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Looking for grooming advice

schro As you may know, I have a 10 month old Bichon-Poo named Schroeder. He is a cute puppy if I do say so myself.

Schroeder has had a hair cut. I took him for his second hair cut last week. He had to get the last of his "puppy coat" cut.

I do try to brush him daily. I usually do not miss more than one day. I use de-tangler on him since he has a tendency to get knotted easily.

It just was not good enough. When I picked him up from the groomer, I couldn't help but to laugh. I suspected it was coming, but it's still a bit of a shock.

Now I know Schroeder is only 6 pounds. But his coat gave the the appearance that he was much bigger.

new do

Here he is now. No more fluff.

I am looking for tips/advice/ideas. How can I keep his hair? It's not too bad now that it is getting hot outside. However, I do not want his to be hairless in the winter.

Please help! How do you keep you animal mat-free?

Posted by Ann Guy on 05/29/2007 10:19 AM

Comments (11)

schroeder, grooming

11 Comments on Looking for grooming advice

MAY

2007

does he lick his paws? scratch a lot?

I know some Bichon owners that have their dogs get matted a lot because they have allergies...

my Lhasa used to do that constantly... my bulldog itches and it is actually a big deal since bulldogs have skin problems... he is licking his paws right now.

you might check what shampoo you're using... bathe him LESS frequently...

if it is just junk in his hair, then you have to get him cleaned up everytime you bring him inside... my lhasa always has these little seed pods in her hair ...

she's supposed to be long haired, but we keep her cut SHORT... longer hair means she chews more and it is just too hot here

He doesn't scratch alot, but he chews his paws. I am going to give Benedryl one I double check with my vet because I think it may be allergies.

I try not to bathe him too much. I do it as needed (about every 3 weeks).

Thanks for you advice, David!

JUN

2007

I have 2 dogs that commonly get mats under their armpits. I would recommend products from Chris Christensen Systems. Check his site at: http://www.chrissystems.com/

I think you may have traumatized your dog.

Forget about the dog, the picture traumatized me.

Note that in the first picture, Schroeder (could you have picked a harder name to spell?) is SMILING and in the second picture, the dog looks like he had the bong all to himself.

JUN

2007

Rob,That is such a funny cooment..The doggie Bong. ROTFLOL!.

Ann, I don't have the mat problem with my Bella, although she had a little one by her ear that they clipped of at Petsmart when they trimmed her nails.

Check out Photos of Bella last summer when we (Roger's Idea)had her buzzed. Does she look like Dr Spock's DOGGIE in the first one or what?? LOL

She's looking like this now! Wow! what a shedding machine!

Ginger

JUN

2007

Hi Ann, I don't think there's any answer to your question. Some dogs have softer fur and tend to matt easier than others. In my opinion, keeping your dog clipped is the easiest solution. I keep my lab/border collie clipped short year round. Less hair, less matts, less dirty dog. And if you do your own bathing (no more than once a month, preferably less) use dishwashing liquid, like Dawn. Its ph balanced to a dogs skin (less likely to cause allergies) and is a degreaser.

Terry Haugen - STAGE it RIGHT!

JUN

2007

Ginger- I can't even fathom how much Bella sheds, wow!

Terry-I only bathe him when necessary (which is less now with his new do) because I know it really dries out his skin. Thanks for your input.

JUL

2007

We try and let the dogs swim more often than bathe and it seems to help their skin and their fur-- especially when they get a salt-water bath at the beach. But mats happen from time to time. On the chewing the paws thing, be sure and keep the nails clipped or they'll 'chew' them down. Dirt/mud also means they'll lick and chew between their paws to try and keep clean. I do a daily "paw massage" with my Aussies to keep their feet clean and to make sure nothing (like foxtails) get embedded in the webs of their feet.

Hi Ann, it always takes some time getting used to the "naked" haircut doesn't it. Schroeder probably feels pretty "cool" right now. :-)

I have the same type of problems with my Maltese Coco. I use baby shampoo and conditioner on her and it helps to keep her hair untangled and her skin conditioned so she won't itch. Also, she hates groomers and the noise from the electric trimmers, so I started giving her scissor cuts - oh boy, there is going to be quite a learning curve - but at least she's not freaking out on me ever time.

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