You Need The Right Tools For The Job
Tools of the Trade
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You Need The Right Tools For The Job
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The
secret to being able to do any job well and with the least amount of difficulty is to have
the right tools. This section will describe the tools necessary to groom out any
Keeshond. Some of the tools are absolutely essential, while
others are “nice-to-haves” which make some part of
the process that much easier. I will identify the essentials as well as the nice-to-haves.
Once you have all your tools together, you will be ready to get
started! |
The Essentials
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Grooming Table |
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No single
piece of grooming equipment is more overlooked ... or more important ... than the grooming
table. I wish I had a dollar for every dog owner that ever gave up in exasperation
having attempted to groom their dog while it stood, sat or lay on the ground. I would be
rich! How many times have we heard complaints like “Every time I try to groom him he
behaves for 5 minutes and then he jumps away and wants to play! How am I supposed to ever
get the mats out of this dog?” or “It’s just too hard, she struggles and
kicks and finally escapes, she hates to have her nails clipped!” or “I just
can’t do it anymore, the pain in my back is too much.”? Well, the grooming table
is the answer to all these problems. On the ground, your four-footed friend has a definite advantage over you. He is quicker, faster, stronger and much more agile. He his in his own element. But, the good Lord gave us a brain, this is what allows us to be in charge over our head-strong best friends. We need to take Fido out of his element, put him in a situation where we have control and the upper hand. Up on a surface, several feet off the ground, our buddy no longer feels as confident that he can resist our wishes to groom him and have him behave. You need to take control of your dog, put him at a disadvantage, put him on a grooming table. Additionally, by placing our dog on a grooming surface that is up off the ground, we relieve much of the strain we place on our backs. The grooming table does not need to be one of the fancy, expensive, $100 jobs, any flat, non-skid, stable surface will do. The most important thing is that is be at a height that is comfortable for you to work at for at least an hour, preferably two, and that it be large enough and stable enough to comfortably support the entire dog without tipping or collapsing. I have groomed Keeshond out on everything from a clothes dryer to the tailgate of a pickup truck. Whatever works for you and whatever you can afford, but GET THAT DOG UP OFF OF THE GROUND! Formal grooming tables may be
purchased with or without a grooming arm. I prefer not to use one as they get in the way
and can be dangerous if not used properly. Instead, I train my dogs that jumping off the grooming table is strictly forbidden and that they
are expected to stand still during the short part of the grooming process that actually
requires the dog to stand. If you choose to use a grooming arm,
remember to never, ever leave your dog tied to it unattended. Many a dog has choked
to death because their owner left the room for just a few minutes and the dog jumped and
hung itself. |
The Brush: Slicker versus Pin |
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The next thing you will need is
a good brush. Many people prefer to use a pin brush believing that it is less painful for
the dog and less likely to break off coat. We generally use a slicker. Used properly, no brush, pin or slicker should cause pain. A
slicker brush should be checked for signs of wear, as the individual pins can eventually
become bent in such a way that they could cause pain if allowed to pierce the dog’s
skin. We have not found that using a slicker necessarily results in excessive hair
breakage. A spritzer bottle should be employed during brushing to prevent excessive
friction and allow the brush to pull through the coat without hanging up. We have found
that most pin brushes are simply not stiff enough to allow grooming all the way to the
skin. Additionally pin brushes require a slightly different technique which results in
wrist and shoulder fatigue much more quickly. If you are the type of
person who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis in the wrist or shoulder, or
frequently suffer back pain, you will want to consider this in choosing your equipment.
Whichever brush you choose, it is essential that you can use it to groom all the way to the skin. Grooming to the skin not only ensures complete removal of all dead hair, but also stimulates the production of essential oils and new hair growth. Since we show our dogs, it is important to us that they be maintained in proper, healthy coat. In using a slicker brush we have not found that our dogs had any less coat than the competition. We have received many compliments from judges regarding the quality of the grooming on our dogs as well. But, brush choice is a personal preference and you must choose for yourself what you feel will work best for you. The main thing is that whichever
brush you choose, it should be of good quality, sturdy and comfortable to hold and use. It
should also have a sufficiently large grooming surface area. A puppy brush is simply not
adequate for grooming out an adult coat. Our brush of choice is the
Twinco brand Large size slicker with a grooming surface area of 4¾ inches by 3¼ inches.
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Combs |
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You will need at least one and
preferably two combs of the greyhound variety. We use a 7½
to 8½ inch long Medium/Coarse toothed Belgium made Greyhound comb for combing through the
longer hair on the forelegs and a smaller version, a 4½ inch fine toothed Belgium
made Grayhound comb for the shorter hock, pastern, leg, ear and face hair. Any sturdy metal comb will do, but the better made
ones do not peel or chip as easily and will usually last a lifetime. When the chrome
covering peels or chips off it creates little burrs on the surface which can catch and
more easily tear out hair. The fine-toothed comb does a much better job of combing out the
hock hair than a coarse/medium toothed comb which is why we use
and recommend both. |
Spritzer Bottle |
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A spritzer bottle filled with
clean tap water, or better yet distilled water to prevent mineral buildup on the coat, is
essential to the grooming process. Any bottle capable of producing a light mist to apply
to the coat will do. These bottles are generally available through hardware and garden
stores as they are often used to mist houseplants or for window washing. Be sure you lable
the bottle and do not ever put any toxic chemicals in the bottle you
intend to groom your dog with. |
Shears or Scissors |
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You will need one good pair of
shears or scissors with which to trim the feet, hocks and pasterns on your Keeshond. When
I first started grooming dogs I was very uncomfortable using anything with a sharp tip
around the dogs. I used a special pair of scissors made for trimming around the eyes or
face as these had a very blunt safety tip and I knew I would not accidentally cut the pad
on a struggling dog. Over time however I have gained confidence and now use and appreciate
the sharpness of a quality pair of shears made by Geib. They are very expensive and I
would not recommend them for the casual groomer but, if you are showing dogs and want a
good pair of quality shears that will last a lifetime, there isn’t a better shear
around. Many
Keeshond owners overlook this important aspect of grooming their dogs. Trimming the hair out from between the toes is essential to maintaining
the tight “cat’s foot" the breed standard calls for. A tight foot is a healthy foot. Additionally, keeping the foot free
of excess hair helps to keep the dog cleaner as there is less hair for things like
discarded chewing gum to stick to. Trimming the dog’s feet also allows the owner a
good opportunity to inspect the foot and pads for health. Cuts on a dog’s pads can
render the animal lame for a long time, as such cuts are subject to infection and slow to
heal. Ticks quite often will lodge between a dog’s toes. By trimming the feet
regularly the dog owner can quickly discover these little pests. Finally, trimming the
feet, pastern and hock hair gives
the dog a well-kept, finished look that brushing alone does not. |
Nail Clippers and Styptic Powder |
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Probably no
aspect of the grooming process is more hated by dog and groomer alike and more often
forgone, than the nail trimming process. Every dog is different but I have yet to
find a dog that I believe truly enjoys having their nails trimmed. We usually have 12
Keeshond in residence at any given time between our own and boarding of clients dogs. Each
and every one of them has a different threshold for pain. We have everything from the
biggest of babies that start screaming the minute they see the clippers, to the most stoic
of dogs that quietly bear the procedure with dignity. But, the trimming of your dog’s nails is essential to good health. The dog’s nails should not be allowed to become long enough to touch the ground. If the nail touches the ground, over time it will cause the foot to spread. A foot that has spread exposes very sensitive tissue to injury and gradually, over time, breaks down foot structure. Left to grow for too long, a dog may actually stop walking as much and the nail can eventually grow into the foot. This is especially true of dogs that still have their dew claws intact. The dew claw is located part way up the pastern on each front leg and since it does not come in contact with the ground, it tends to grow more quickly than any other nail. We remove the dew claws from our puppies at 3 days of age but many breeders do not. While I cannot promise you that your dog will ever look forward to this part of the grooming session, or that it will ever become very cooperative, I cannot stress enough how important this is. Many dogs, sensing their owners apprehension, will take advantage and carry on way more than is necessary. When we groom out our client's we wait until they leave, as their dogs always seem to act up more, and be more difficult in the presence of their owners...they have learned the art of manipulation. Do not let your dog manipulate