogs that don't and have beautiful teeth. The best solution is to brush your dog's teeth everyday using a baby toothbrush. If this is too much for you, then continuing your regular trips to the vet is the next best solution.

This is something id really love to do and although wilts college do a saterday course its not quite what i was looking for id like to be able to get the qualification init.

What is up with that? I don't think there is such a thing. Most dog grooming shops train their employees on the job. I think she has an averision to college. She wasn't a good student and was home schooled very poorly later on. Wouldn't it be best to go to a community college to get started with the basics with some computer courses? At least an Adult school with occupational training? That dog gooming thing is not versatile. It doesn't stretch. Her family is not much help. They're misinformed and on the ignorant side. Please help.

Nightmare Grooming Services - How Safe Is Your Pet? Ɠ)

Cruelty among unlicensed "backyard groomers" has been a growing series of unfortunate events in both small and large towns across the country.

With cheap services that are far lower priced than professional groomers, it's easy for many dog owners to see the benefit of saving money over the possibility that the groomer might not know what he or she is doing.

Fortunately, there is an organization that works hard to protect the sanctity of professional animal groomers across the nation. They are the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA).

With tens of thousands of members running strong, the NDGAA has been responsible for introducing legislation around the country to bring more responsibility and legal protection for dog owners and the garage groomers that do business today.

Unfortunately, it has not been an easy task to convince lawmakers to hold the same standards to the dog grooming business as they do for human barber shops and stylists. Beauty operators and barbers are licensed and must adhere to various controls to protect the consumer.

Licensing of dog groomers appears to be just over the horizon. While nobody likes federal and state governments to step in and control private industry, the present state of the grooming industry is such that steps must be taken to protect the consumer, as well as the unsuspecting animal. At present, any person has the right to call him or herself a groomer.

A Recent Shocking Survey

Last year a small group of individuals who support laws to come down hard on dangerous grooming practices and unlicensed shops took it upon themselves to interview 85 establish groomers in as many grooming shops as 5 large cities.

It was bewildering to discover only one shop conducting grooming in full view of customers and other patrons. This led to the shaking of a few more insights, and a desire to know why grooming is normally done behind close doors.

The answer, it seems, is that the dog owner "wouldn't understand" why a groomer was doing a particular thing or treating an animal in a particular way. It seems that many animals left for grooming are in such a terrified state of mind that they have to be tranquilized.

In some cases, some animals are anesthetized before any grooming can take place. One groomer explained:

"Most animals left to be groomed are spoiled rotten, and you can't do a thing with them unless they get their bottom spanked. Sometimes, we have to tie their mouths shut, but the general public just wouldn't understand this."

These groomers may have a point here about having a hard time keeping dogs calm during the process, but the underlying justification to abuse animals in order to get the job done is not enough to warrant such practices.

Nightmare Grooming Services - How Safe Is Your Pet? ƒ)

Have you considered having your dog groomed by an unlicensed groomer, perhaps one that is considerably cheaper than a professional? If so, there are some important things you should be aware of.

For starters, at present, any animal left with a groomer is unprotected by law, and no requirement exists that the particular groomer has to be qualified and proficient in the art of dog grooming. Laws requiring dog groomers to pass state board tests, or to otherwise prove their capabilities, simply do not exist.

Grooming schools that allow students (whom are not yet licensed) to perform on your pets are not required to give the student a sufficient number of hours to assure the graduate will be capable of safely handling an animal. A novice simply should not be permitted to groom animals for money without sufficient training to avoid the many accidents reported daily.

Grooming Horror Stories

In doing some serious behind-the-scenes research, we have learned of the many horror stories which otherwise would not have surfaced. It has been reported throughout many cities that teats have been cut off accidentally, and dogs are suffocated daily in unsafe homemade dryers - as examples of the injuries occurring at the hands of untrained persons dealing in grooming services.

