# need tips on bathing and grooming/hair cutting



## iamsam030897 (Jun 17, 2007)

I have a 15-week old maltese with me for over 2 weeks now and i adore him completely. He is such a good boy with everything except  during bath time and grooming time. I've read that most dogs hate baths so this is not a surprise to me but I do not want to traumatize my dog so I need some tips on how to make bathing a good experience for him. I've already bathed him twice, both times he was so scared he was holding on to me for dear life  .. I had to go in the bathtub with him just to comfort him and get him rinsed off as quickly as I can.. (both times i ended up wet because he was holding on to me the whole time, I could not get him off me.) .. I had his favorite treats lined up and feeding him but he ignored them... i think he was more concerned about not getting wet... After his bath, he is ok.

My next problem is grooming him. I been told not to take him to the groomers because he is too young and I should do the trimming myself. He is OK with me touching him or brushing him just as long as I do not use any scissors or trimmer or anything other than a comb/brush.
He does not like me trimming his hair but his face hair is so long it goes in his eyes. His tache and beard are also long now that they get wet everytime he eats or drink. (this makes his face hair wet all the time). I always wipe his face after every meal but it does not really completey dry him. I've tried snipping his hair here and there everytime I can get away with it which is not often as he squirms his way out of my grip. I have not gone far though, only managed to cut a little off his beard (which is now uneven  as he would not stay still long enough for me to even things out). He does all sorts of rolls, shaking and shaking just for me to stop and I do not want to use too much force as he may break something ...  
Same thing with the hair in his paws, they are now overgrown... I was ignoring it before but i've read somewhere that it is important to keep the hair between his paws trimmed because it will affect how he walks... 

How can I keep him still so I can do all these "maintenance" things... please help !


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## DivaDog (Jun 10, 2007)

Ok first off - book him an appointment at the groomers NOW! I would of seen him 3 weeks ago for his first puppy trim - he needs to be aclimatised to a groomer asap and before 16 weeks is best.

As for the bath - hes playing up to you - the worry you try and comfort him the more he will worry. So bath him in the sink for starters with jugs of warm water - it will get him up higher and he will be easier to hold than he will in a bath. Ig nore attempts to climb on out - just say nothing and move him back. If he grabs you say ahah and move him back into the sink. Then just get on with it - no nonsense just bath him -the more matter of fact you are the more he will realise there is no need to worry.

I wouldnt be putting scissors near a dog that young - let the groomer train him first - and then get them to show you how it should be done.

Hope that helps and keep up the good work with brushing him.


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## iamsam030897 (Jun 17, 2007)

thanks... i'll try that on his next bath..


i'll also check for groomers


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## bluesbarby (Apr 10, 2007)

Does your dog have all it's shots? Where I live you have to have proof of shots before they will take you. Many dogs haven't finished their sets of shots until at least 16 weeks. However, some vets also do grooming.
I agree. The sink is way better than the tub and it's easier your back. Plus my kitchen sink has a sprayer which makes it easier for rinsing.
When I trim around the face I have either my DH or DD hold Riley's head. Don't use people scissors get the rounded edge scissors made for pets. I keep the area around his eyes cut short for health reasons and to avoid staining since he's white.
When Riley was younger and still being crate trained I would put him in his crate at the door of my bathroom while I got ready in the mornings. That way he got used to the sound of the hair dryer and it doesn't freak him. I also leave the dryer on when I turn on the clippers. Clipping nails is still a problem and also needs 2 people. Every 5 months I will take him to be professionally groomed.
Each time I bathe him he's better.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Definitely use the sink - you'll save your back and have more control. Shears can be very dangerous with wiggle-butt puppies, so be sure to use scissors with rounded tips. 

Repetition, repetition, repetition! I took Maddy (Standard Poodle) to the groomer every two weeks to do FFT (face, feet, tail base) from 9 wks. of age (she also got a bath and was blow-dried). The groomer I went to required proof of vaccinations from clients, and had a puppy room with music to soothe. She was great with Maddy, and didn't charge me an arm and a leg, either! She gave a great discount to clients who had standing appointments (every 4 weeks for adult Standards). I also groomed her daily (brushing, combing), making it brief, but every day. Lots of sweet talk and massage of footsies and legs, to get her used to being handled.

I now groom my Poodles myself, however, when I moved and needed to find a new groomer, I went through a few! They all remarked on how good Maddy was on the table. She loves being groomed.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I was able to give snoopy a bath no problem, I can hold him in the air with one hand and have a good grip on him. I didn't have a problem with him till it was time to dry him. He was so scared of the hair dryer that I had to restrain him while my mom blow dryed him, he was so cold he was shivering so we had to use a blow dryer, and he was barking and trying to scratch me but his nails just got clipped a couple of days ago so it didn't hurt but I didn't know why he freaked out so much. lol


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

How I bathe is this. First wetting the dog totally. I use a brush to work the water into the skin but lightly so as not to break the coat. Shampoo up, then in the rinse, I use the brush again. Not only does this clean the coat better, but also gets the coat going in the same direction. Then I pat dry- not rub! Rubbing knots the coat. After patting dry I brush again. I let the coat dry most of the way. Then dryer on low blow ( no heat) brush down to keep the coat going in the same direction.. POOF- DONE! And less likely to knot.
I brush my dogs daily, but do not brush a dirty coat- this will break it and time for a bath.. 
After the last brushing I use a product called " The Stuff". Not only is this good for the skin and coat, but also has like a silicon in it that is resistant to dirt and tangles. This is sprayed lightly in the coat and again- brushing down to keep the coat from tangles..


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## fuzzie (Jul 6, 2007)

what does "breaking the coat" mean? I've never heard of that before...


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

fuzzie said:


> what does "breaking the coat" mean? I've never heard of that before...


 OH I am sorry. It means like breaking the coat off. Like the strands of each hair breaking. Dirt can get in the coat, tiny snags of dirt or mud etc, but heavy enough to break the coat around it. Does that make more sense? 
As far as grooming and cutting- I will leave that to one that knows how to trim your breed. All we do is trim around the pads, and sometimes whiskers if they are a different color than the face is..


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I'm gonna start taking snoopy to the groomers for bath's because he got me so worried with him shivering so much.


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

Shivering is the bodys way of warming up. Totally normal. Make sure the water is normal enough so the dog is not chilled during the bath.


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