The Grooming Guide
OH NO MY DOG IS MATTED!
County Canine would like to advise you on the possible reactions your pet may have after being shaved down due to severe matting. Please make sure you read this in its entirety and are well informed of these important reaction risks. Reactions due to severe matting can include but are not limited to:
A streaking effect, often mistaken for razor irritation or “razor burn”. Because mats restrict blood flow to the skin, once the matting is removed it allows the blood to rush back to the skin, sometimes leading to the bursting of small blood vessels. This cannot be avoided but will fade with time.
De-matting or shaving the ears can cause a similar reaction to above, but the vessels of the ears may scab over (hematomas). Your dog may shake their head for several days afterward, but this should be discouraged. This effect is not groomer error but another consequence of severe matting and the necessary removal of them.
There are a variety of skin and hair coat conditions that may occur after de-matting or a complete shave down. Lack of hair growth, variations to color and/or texture of the coat, bald patches, hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin where the coat has not grown back), loss of guard coat (the top layer of the coat), coarse re-growth of hair, exposure to the elements (sun/heat damage or stroke; cold inclement weather), exposure to bug bites and other conditions are all possible.
Itching after being shaved or de-matted is also possible. We discourage constant scratching, especially if your pet’s nails have been recently clipped as this could cause further irritation to the skin. County Canine is not responsible for vet bills associated with post-grooming itching.
Incessant licking of mat sores after de-matting/shaving should also be discouraged as this could also lead to further irritation. A cone may be necessary to prevent licking while any sores associated with matting heal. County Canine is not responsible for any vet bills associated with a pet licking their skin.
You may notice some behavioral changes in your pet post-shave. This can include being reclusive, jittery, or anxious. Removing their hair feels strange to them and they may need a few days to adjust to things such as feeling the wind in their skin.
What is matting?
Matting is basically a tangle of hair. It can range from isolated spots (generally behind the ears, or in the tail) to having matting on the legs, body and head. It can be extremely painful to brush out. I take a pet's comfort over looks and will end up shaving out most matting.
What causes matting?
A few things can cause matting on your average dog. The #1 cause is lack of correct coat maintenance at home (brushing and combing).
Dogs who swim a lot tend to get matted more than dogs who don't. Matts and water are BFFs.
Older dogs, and less mobile dogs tend to get more matting on their hips, butts, and chests. Picture your hair in the morning before you brush it, it's a mess of knots and tangles.
How to prevent it?
The best tools to prevent matting is a long pin slicker brush, and a metal comb.
Line brushing with a long pin slicker brush, then checking for tangles with a metal comb is the best way to brush.
Longer the coat gets, the more often brushing should occur. Some coat types need detailed brushing daily, while others are more forgiving and can go days without brushing. Weekly brushing is needed at a minimum. If you look to the color coded photo, areas highlighted in red are the highest priority to brush, and green is the lowest priority.
SO MUCH HAIR!
Breeds that benefit from deshedding treatments
Most double coated breeds such as German Shepherds, Huskies, Labs, and Golden Retrievers can benefit from de-shed treatments. De-sheds are the correct way to keep these breeds cooler in the summer, not shaving.
How often?
Heavy shedding seasons generally fall between big season changes. Weather cooling down from summer to fall, as well as warming up from winter to spring causes the biggest trigger for shedding. At a minimum de-sheds should be done twice a year. BUT the more often they are done, means more hair left at the salon, and the less floating around your house.
What it entails and why it costs more?
A de-shedding treatment uses a specially formulated shampoo and conditioner combination, designed to open up the hair follicles and loosen the dead/shedding hair. Paired with a detailed drying and extra brushing, your pups coat will leave most of the shedding hair at the salon. This process generally takes an extra 30-60 minutes, on top of your normal bathing time.
*Dogs with excessive shedding will automatically be given a de-shed bath. De-sheds can also be requested.
Pamper your Pooches
How often should my dog get groomed?
Breeds that grow hair on their faces (Poodles, doodles, Shihtzus, yorkies etc) will generally require more grooming than breeds that don’t (Labs, Goldens, Pomeranians, Shepherds etc.) Depending on at home grooming maintenance, I generally suggest most dogs be groomed on a 6-8 week cycle, but some are fine going up to 12 weeks. Each dog and coat type require a different amount and level of grooming.
Different types of grooms
“Puppy cut” - a true type of poodle cut, one length all over.
“Teddy Bear Cut” - no true official haircut pattern. BUT most people requesting a “TBC” are generally looking for a shorter length on body (most up to ¾ inch) with longer length on the legs.
“Short but not shaved” - everyone has a different opinion on what is short and what is shaved. In reality we have many different lengths of blades that shave anywhere from just a few mm to ½ of an inch. We also have guards that easily allow us to shave 1-2 inches.
"Don't poodle my doodle" - Every owner has a different view on what makes a doodle look like a poodle, and chances are your doodle is over 50% poodle. The best thing you can do is find reference photos of dogs with a similar hair type as your pup to show your groomer with an ideal length in mind.
Puppies -
Building the Relationships Young
When to start a new puppy?
We suggest starting grooming with your puppies ASAP. Now keep in mind, introducing a puppy to grooming DOES NOT mean they need a haircut right away! In fact we ideally would love to see a new puppy a few times before an actual haircut so they can learn the ins and outs of the grooming process with no expectation of completing a haircut. This allows us to build a bond and trust with your puppy. Puppy haircuts will generally be far from perfect as they learn table manners.
*ASK ABOUT A PUPPY INTRO PACKAGE!*
What can I do at home to prepare the puppy?
Start introducing brushing asap. Keep sessions short (5 minutes, a few times a day) and positive.
Pop your puppy onto a counter or table (off the floor!) And start desensitizing them on body handling! Hold (don't squeeze!) their feet, lift their ears, brush them, gently hold their face still for just a moment! During all of this be giving your puppy lots of high value treats (a great time to use a lick mat!) Another thing you can do at home is to use an old electric toothbrush to rub on their body as if they were a pair of grooming clippers. This introduces the sound and feeling of our grooming clippers in a safe manner.
Policies
Arrive within 15 minutes of your appointment.
Arriving more than 15 minutes late will be considered a no-show
I am striving to be a 1-on-1 grooming and tardiness will impact the flow of the salon. Pets MUST be picked up within 20 minutes from notifications of completion. Otherwise a boarding fee of $20 will be added to your total cost.
No shows and last minute cancellations (within 24 hours) are at risk of fines. 1st offense is a warning, second will be 50% of your scheduled appointment, 3rd requires full payment before rescheduling. 4+ is at risk of client dismissal.
Frequent no shows/last minute cancellations could result in client dismissal.
Females in heat will have an added fee of $15. I handle a lot of intact dogs and females in season will drive a lot of dogs crazy and cause them to misbehave.
Dogs with fleas will be bathed in a Flea shampoo. There is a $30 pest fee.
I will not de-mat a dog as it can be very painful. “Humanity before vanity” if a dog comes in with a lot of matting, they will be shaved down in the longest length possible. Full matted shave downs will cost roughly 75% more than a standard haircut as matting is hard on equipment and take a lot more work.
Dogs who are hard to handle will have a special handling fee generally between $5-$20 dependent on severity.
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