Serving Schaumburg, Roselle, Bartlett, Streamwood, Hanover Park, and surrounding Illinois areas
GENERAL CARE
PAWS AND CLAWS
Paw pads can become cracked and dry in dry hot weather or from hot side walks or pavements or
after walks on snow and ice. De-icing salt can also irritate or even damage a dog’s paw pads, so keep
paws neat, clean and dry. Dog pad wax can help protect the pads in these conditions too. Clip nails
parallel to the ground, avoid the quick (vein) that extends part way down the nail. Continue to give
treats him praises and will soon learn that nail trimming is a bonding experience and can be rewarding. Only clip of the two nails tips weekly. Weekly trims encourage the quick to recede so that you can clip nails shorter without risking the bleeding accidentally associated with cutting the quick’s which could set you back months. Otherwise at least monthly nails should be trimmed.
GENERAL GROOMING INFO
HAIR ON ALL DOGS AND CATS
Dogs hair and cat hair grows just like human hair does. The coat hair grow in cycles, each hair follicle has a fast, slow, resting, and shedding phase. They shed or "blow their coats" once or twice a year. Usually in the fall and the spring, it can take 3 weeks to 2 months. Some breeds do shed constantly too. Females shed for about 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth.
Exposure to daylight and temperature in different environments can influence the coats growth cycle. Animals spending a lot of time outdoors are more likely to shed in regular cycles. Indoor dogs and cats exposed to about the same light and thermal heat or air conditioning all year around may shed in less obvious cycles and be more likely to shed smaller amounts all year long. Nutrition and the general state of health of your pet also plays a role in their skin and hair and the shedding process.
SMOOTH-COATED BREEDS
Smooth coated breeds are perfect for people who don’t want to spend much time grooming and who appreciate the clear definition, sleekly and glossy shape of the dog. Their coats are washed and brushed with a curry brush and their coats aren’t shaped in any way. Some examples include Doberman Pinschers, Pugs, Rottweilers, French bulldogs, Boxers and Beagles.
MEDIUM-COATED BREEDS
Medium coated breeds are also easy to groom. They have coats generally longer than 1 inch but are by no means long. Medium coated dogs don’t generally develop mats although thick double coats of this length could develop mats. To keep it at bay people want to brush and comb out these dogs once a week at least and some do it 2 to 3 times a week. Medium coats vary from the silky feathers of a Golden Retriever to the plush fur of a Dandies Diamond Terrier to the well insulated a lot Alaskan malamute to the weather resistant German Shepherd Dog.
DOUBLE COATS
Double coats generally dropped their soft wooly undercoat twice a year and lose their harder shinier outer coat, called guard hair, once a year. Usually these breeds lose big tufts of hair and you find it all over but it’s easier to clean up. These double coats of a double protection against the elements of the weather. Their coats give them extra warmth and weather resistant and water repellent. Many working in herding dogs have me in coats. Combing and brushing helps pull the dead coat out so it doesn’t get stuck and tangled up and makes room for the new coat growth.
WIRE-HAIRED /BROKEN COAT
Wire-haired/ broken coat has a texture all its own: hard, course and wire Wire-haired breeds are often groomed to sport jaunty beards and their coats have a characteristic tousled look that some of us find irresistible. Many breeds of Terrier have a wire coat and some sporting dogs and Hounds do too. Wire-haired coats are incredibly weather resistant. People who want to keep their harsh and crisp coat usually have them hand stripped to keep that look. Some don’t want to have the expense or the time consuming effort of hand stripping their pet so some like to have them clipped in a pattern or shaved down. This leaves a softer coat and is acceptable to most pet lovers. Just to name a few Sealyham Terrier, Caring Terrier Fox Terrier and West Highland Terrier.
LONG-COATED
Long-coated dogs are dogs with longer hair that shed, matt, or tangled easily. This is caused by the undercoat shedding and getting caught up in the long hair and never drop off or out. Regular bushing or combing out with a medium to fine tooth comb can drastically reduce tangles and minimize the concurrences of matting. This also helps move the process along more naturally and stimulates the skin for better circulation and distribution of the oils all over the skin encouraging new coat growth. Keeping up with this is important because the less we pull and tug on their skin the more of a pleasant enjoyable experience they will have. It also gives you a stronger greater bond with them. Remember pulling and tugging a lot on the skin irritates, often hurts, and can encourage the dog to bite after a while. Some long coated breeds are Yorkies, Afghans, Pekingese, Shih Tzu’s, and a rough collie.
CURLY COATS
The curly or wavy coded dog will be groomed in a fashion that suits and read pattern or is to the specialty of the owner’s request. The poodle's characteristics of the ball of fur were used as protection around its joints in cold water; because poodles were once water retrievers. The poodles coat repels water and insulates them. Some of their curly-coated breeds’ examples are Poodles and Portuguese water dogs. These dogs usually need grooming once a month if kept in a long coat or a very short coat needs to be done every other month depending on how fast the coat grows in.
Dog & Cat Grooming | Hanover Park, IL
General Care / Grooming Info
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