Gorillas, Chimps–all the primates–groom each other socially; TwoLeggeds do too, but we usually charge for our services! I never did. To me, cutting and cleaning and combing were all necessary tasks–all part of Being AlphaMom to a Pack of Canine Kids.
I have always considered being allowed to groom a Pup an honor. It meant I was Trusted. Grooming was a great, low-key way to spend some one-on-one time (a rarity in Domesticated PackLiving) with a Pup. Besides showing them affection, grooming the Canine Kids in my care also provided me with the opportunity to tune in and Pay Attention. I have found all sorts of things: bumps and scabs and growths and fleas/ticks (grrrr) and embedded pine needles and even infections while ministering to them. The Pups knew I wanted to help so they would show me things by scratching or shaking or gnawing or licking themselves, or by simply lifting a paw. The looks of gratitude in their eyes were very real, which made all the time and effort worth it.
Because I intentionally strove to do what needed to be done to ensure the Canine Kids in my care were the best and most comfortable they could be, I saw and Learned a lot! I also noticed howooo pleased PupPeople were to get their Pups back looking better than when they were dropped off!
WHAT DOES THE UNDER SIDE OF YOUR DOG’S COLLAR LOOK LIKE?
One day I noticed a Pup repeatedly scratching at his wet neck. I took his collar off to give him a good rubbing with my nails and then a flea comb.
When I went to put his collar back on…
…this is what I saw on the underside:
After taking tweezers to it, I got this pile of fur:
Yip yap yuck! Who ever would have imagined so much short, short fur could accumulate in a 3×1¼” area of fabric?!
That looks much more comfortable!
But I wasn’t done yet….
During the tweezing process I’d noticed the other end of the Pup’s collar.
MORE FUR!
More plucking added more fur to the pile…
Something else I noticed was that the collar STUNK! So I took a slow-feed bowl, poured in a little nice-smelling Pup shampoo, added water, immersed the collar, then agitated and massaged the dirt out with my digits.
Nice + Clean!
Shedder Blade
I know this as a shedder blade. It gets my vote for overall most useful brushing/combing aid because it always gets something and is the most Pup-tolerated too. The pictured shedder blade is at least thirty-eight years old! It happens to open up–not a feature I ever found helpful since getting an abdominal workout whilst blading Fiona wasn’t my goal (but it’s always good to have options!). Another version has two different sizes of ‘teeth’, one on either edge of the metal blade.
All these Canine Kids lost fur to the shedder blade! (l-r) Bandit, Clementine, Bodhi, Corky, Buddy, Blackie, and Sage.
AlphaMom’s #1 Pick for long/coarse or double or triple coats
This product is listed as Jeffers Magic Spring Undercoat Rake, item UW-ME in the Jeffers Pet catalog.
Funnily, this grooming item was in a bag of goodies that Rusty’s People won at a Dog-related charity event and then donated to The Pack. I used it on Rusty during her visit, and she left looking ten pounds lighter. Her People were amazed! They thought the brush they had been using on Rusty did a great job…until they saw what the Magic Spring Undercoat Rake accomplished! Knowing howooo many Pups could benefit from this grooming item, I tried to find it online…to no avail. So Rusty’s determined Person searched high and low and eventually met with success. Woof woof woof! Kind, generous, thoughtful PupPerson that she is, Rusty’s Mommy presented me with several of the pictured rakes and three other models as well! Yippee! An experiment!…one that led to my always choosing to grab the Magic Rake. It’s just great!
Cimarron and Harley and Thor and Smiles and Bristol and Dean have all benefitted from the Jeffers Rake.
As Pups age, their bodies become more sensitive…and less tolerant of grooming. When that happens, the Magic Rake allows continued upkeep of their coats, which in turn helps keep the Pups more comfortable.
Like Aki (below), Kelly, Eva, Stella, Bella, and Murphy put up with being groomed the old-fashioned way.
Aki would have liked the Magic Rake!
When I wasn’t petting Aki and pulling out tremendous amounts of fur with my digits, I’d be raking his coat with one implement or another. The first comb tried wasn’t a rake…not good!
Before the appearance of the Jeffers Magic Rake, I used this pointy-toothed one…so often that I broke it!
Until AlphaMate had time to work his repair magic on the favored comb, I used this one on Aki. I didn’t feel the spaced-farther-apart-rounded-tip teeth were quite as effective so I was very happy to get the preferred rake comb back (with its nifty new handle).
TWO SPECIALTY GROOMING AIDS
Kong Zoom Groom
I used this on boney, just-off-the-track Greyhounds, both when bathing them and when ‘brushing’ them. The soft rubbery material doesn’t poke like bristles or comb teeth and is gentle on sensitive, recovering skin and bodies.
TWO SPECIALTY GROOMING AIDS
Flea Combs
When you need a flea comb, you need one! If a Pup keeps scratching or biting or licking at the same spot it means there’s something going on. Take the time to check it out…and take a flea comb with you. The close together teeth find all sorts of things! I’ve also used these handy gizmos to help with sap removal.
Guillotine
NAIL TRIMMERS
Not much has changed in the realm of manual Dog nail cutters! There are two different types: scissor and guillotine. I have cut 1,000s of nails with the scissor type. I feel I have more control. To me the guillotine one feels too much like ‘close-my-eyes-and-pray’. But they’re great for cutting tips off of things like fish oil gel caps (so the contents can be dribbled over kibble).
Scissor
The length of this Greyhound’s nails doesn’t at all help with her spinal issues (she always appreciated my trimming efforts).
Keeping Pup nails cut to a reasonable length is important! It’s easy enough to do and takes less than fifteen minutes once or twice a month.
If you feel incapable of trimming them yourself, you owe it to your Pups to find someone who can.
Besides the obvious fact that too-long nails have the potential to snag in things and get ripped off (ouch!), think about your Pup’s overall physical health.
On the other paw, this Greyhound’s People regularly take her to the Vet or Petsmart for pawdicures. She comfortably goes hiking every day and is able to enjoy running Greyhound-fast without injury.
Whose nails do your Pups’ look like?
I knew of a TwoLegged who could only wear sandals because her toenails were so long. (Ironically, she sold socks!) I found the ever-visible, 3” curlicues corkscrewing out from each toe most disgusting–I also wondered howooo she managed to do anything. Although this Person was physically capable of cutting her own nails, she made the conscious choice not to. Again, your Pups are at your mercy:
