Grooming Smarter

Do you see what I see?

 One of the most valuable tools in a pet stylist’s bag of tricks is the ability to look at a dog that you have never groomed before and groom it exactly the same way. You do this by looking closely at the dog before and after the bath, and looking for the visible patterns. There are several questions to ask yourself on any new dog or a dog you do not have notes on.

•  Did the groomer before me shave down the nose, or under the eyes?
•  If the dog is a poodle, did the groomer before me shave the feet or just round them?
•  How much hair did they take off the body?

I have written before about my secret weapon for determining how long to groom a dog and I will revisit it here. Find the shortest hair on the body, like under the eyes, the belly, the pads or in the case of poodles with shaved feet, the feet. To duplicate the groom, take that area short like you would always do, and then figure out how much hair that was. If it was a half inch, then take a half inch off the rest of the dog. If it’s an inch, take off an inch. If you follow this philosophy, then the groom will be the same. Don’t worry about how much to leave on the dog, concentrate on how much to take off the dog. That way, if the legs were longer (let’s say on a teddy bear trim or a schnauzer trim) they will be the same as the time before when you are done. Confused about how long to leave the head or ears? Take off the SAME AMOUNT OF HAIR on those parts as well and the look will be perfect. It will be easy to see if angulation was set, legs were longer and everything else that you need to see if you simply look for the patterns. Sounds simple right? To me it is, but many people have a hard time seeing patterns in the dog’s grooms. They cannot tell if the hair was shaved the last time, if the poodle had poodle feet, if the ears were trimmed…..they simply cannot see it. For those people it can be harder to grasp how to duplicate the same groom as they have done before on the same dog, let alone determine what to do to a new client. With time, and by showing them carefully and repeatedly, you may be able to teach them to see the things you see. However, there will be some people who never “get it” and need detailed, written instructions for each and every dog they groom. If you are one of the lucky people who, like me, can tell what you did to each dog by looking at the area under the eyes, you do not need to keep detailed records, because your memory works like a record. You can duplicate any groom by just looking at it. If you cannot yet do that, it’s time to practice doing it. Every dog you pick up, look at it, evaluate it, and try to figure it out before you look at the dogs file. I will bet you can figure it out really fast after just a short time practicing doing it. Use your fingers or a comb to measure out the coat. You will see definite lengths of hair present on the dog and you can see where the blended areas are if you use your fingers and comb. There are also some clear rulers available that are amazing for helping you determine lengths on coat, but any small ruler is helpful for doing that as well. Measure the shortest hair, then measure the back, the legs, the belly, the head, and then take the length of the shortest hair (that will be almost at the skin when trimmed) and take that length off the other measurements. If your shortest area is ½ an inch, and the body is 1.5 inches, then the finished groom will be one inch on the back. Not sure if the legs are longer or the same length as the back? Use the measurements! If the legs are 2 inches and the body is one, then you can see what to do by subtracting the length of your shortest measurement and be confident that you are providing the owner with the same groom as the last time. I am always excited to be able to put the same groom on every dog we groom, including the ones we have never seen before. I love hearing a client say “This is exactly the way my last groomer groomed him! How did you know?” I smile, thank them and say “I can see the groom”. I have gained many clients in my shop for the simple fact that their dogs always look the same every time they are groomed. This technique is also very handy for the owners that change up their groom as well. If they say leave him longer than last time, you at least have a point to start with. Once you determine what was done last time you can go shorter or longer very easily and be sure you are giving the client what they want. I never understood how groomers cannot see what I see until recently when I hired a young man that could not see the groom. I thought everyone could follow patterns, but I found out that is not true. He literally could not tell what had been done to the dogs before, or follow patterns that were clearly set on the dogs. He could groom if given blades and comb lengths, but a simple set of instructions like “You took an inch off the body, so take an inch off the legs” did not make sense to him. I never could get him to understand the concept of seeing what was done before, rather than what was in front of him. Once you learn to see the previous groom by looking at the groom in front of you your grooms will be better, easier and more consistent. That will make your clients happier and happier clients make more clients because they tell their family, friends and neighbors. The best advertising is a happy client and by seeing through the hair to what was done last time you can ensure that your clients are happy, and your job will be easier. And a making you a happy groomer, by teaching you how to work smarter is my goal.

Another Poodle Topknot video clip

I had the opportunity to do Suzie, a little silver toy I have done forever (I think she's about 12) and she had not been done in almost 4 months because her mom has been ill. My son helped me shoot this video clip so you can see from all angles what I did, start to finish. I did spend another 2 or 3 mi nutes on the head after the camera was done shooting, but you can definately see the technique in this 3 minute video clip.

Here ya go!

 

Yes you CAN shave a Husky with a Bravura

Here is what we did today using the Bravura Clipper. This Husky was last groomed November 28, 2009. Yeah. Almost exactly 2 years ago. 

