Keeping Your Dog Well Heeled Between Trips to the Groomer

is your dog having a bad hair day?

​We know how snazzy Fido looks when he or she comes home from the salon—a fresh haircut and fragrant bath, often sporting a bow or bandana.  Of course, after thirty trips to and from the backyard in one afternoon, they don’t always look like that.

​However, there is home maintenance that you can routinely do to help keep your dog clean and looking good between trips to the grooming salon.

Here are some tips to help keep your furry family member in tip top shape, especially with the forth coming holidays that will be filled with company and parties.
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Brush it! Start a home routine of good grooming habits when your puppy is new to your home.  If you have a rescue, start slowly and time will usually make a good brushing something your dog will look forward to. Gentle brushing feels good, keeps the hair from matting and distributes the oils in your dog (and cat’s coat) just as it does in your own hair.
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Bath time? Some dogs take to it, others not so much. 

• Test the water! Literally. We assume that what feels good to us will feel good to our pet, but not so. Our bath water temperature is too hot for them. Make sure the water is lukewarm, 90 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the area where you are bathing is not drafty and is warm enough. 
• Protect their ears and eyes from soap as you would a child’s and use only pet shampoo and conditioner on their coats. Putting cotton in their ears will help keep water out.  
• ​Blow your pet dry to get the best results for the coat and to keep your dog from catching a chill.  Again, continue to move the dryer back and forth and check the heat with your hand to make sure you don’t burn their sensitive skin.

Don’t overlook their teeth.  Brushing with a soft brush or finger brush and a pet approved toothpaste helps prevent tooth and gum problems. 

Nails may need trimming, too.  You can do this yourself or rely on the groomer if you are unsure about cutting them, but make sure they do not get too long as this causes problems with splayed toes, broken nails, etc.  

Follow these simple rules and your four to six weeks visit to the professional groomer will be easier on everyone, and sometimes less expensive.  Groomers often charge extra for a matted dog.

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FRESHLY GROOMED PENELOPE (author's pet) SITTING ON A SADDLE AT DOODLE'S

Penelope's Grooming Day at Doodle's 

​I visited with Dawn Dubose, owner of Doodle’s Grooming in Greenwood, a small community just east of Midland.  Dawn, seeing a need for a grooming salon in the rural area opened her shop a year and a half ago. 

“There is no other stationary grooming place out here,” she said.

I asked Dawn to tell us something rewarding about the grooming profession. Some people might see it as cleaning up a dirty dog, but not Dawn.

“I like getting to know all the dogs and watching them grow.  It’s like having a lot of dogs and being able to love on them and play with them” she said.
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Her most important home grooming tip!  Brushing! Especially if you have a long-haired dog.  It is so important to brush them.  And if you bathe them or let them play in the pool or water as a summertime activity, please blow them dry and brush them out. Otherwise, their coat will mat, an uncomfortable situation for your pet.”

You can find the little red barn at 1801 SCR 1101, Midland 79706, behind the Booze Barn off Highway 307.  Several groomers await to greet your dog and give them a delightful spa experience. Call Doodle's Grooming at (432) 528-0306. ​

Doodle's Grooming - look for the little red barn

Dawn Dubose, owner of Doodle's Grooming

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Shelia Huffman, Contributor/MHC Board 
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Shelia recently moved to the Greenwood community of Midland from Dallas where she was a staff writer for White Rock Lake Weekly and a columnist for Bubblelife Media.  A retired travel agent and event planner, she has  been an animal activist her entire life.  Shelia  has a daughter and son-in-law in Midland, a grandson in Dallas and a granddaughter at Texas Tech. She lists cooking and writing about food, and,  of course, playing with her Terrier Mix rescue, Penelope, as some of her favorite things.