Grooming Your Dog
Conditioning the Table:
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PWDs require regular grooming. Like everything else, this is a training issue and you need to make sure that you make this an experience that your puppy (and, later, adult) will, at the very least, accept as a normal part of life. This means you need to spend some time conditioning the puppy to getting up onto a grooming table (any table will do if you don't have a grooming table), to standing still while being brushed, and to be accepting of handling of the ears, legs, and feet. The more you work on this, the easier grooming will become for you and the more your professional groomer will like you and your dog. Do not assume that your puppy will find grooming pleasurable and be prepared to reward the puppy heavily to make it change its emotional response to grooming.
All owners should expect to invest a significant amount of time into brushing out their dog several times a week. If you do not do so, your dog's hair will mat and then when you take him or her to a groomer, that groomer will have to shave your dog down to look like a labrador retriever to get rid of the mats. Most pet owners have a groomer cut the dog down into a short retriever clip. This cuts down on maintenance and dirt and the frequency of going back to the groomer. Professional grooming services range in cost based on location, but generally fall between $60 to $100. If you are brave and want to groom your own dog, you must invest in a high quality grooming clipper. We recommend the Bravura Wahl Cordless Clipper and you should buy extra blades to swap out. Blades will need to be regularly sharpened by a professional sharpener. You may want to send your pup to a groomer for several professional visits before you attempt to groom yourself as your pup will be better behaved for you, once it has experienced professional grooming services. The videos links below will show you how to do both a LION clip and a RETRIEVER clip. Remember if you mess up, this is hair and it will grow back! |
PUPPY GROOMING
This video on the left demonstrates the use of a lickey mat to occupy the puppy while it is being groomed. The licky mat also creates a positive association with the entire process of grooming. Even if you do not groom your puppy yourself, you should practice having the puppy getting on a table and having its body touched and handled every single day for the first few weeks you have the puppy. The more you practice (and reward for calm behavior), the better your puppy will behave for a groomer.
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Trimming the muzzle and ears
These videos illustrate how to shave your dog's muzzle and how to cut the hair around the ear leather.
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The videos below show you how to do the two traditional cuts on the dog.
LION CLIP |
retriever clip |