I keep hearing from people that this clipper cannot do anything heavy duty because I KNOW you can use it for almost anything from feet and faces on poodles to full body clips on matted large dogs. I was dreading  BIG tiME shaving this dog down before his bath with a 7F or even a ten blade. I just knew it was going to take forever to get the hair off him. 

I had some resharpened blades on hand so I was not worried about dulling a blade. If I had ruined ne then the sharpening would have been tacked onto the grooming bill, but the clippers we used still work after he was done with a good cleaning. I have used them all day today and not one glitch with them.

 I hear all the time that blades are expensive, but honestly as fast as this clipper allows me to do my job and with the lesser stress on my body I would replace the blade weekly if I had to. Good thing is though I don't have to! Don't just toss the blades when they go dull. Wahl will sharpen them for $12 and several other sharpeners will do them as well. Northern Tails, Mitysharp and Love's come to mind. Since we can do that it is no big deal to use this clipper for this purpose.

To be honest, this clipper made this groom take less than an hour start to finish. YES I said one hour. Includng the drying. Without it I would have spent two hours precutting, then had to go back and regroom the entire dog instead of just touching it up after the bath. 

Here you go!

_{You can see even his neck is super matted. I was cringing when I saw him.}

_{Hair from the side of the dog. The owner said he was "thick". I guess he was.}

_{The rear hips.}

_{We had to leave the hair at the base of the tail until after his bath because it was so full of sand. I even tried the Andis with a skip tooth 7 and had no luck. It was spitting sand at me, so I said forget about it!}

_{This is his tail. I had to split it with shears to get an access point to begin clipping it.}

_Finished.

And for those of you who do not believe me, here is a short video clip of how easy and fast the hair came off. 

 

_{This clip is just a few seconds long, but shows how easy the hair came off. Even on a dirty dog.}

So while I generally frown on grooming dirty dogs, we made an excetion today and got this badly matted dog done fast and easy on us and the dog. Hopefully it will show you how well this clipper works for that purpose. 

Make your job easier and get the tools that will save your body, your health and your time. Investing in tools that save you time make you money in the long run. Groom SMARTER not HARDER!

Fatquarters DO Work for Bandannas!

I have to admit it. If you had asked me a week ago I would have said, no the pieces of fabric are too small to cut out bandannas, but I found some at our local Walmart, that was on clearance and me, being the fabric addict that I am, had to have it (I justified it in my head that I would use the FQs for scrunchies if I had to). Usually I would not have bothered since the fabric yardage is so small on each piece, but it was on such a good sale price I couldn't help myself.

Many of you are probably asking yourself, What the he## is a Fatquarter? A Fatquarter is a quilters term used to describe a piece of fabric cut into 22 inch by 18 inches, or 9 inches by 45 inches. The fabric measurement will vary depending on the person cutting it. The ones that Walmart sells are 18 by 22. So you are getting a piece of fabric equal to 1/4 yard, but only one thickness instead of two if you bought the fabric off the bolt. The package had 7 pieces in it, so I got 1.75 yards of assorted prints that co-ordinate pretty well.

As is my custom, when I got it home, I laid it out on top of my dishwasher to cut it and found that fabric cut into fatquarters will make bandannas that are in between a large and a small with no problems at all! There is not much difference, maybe 1.5 inches, between what I cut out and the normal sizes. DEFINITELY usable! If you are mobile or a very small grooming business, this is a terriffic option for you as you can get a great variety and a smaller number of bandannas from each print, reducing duplication. My shop averages 120-150 dogs a week, so it would mean a print would be gone in a day, but if you like a lot of variety and have a smaller volume Fatquarters are IDEAL for you! 

Also, because the size is so universal for small and medium dogs, if you do a lot of ogs that are under 12 or 15 pounds, using this size instead of cutting small and mediums will make life less confusing and make storage easier as well. No more getting disappointed that you do not have that print in the right size. 

Places like Walmart, Joann's and Michael's sell Fatquarters and some come in bigger bundles than what I found. Look online and you will find thousands of suppliers with an endless variety avaialable. Just remember to check the size of the FQs in the bundle or box. Sometimes they are 9 inches by 45 and that makes it a bit harder to use (even though it can be done). I was told by a diswtrict anager at our "old" Walamrtm that even if your Walmart does not carry fabric, if it has a craft section, chances are they have Fatquarters. 

Fat Quarter boxes  has a huge collection of fatquarters in boxes or bundles and every theme you can imagine! The boxes are easy to store and in a Mobile I can see them being easy to have onhand to cut as needed.

Folding it the same way I always fold fabric, I was able to get 4 bandannas that are perfect sized for most shihtzu and smaller type dogs and one collar cover out of each piece of fabric. I could have cut it differently and had fewer pieces, but also had some leftover material, and I despise leftover material.

_{Notice it is folded into 4 triangles and the strip left is for scrunchies.}

While I was looking at the Fatquarters, I also found "Jelly Rolls". These are strips of fabric already cut into 2.5 inch by 45 inch strips. For most collar covers this is perfect. It is almost exactly what I cut my strips into (I usually do 3 inches, but this works great!). You fold each strip in half making a 22.5 inch piece and cut making two pieces for small and medium dogs. You can leave the strip in one piece or cut it to 36 inches for larger dogs. You fold the fabric right sides together and stitch the edge. Turn right side out and there ya go.

