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Scouting for the right professional dog groomer for your dog is not as difficult as what many may think. Sure, it does require a little investing on your time but it is all worthwhile considering the long term benefits both you and your dog will get. The key in finding good professional dog groomers is knowing where to look for your source and the right questions to ask.

Who Could You Ask?

I’m a strong believer in referrals, at least it beats looking up at Yellow Pages.

Dog Breeders. Breeders are by far your best source of recommendation. Needless to say, they deal with groomers regularly. Some breeders even have a list of top 3 groomers. Those breeders who have show dogs in competition don’t take many chances. I ought to know because I didn’t dare risk having a bad groomer ruin my dogs’ coat or traumatize them before the show.

Animal Shelters or Rescue Centers. If asking breeders isn’t your option since you adopted your dog from a shelter, then you will have to make do with the admin staff’s references. Due to the fact that many of these places are run by non-profit organizations, naturally their recommendations may somewhat in a “sub-standard” category but you can be certain that your dog will receive undivided attention. Their source is usually decent and reliable with low to mid-range grooming fees.

Someone You Know. Friends and neighbors who have dogs are your next best bet. Since most of them don’t have commercial motives, they would be more forward about the services that their groomers render.

Public Places. Dog owners and dog walkers in parks and dog cafés are some useful source. If you chance upon a dog with good looking cut, don’t be shy to approach the owner and ask. Most are generous in their sharing especially you complimented their dogs. Hint! Hint!

Pet Boutique Stores. Pet Stores is another option . Some of their regular customers are groomers who stock up treats for their doggy clients. Larger ones have adjacent grooming facilities. Price varies from mid to higher range.

Grooming Suppliers. Now this you may have to look up in Yellow Pages. Because no pet stores will tell you for they fear you are their rivals! Majority of the professional groomers get their supplies from them instead from the pet stores. It’s an indirect approach and you do need some public relation skills (or maybe your charm) to fish out information from the suppliers. One tip, ask them who are their top 3 clients (groomers not pet store retailers) for shampoos, blades and clippers. Some of these suppliers offer blades sharpening service, if not ask them for referrals (not that you need it but pretend you do). Again, ask them who are their regular clients and the number of blades each groomer brings at one service.

Quantity doesn’t always equal Quality, but in the case of frequent and regular replenishments tell you about the groomer’s striving business. You certainly don’t want your dog be in the hands of fly-by-night groomers.

Dog Shows. This has to be the ultimate best place to look for topnotch dog groomers. Why? No exhibitors would risk engaging amateur groomers knowing their dogs are competing with hundreds of dogs in various categories? Not only these show dog groomers are professionally trained, they have in-depth knowledge of the breeds’ standard, cut, and look. An example would be Bichon Frise’s head. If you take a look at the early 90’s Bichon Frise cut and the current trend, they are very different. Also good groomers know how to trim the coat to hide some physical flaws of the breeds. Don’t waste your time in those small community dog shows (not that they are bad, it’s because they don’t have enough resources), aim big and head down to Crufts (Birmingham, UK) or Westminster (New York, USA) or Sunbury (Melbourne, Australia) or local kennel dog shows—that’s if you live around those cities. Don’t just patronize those in the booths, go behind the scene where exhibitors and their dogs are congregating before the event. Some exhibitors have their own personal groomers tagged along; giving the dogs their final touches. Although you may not see their complete grooming skills, but you have an idea how well they work with dogs.

Tip: If you notice any particular groomer hops between tables (seen grooming more than one breed), pay close attention to him or her. Chances are the groomer might be really good. Be prepared to have a deep pocket to pay for his/her services, that’s if s/he is not fully booked!

Veterinary Clinics. When you bring your pup for his third vaccination shot, don’t forget to ask your veterinarian. I do have some reservations in asking veterinarians (other than my vet friends), likewise for pet store staff. I stress, not all veterinarians have commercial motives when they recommend professional groomers to you. Some veterinary clinics and animal hospitals have groomers on staff. Be able to discern on how unbiased their recommendation is.