you. Sometimes we have to do things that are not particularly pleasant, for their own good, and this is one of them. I can promise you that there are some things you can do to make the procedure less painful for both of you. First, have a good, sharp pair of nail trimmers. I recommend Resco brand guillotine style trimmers. The Resco trimmers are sharp and are designed for very easy blade replacement. Buy the jumbo size clippers. Next, always have a jar of styptic powder on hand, we use Stop Qwik by Gymborn. Styptic powder is used to stop the bleeding, and if you are going to trim nails, there will be bleeding from time to time. Save yourself the agony of watching your buddy bleed profusely, while you run around panic-stricken trying to figure out how to stem the flow, by always having a bottle at the ready, just in case. Finally, practice makes perfect. The more frequently you trim your dogs nails, the better you will get at it, the more comfortable your dog will become with it, and the less nail you will need to cut each time, and therefor, the less possibility for bleeding. It will be easier to take off a little bit every week, than to take off a lot every month. One important fact about a
dog’s nail is the fact that the quick ( the part of the nail that contains the
sensitive nerves and blood vessels) does not like to be close to the cut end of the nail.
The more often you cut the dog’s nails, the more the quick recedes and the shorter
you can cut the nails without cutting into the quick. |
Dog Tooth Brush and Tooth Paste |
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your canine friend as it is for you. Some dogs tend to get tartar build up faster than
others. For good dental health, dogs should be given healthy things to chew on from time
to time, as well as have their teeth brushed by their owners. Be sure to use only dog toothpaste, as human toothpaste can be irritating and
result in the dog salivating or retching. You may apply it with a soft toothbrush or your
finger. Performed regularly from puppyhood, many dogs come to enjoy this procedure.
I learned from a cat book that
massaging the gums on a kitten would make them very receptive to having their teeth
brushed or cleaned regularly. I tried this with my kitten by massaging his gums whenever
he sat in my lap. To this day, if I start massaging his gums, he starts purring. You might
try this with your puppy. Incidentally, the same book recommended massaging my
kitten’s feet daily saying he would be more receptive to nail trimming. I bet I have
one of the few cats that actually purrs when I start trimming his claws... weird, but
true. I have not had the same good luck with puppies but it is certainly worth a try.
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The Nice-To-Haves
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Olliver Mat Splitter |
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This handy little tool is great
for breaking up mats, especially those that tend to gather behind the ears in puppies and
dogs with softer coats. It is specially designed for this task and no
show dog owner should be without it as it is the best way to remove a mat without
removing excessive coat in the process. |
Thinning Shears |
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Although the Keeshond breed
standard explicitly states that the body hair should never be trimmed, thinning shears do
a lovely job of removing those excessively long, whispy guard hairs on an older dog.
Neutered dogs tend to put on longer, softer coats and the longer strands can be very
untidy in their appearance. Thinning shears can blend this longer hair into the rest of
the coat without giving the dog an unnatural, trimmed look. |
Grooming Apron |
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| A grooming apron is nice to
have when you are trying to minimize the potential for dog hair or blood on your clothing.
For the average home groomer it is an unnecessary expense, just wear old clothes when you
groom. But, for the dog show person, it is an essential item to keep
your show clothes presentable come ring time. |
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Tack Box |
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A tack box is a handy place to
keep all your grooming tools in one place. There are fancy aluminum tack boxes, but a
simple plastic tackle box from K-Mart works just fine. If you are traveling to dog shows, a tack box ensures that everything is there when you need it. In
addition to grooming items you can use it to store show collars and leads, squeaky toys,
rubber bands, safety pins, or whatever else you need for a show. |
Ready To Get Started?
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| Well, with the exception of
bathing equipment, that pretty much addresses everything you will need to groom your dog.
Prior to beginning any grooming session, gather all these items up in one place and have
them ready at hand before you put your dog on the table.
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