A woman from California who experienced a terrible accident when she brought her Poodle to a backyard groomer stated "It's getting to the point now where licensing is a must, as protection for the legitimate groomer, the animal, and the owner."

Reports of dog groomers who are sadistic, as well as dishonest, have been reported to the authorities in many areas across the nation. One report alleges cruelties such as smashing dogs' heads to the floor from the grooming table. These types of reports, although hard to believe actually happen, were investigated and found to be true.

The animal cannot fend for itself and there must be guidelines set up to protect everyone dealing in and needing grooming services. The public is under the impression that "professional dog groomers" are already licensed.

There are no health standards governing backyard grooming shops, and many with public locations are not legally licensed or respecting any particular health codes.

In many of these places you will find everything from cockroaches to mange. Proper methods of disinfecting the premises, general rules of safety in handling animals, and proper crating procedures, are totally ignored - or are foreign - to many so-called groomers who have simply purchased a business license and became self-styled dog groomers.

The garage groomers have no problems of proper hygiene, because, due to the lack of licensing procedures, they have no license to be revoked. All the garage groomer has to do is close up and move to another location when he becomes unpopular in one neighborhood.

When it comes to puppy grooming, do not ignore proper eye care and safety. Some dog owners forget the little things when it comes to grooming their pet which can result in health problems in the future. Below are a few puppy eye-care pointers.

1. Guarding your puppy's eyes from injury is important so be sure to be overly conscious of your puppy's head when you are playing games that have potential consequences for injury to the eyes. Some example games to be careful of would be when you are kicking a ball around with your pup, playing fetch with a stick, or simply play-wrestling by using your hands.

2. Each and every morning, examine your dog's eyes and wipe away any of that "morning crust" that builds up overnight. If this crust is left unchecked and builds up, your puppy can experience a very irritating and painful reaction. Use warm water and a soft cloth to wipe the eyes clean.

3. If your dog has very long hair because of his breed type, do your best to trim around his eyes. I realize that there are some breeds out there who are supposed to have long hair covering or overlapping the eyes, but this can cause irritation if the hair is constantly rubbing inside of the eyeball. Just use your best judgment and try to err on the side of your dog's health as opposed to his appearance.

4. When bathing your dog, try to avoid squirting shampoo and flee chemicals directly on top of his head. Even if you are being extremely careful, there is always a chance that some of this material will spray in his eyes. Gently rub the shampoo into your hand and then over your dog's scalp and surrounding face areas. This will avoid potential eye irritation.

5. When bringing your dog along for a car ride, avoid the temptation to let him hang his head out of the window. I know it is a joy to watch your pet having so much fun as you are driving along, but there have been many serious eye injuries, and even the loss of an eyeball due to a small pebble or rock hitting the dog's face. I don't know about you, but that is not something I would want to risk at all.

I groom my own Poodle. His front legs are very bowed. Is there any way to disguise this?

Using a pair of scissors, cut the hair shorter over the outside of the elbow and the inside of the ankle and longer over the inside of the elbow and outside of the ankle. This trick won't work any magic, but it should help a little.

What can I do to keep my Poodle's ears clean between grooming sessions?

Sometimes the hair in a Poodle's ears clings so lightly it can be pulled out with the fingers. Other times, however, it is rooted as tightly as his body hair. In this case, you can use a pair of tweezers, preferably the type that works like scissors.

Remove a few hairs at a time, reaching only as deeply into the ear as you can see. The ear is extremely tender, so be careful not to poke or pinch it. Finish by cleaning the ear thoroughly with cotton and an ear lotion from the pet shop. Many Poodle owners prefer a non-oily lotion, but any of them will work well.

Every summer, my Cocker Spaniel gets foxtails in his ears and it costs me a fortune to have them removed. Is there any way to clip him so he won't pick them up?

Clip the hair very short all around the ear opening and off the inside of the ear leather. Another effective method is to shave the entire ear, both inside and out. Keep the hair pulled out of the ear itself.

