Washing Your Own Dog

That is really an Interesting work.

 

Thank you for sharing that information on what really happens in pet grooming centers @Verity Darkwaters. With that being said, I strongly agree that if one could bathe and groom their pets personally, it would be better. You're not only sure that you're using the best materials for your pet but there's the caring factor attached in doing it since you are the one grooming it and I think it's the most important part.

 

You should have taken a video while the pets were being groomed, and you should have posted it on Youtube so that others can be "warned". Thanks for your sharing your story here, at least we are now aware of how dogs are treated in grooming salons.

 

That's just appalling! It's clear that some of these places are just after making money and don't care about the welfare of these dogs. -and to think that a lot of people spend shed loads of money for such services, believing that they pooches are getting pampered! Here in Botswana dog spas have not caught on. People tend to wash their own dogs at home, or they may take them to a vet for very basic grooming.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience in working in a pet groomers. I have never taken my dogs to be groomed. I make take them to get their nails clipped but I usually hold them while they do it. I just bathe my dogs in the tub and let them air dry since my one does not like the hair dryer. Luckily, neither dog is long haired so that makes it much easier to groom them myself.

 

I have 3 dogs and I used to bring them to the grooming salon once or twice a month. The charge is about $10 per dog. But I didn't mind the cost. What made me stop bringing my dogs to the salon is the ticks. Whenever we would come home, I would find ticks in our dogs. My husband decided to just have the dogs bathed here so I bought shampoo, dog soap and other things needed. I now have a spa for my dogs in our backyard. And although I get tired with bathing the 3 dogs that takes more than 2 hours, I had saved money and had avoided the problem of the ticks.

 

When you hear about things like that it really makes you question the way some people think, and it is certainly a case for washing your dog at home. We always did when we had our little guy, and it was certainly a whole experience every time and a big mess. It was fun though. So combine that with saving money and avoiding places like you mention and it is a no brainer for me.

 

I always wash my dogs (and cat for that matter, as she struggles to clean herself because of a medical conditional) at home myself. One of my dogs doesn't like strangers much, and the other is just a really big dog that can be a bit awkward to try and wash. I do have to take him to a grooming place to get his nails clipped though on the odd occasion as his claws are too big for any clipper I've been able to buy. I don't like the thought of them getting mistreated in those sorts of places so I do what I can myself at home though.

 

My daughter's wash our dog. In fact they washed her today. She is a medium sized dog and pretty easy to handle. I tell them it is good practice for when they babysit and have to wash a kid. I can't afford to have her groomed anyway. It also seems like a waste of money. We do have our cat shaved twice a year to get rid of matted hair. We tried doing it ourselves but he doesn't tolerate it very well. When they come this time they will also trim our dog's nails.

 

I have always washed my own dogs. It is so easy to do if you approach it right. Most dogs do not enjoy the process initially. If you take your time and make an effort to have a fun and relaxing experience, they will come around. This also comes in handy during flea season when you may need to bath them semi-frequently to keep the fleas down.

 

We would wash all three of our dogs ourselves, but for stuff like clipping their nails, expressing their anal glands and such, we took them to the vet for that. That's rather shocking that they would use something like dish detergent to clean off people's pets. I mean, I know they use to clean up animals effected by oil spills, but for your typical domestic pet, that seems a bit harsh. You would think they could at least use something inexpensive such as a generic brand baby shampoo.

One pet store near me now has individual rooms where you can bring your dog and wash them yourself. I'm not sure how the pricing works out though - or maybe it's free if you buy some products from their store. But that seems like a nice option for people who perhaps live in an apartment or don't have a utility sink to wash their pets in.

 

I give my dog a bath all the time. He is not that big and his fur is medium length, so it isn't so hard. He is also a gentle dog, it is not a chaos to give him a bath as it is with other ones!!
I have specialized shampoos and conditioners for him, and I will bathe him directly in the shower with warm water. Later, I will wrap him in a couple towels I save just for his use and after he gets a bit drier I will dry the rest with a blow-drier set on cool and comb him as it goes... honestly in the end it looks better than at a pet shop - not to mention he is way less stressed out this way!

 

My nick name is Mrs. Dolittle. I have this weird connection with all animals, except spiders, Right? During my years with animals it has always been debated about using or not using Groomers. Now I have a view on this subject that is supported by my employment in 3 Grooming facilities over the years with only 1 feeling unsavory.
Yes it is true that they sometimes use Dawn. So do Oceanographers and biologists during oil spills etc. It fights greese best without drying out the skin.
Naturally the animals are on leashes. They are scared and "Momma" isn't there, so they can be a little unpredictable. Nobody wants to be bitten. It is also needed because a Groomer can often have 5 or more pups in to be groomed at the same time and it stops dogs from fighting with each other as well as biting the Handler's at the groomer's. Plus it stops your pet from trying to escape or get into chemicals or extra blades etc the Groomer uses in their trade.
As far as the Gland goes, yes. The anal gland is expressed by the washer during the Dogs bath. This is done for odor control as well as for some outstanding Medicinal preventative reasons. It is done with two fingers gently pressing on the outside of the anal gland. It takes 10 seconds and I have never seen a dog flinch from it.
Would you stop taking your dogs to the vet because they get shots and a temperature taken? Unpleasant, just takes a minute, but is needed.
A good Groomer typically will only use Muzzles when the dog gets aggressive. It is rarely used right off the bat unless the owner wants it to be used. The last crumb of food for trhought here is that a lot of the pets that get taken to the Groomers on a regular basis become more comfortable with the handlers and the facility making it a more pleasant or at least less traumatic experience for all.

 

I bring my dog to professional groomers every once in a while as a treat but i typically do it myself because i love to take care of him and because i can save money this way.

 

I tried washing my own dog once and got her ears infected, so I never tried again. Apparently it's not good to wash your dog in the shower, and I don't have a bathtub so that's really difficult. I would love to be able to wash her but dogs are way more sensitive to inflammation than us so you have to be really careful.

 

I'd groom my own dog if I can. The best I can do is give her a bath and a trim. I had to get her to the grooming shop to have her nails trimmed and an overall cut. The veterinary clinic I go to actually has grooming services. I'm at least assured that a vet owns the place.

 

I prefer to wash my own dog. I also groom him as to save money. I have noticed that he is not as stressed when I do it as when the groomer does it.

 

We always wash our own dogs because taking them somewhere else to have them bathed is a waste of money in my opinion since we can do the job ourselves. I also agree that taking animals to a strange place with strange dogs and people they don't know can make them anxious even before they start getting bathed. I suppose it's good for people who can't bathe their own dogs but I wouldn't want any animal to be in a place with the conditions you described.