Boarding Kennels. Another area to look at is boarding kennels. Unlike most big boarding kennels, the smaller ones don’t offer professional grooming services. Those groomers they have on staff usually do very basic grooming like bathing and trimming nails. Nonetheless they should have a list of recommended professional groomer references. It would be strange if they claim that they don’t.

Doggie Day Care Centers. Similar to boarding kennels, some doggie daycare centers have grooming services otherwise they should be able to provide some reliable references.

Go Online. Do I need to say more since you are reading this? I’m afraid I don’t have any references for you for now because I’m a specialized personal groomer. I groom my dogs from head to tail; clip them every 5 weeks—in short, I’m their personal servant cum chief cum trainer cum financier cum stylist.  Seriously, it is not economical for me to engage a professional groomer for my seven dogs with such short interval and regular visits. Anyway when you search online, be sure to look for consumer reviews of various groomers to find out just what the unbiased truth of the matter is.

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Tags: Finding A Good Groomer

An ideal dog trainer for your puppy should have a wide range of experience in dog behavior with many breeds who uses positive reinforcement as his/her main philosophy of training.

Although there are many good private dog trainers who do not have a degree from a dog training school, it would be better to choose those with training titles acquire in competition and/or participation in a dog training organization such as the Association of Pet Dog Trainer (APDT).

Home Training vs. Engaging a Dog Trainer

Every dog has the potential in him to be intelligent and well behaved, and what he needs is someone to bring the best out of him. Unfortunately, that someone may not always be you - the owner.

In most cases, it is the owner who is unclear on training their dog making the training laborious, boring, and confusing; rarely the other way around. The right dog trainer should realize that the ability of the dog to be trained effectively relies greatly on his owner’s ability to teach. Dog training is a two-part process—the owner as well as the dog needs training.

What is a Personal Dog Trainer?

If you think you need help in training your dog, there are two types of options for you to choose from, personal training and group training. Personal training is an exclusive one-on-one interaction between you, the trainer, and your dog. When choosing a personal dog trainer, you want someone who is willing to train both you and your dog instead of just focusing on the dog. What is more important is that the training is not a quick fix course of less than six weeks. Below are some of the qualifications that you should look for in a personal dog trainer.

A Quality Personal Dog Trainer Should…

• Provide a free consultation where he/she will come to your home and meet with you and your dog.
  
• Relate to you and understand where he/she is coming from in terms of questions and training requests.
  
• Be honest with you about what he can and cannot do in terms of specific training objectives.
  
• Be able to communicate with your dog, understand his personality, and be able to interpret what your dog is saying by observing his behavior.
  
• Take time, using gentle but persuasive methods to condition your dog to correctly respond to verbal commands.
  
• Teach you how to properly “talk to” your dog using dog language.
  
• Show you the importance of tolerance, patience, and understanding when working with your dog.
  
• Help you make certain arrangements in your home in order to accommodate the needs of your dog.
  
• Continue the conditioning program that occur with your dog at home so he understands your particular needs.
  
• Inform you about different changes in their dog’s behavior and what causes those changes to take place.

It does take time and patience to learn to understand why dogs do the things they do and that your dog learns your expectations. Hopefully, during training you will learn to “think” like a dog. And if you’re enjoying the training sessions as much as your dog does, you might want to consider going on to even bigger and better things in dog training.

Tags: quality trainer

The Affenpinscher, weighing in on average at about 8 pounds, is classified by the AKC as a toy dog. Their roots can be traced all the way back to the 17th century in Germany, and they are considered predecessors to the Miniature Schnauzer and also the Brussels Griffon. They are considered somewhat difficult to house train because they have a stubborn nature, and the demand creativity in all training to ensure that they stay engaged. Still, it must be noted that they are highly intelligent. However, they are loyal and protective of their owners. They also have a high energy level which means that they are best for an owner with an active (but not exhaustive) lifestyle. Generally, they stay quiet and calm unless threatened.
In appearance, their snouts resemble a pinscher or schnauzer. They have medium length, wiry hair. They come in a rainbow of colors, anywhere from black to red. Overall, he has a somewhat messy appearance, due to the length of their hair.
They have a long life expectancy somewhere in the middle to low teens. The breed can be prone to hip dysplasia and like many small dogs, collapsing trachea.