How do I properly shape my Poodle's tail?

Most home groomers start by shaving too much of the tail and leaving a long, limp flap hanging off the end. Shave only about half of the tail, leaving the end half to be the core that supports the pompon.

After bathing and fluffing, comb the hair straight out past the end of the tail. Clamp two fingers of your left hand over the hair just at the tip of the tail (to protect it from the scissors), and then cut straight across with the scissors. Next, hold the tip and fluff the hair out. You will be able to see the sharp edges that need to be scissored off. Round and fluff, round and fluff, until the shape is right.

I am planning to breed my female Poodle and male Dachshund next time she comes into season. Will the puppies have to be clipped?

It's possible. You never know what will happen in a mixed breeding until it's too late. The resulting puppies could not possibly live up to their elegant Poodle mother or handsome Dachshund father. Why take a chance on producing a litter to swell the ranks of unwanted dogs in the country today?

Why is my Poodle so fluffy when she's groomed at a shop and but becomes so krinkly when I bathe her at home?

If a Poodle is just towel dried and allowed to dry naturally, with or without a hair dryer, the hair will set wavy or curly. Your groomer apparently fluff dries. This involves flipping the hair with a brush while a dryer blows on it. Each small spot must be thoroughly dry before the adjoining spot is started. It is a time consuming process, but well worth the effort.

It's going to be dog training, dog & cat grooming, pet boarding, animal rescuing, as well as fish and birds for sale. I want something catchy and unique (not cheesy or childish) and with my name in it, like Renee_________, etc. The best name will get the 10 points!

What Dog Groomers Won't Tell You: A Brutally Honest Opinion From A Professional

Have you taken your dog to a groomer parlor lately? When was the last time he was clipped? Brushed? Cleaned? If not, then allow real-life groomer, Sara Gordon, with decades of experience, give you an honest, no-nonsense opinion from a professional groomer's standpoint on dog owners that come to see her for their grooming needs.

Read Closely, You'll Learn Something

From Sara Gordon:

I groomed some forty years and prefer to groom in the quiet. I have nothing to hide but the dogs being groomed, as they certainly act up when they see the owner, or anyone else but me.

I must agree with most groomers, however, that it is difficult to control a dog while someone is trying to take a peek as you groom.

My first concern was the dog's safety. In fact, even the sound of car tires will excite a dog and make it very difficult to handle.

I never used or believed in tranquilizers; in fact, I've groomed many dogs that bit their owners, but never bit me - and I didn't use a muzzle or a gag. I simply let the dog know I wasn't going to hurt it.

In fact, I preferred that the owner didn't even tell me that the dog would bite. Dogs are like children - if they're allowed to rule the house then they will.

I found that most of the folks that wanted a sneak peek didn't love their dog as I did, as the dogs would always come in completely unbrushed for grooming; I mean to the extent that there was no way one could get a brush through its coat.

They would say, "My dog will never let me brush him", which is, in my opinion, a very poor excuse indeed!

Letting a dog go two to four months without brushing can create a real mess. Owners must think groomers can just wave a wand and it's done. I always told them they could brush if they really cared to.

A good way to approach it also is to ask if they would let their child go two to four months without brushing or combing their hair. The answer is always no. They think about it then. It is mean to a dog to brush it after that length of time. It is sheer torture.

I've had many people say, "I just brushed her last night and she is already matted."

This is NOT TRUE! All they actually brushed was the top of the coat, and it should be brushed from the skin out. I have proven that even five minutes a week will keep out the dead hair that causes those mats.

And my last gripe is about owners that insist on seeing their dogs while I am grooming them. A groomer loses time when people want to see the dogs that are in to be groomed, as they all start barking and whining and are hard to settle back down. So I say it's cruel to upset them.

I told them to take their dog somewhere else if they insisted on watching. I was just not going to put their pet through that ordeal. They all left them with me, and, I might add, were very pleased with the results.