Tags: Affenpinschers

Most breeds of small dogs are prone to developing collapsing trachea. This is a condition in which the dog's trachea becomes flattened making breathing extremely difficult. In severe cases, it can lead to death. Many smaller dogs develop this condition because they have a small, weak trachea unlike their much larger realitives with larger, stronger ones. This condition can be aggrivated by using collars because it can cause stress on the trachea when tugged on. For this reason, it is recommended that most small dogs use a harness instead of a regular collar because a harness will relieve the some of the pressure. This will help insure a healthy dog and a happy owner.

Tags: Small Dog Safety Alert: Collapsing Trachea

The Brussels Griffon, classified as a toy dog by the AKC, originated in Brussels, Belgium. They weigh on average about 9 or 10 pounds. There are three types of Brussels Griffons, but their only differences are in the hair color and texture of the coat. They coats are generally red, black, or tan. They are not typically recommended as a family pet because of their desire to bond with one person and because they have delicate emotions. They share a close bond with their master and desire their master's constant company. Due to their curious nature, they can be relatively easy to change. Like many toy dogs, Brussels Griffons can suffer from luxating patella (where the knee cap pops out of joint) and collapsing trachea.

Tags: Brussels Griffon

Weighing in at over 14 pounds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is larger than the typical breed of toy dog. They usually have spots of brown, black, tan, or white. They are extremely affectionate and tend to be well-behaved. For this reason and because of their size does not make them overly delicate, they tend to be good family pets. They aim to please their owners making them relatively easy to train. They originated in the United Kingdom and were originally used as hunting dogs. They are prone to some heart and eye conditions so it is a good idea to see a prospective puppy's parent's health records before making a purchase.

Tags: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Chihuahuas, sometimes referred to as Chis, come in a variety of sizes and colors. They can range from a tiny two pounds to a rather large almost ten pounds. However, the largest of chihuahuas are not up to breed standards (as far as weight is concerned). They also can be found in almost every color and pattern imaginable. They can be one solid color or have a variety. Additionally, they can be yellow, brown, blue, white...the list goes on. They can trace their history back to Mexico and the state of Chihuahua there. As far as temperament goes, Chihuahuas tend to have a bit of a nervous one. They are extremely wary of strangers and will not hesitate to bark at them. Also, Chihuahuas tend to bond with one person over all others. They usually favor other Chihuahuas over other breeds of dogs. However, they usually are very patient and do not bite excessively (they also have very small teeth!). They are typically simple to train because of their eagerness to please.

Tags: Chihuahuas

The Chinese Crested, as the name implies, can trace their ancestry back to China. They come in two varieties, hairless and powderpuff. The hairless only has hair on their head and tail and is prone to sunburn if not properly protected when outside. The powderpuff is completely covered with hair. They come in numerous colors. Usually, the minimum size for a full grown Chinese Crested is around 10 pounds. They have plenty of energy, which makes them slightly difficult to train. However, they are also content to be a lap dog.

Tags: Chinese Crested

Toy Spaniel

Vital Statistics: Life span: 12 -14 years Adult weight: 8-14 pounds Adult height: 9-11 inches  What's good and bad about the English Toy Spaniel?  Pros: Grooming requirements are low, just brush regularly He's perfect for an apartment and a couch potato owner Calm and quiet Cons: His gentle nature is best for adult households although he gets along well with well-behaved children and other animals He'll wheeze He'll shed, a lot  

 

Tags: Toy Spaniel

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