If you have a need for 14 inch (at the top) bandannas, there is also a "Layer cake" you can buy that is precut 10 inch squares. These are just under the size I use for small bandanas and will fit Yorkies, Maltese and some Shihtzu as well, especially if you use a rubber band or bandanna securing accessory. GIves you less to cut and absolutely no waste. The really cool part is that I found most of the LayerCake stacks are cut with pinking shears already saving you a step if you use pinking shears. I am all about saving time and making my job easier!

A lot of websites that cater to quilters even have "Fabric of the month" type shipments where you can, without worrying about shopping for fabric, have a new collection of FQs, Jelly Rolls and/or Layer Cakes, delivered right to your home on automatic shipment. PERFECT for those of us that are busy busy busy!

So, there you have it. Easy, timesaving ways to utilize fabric choices we generally overlook. 

 

 

 

Removing sandspurs from hair

 

These little buggers are horrible when it comes to dog hair! It is important to get them out as quickly as possible because the little burr pieces can and WILL burrow into skin and that can lead to an infection. Both green and brown (dried ones) are dangerous, but the dried ones are more prickly as they tend to be more flexible when green.

  

Many people think you must shave off a coat if it gets burrs in it, but there are several ways to remove them easily and painlessly from the coat.

 

You must protect yourself from injury as well, so in the presence of many sandspurs, I suggest a good pair of leather gardening gloves to keep the burrs out of your skin. One or two is easy, but pets rarely come in with that few. Most of the time, they will be imbedded in the hair first, and the longer they are there, the closer they get to the skin. Also, in long hair, if they stay in place for several days, they can do unrepairable damage to the hair shaft. If that happens, shaving may be the best thing to do, but if caught early on, removal is easy, but time consuming.

There are several ways to remove the burrs easily.

I never work on dirty dogs unless there are sandspurs or cockaburs involved! I would rather work on the dog dirty than wet in this case, and this case ONLY. The water makes the spurs swell, making them tighter in the hair than they were to begin with.

 

Brushes are useless and only manage to push the burrs in further. A wide tooth poodle comb however allows you to work them out easily. This is made even easier by applying a thick, heavy conditioner, like Nature's Specialties Aloe Remo or Kolesteral before combing. This can be done on a dirty dog as long as you are planning on washing afterwards.

I usually use a pair of pliers. YES pliers. Using the pliers to crush the sandspurs will make them easier to remove because it will break the spines of the burrs. When you break the burr up, it will literally fall out of the hair.

 

I use pliers, then add the conditioner, using as much as it takes to work into the coat, comb, and the sandspurs and cockaburs come right out. Always work from the outside of the burrs in towards the skin. If you start at the skin, you will be pulling through more hair and they can actually get more tangled as a result.

NOW if there are hundreds of the little buggers to deal with, then it might be easier on the pet to shave them off. Usually, if there is a place in the yard or walking area the pet frequents that has them growing, they will simply get more if you leave hair, but if the plants have been eradicated, or it was a trip to the lake or beach that caused the problem, removing them is not a waste of time.

I charge as I would for dematting to remove burrs if there are a lot, but if it takes just a few minutes, I don't. I do tell my clients to watch their dog as the little pieces that stick in your skin can cause infection, and they can be itchy as well. I raise roses and I get scratched and pricked all the time and sandspurs are similar to rose thorns in makeup.

 

Beggar's Lice are another type of burr, but thankfully they do not have huge spikes, rather they have many many tiny burs on them that stick to hair, clothes, or virtually anything that rubs against the plant. Almost like a magnet, they are attracted to anything but they love dog hair!

They are actually easy to remove, but many people, including owners, prefer to cut the hair off rather than work them out.

These come out easily with a fine tooth comb. It matters not whether you wash the pet first with these types of burrs, but conditioner helps in the removal. They will stay in place during HV drying and will stay in the coat until you pull them out. I work in the same manner as the bigger burrs, from outside in.

These guys are harder to eliminate in the environment, but at least they are less damaging to skin and coats than sandspurs!

On working dogs, like hunters and planatation guide dogs, I like to leave a little bit of hair, about the length of a 5F blade whenever possible, to allow the skin some protection against burrs while in the field. It is a length that while long enough to prevent injury to the skin, the burrs cannot stick in the coat because it is short. I always try to NOT shave out pads on these guys because that will make the pads more vulnerable to the stickers on the burrs. I know you may think that is counterituitive, but hair will trap the burr and prevent it from getting into the skin that would be present in a shaved pad. Most hunters know to check their dogs feet when they are done in the woods.

Same with ears. A bit of hair left on the inside and outside of the ear makes it hard for damage to occur. A shaved ear and ear canal will allow the burrs to come into close contact and even work their way down into the ear. The hair acts as a buffer and prevents damage in most cases. A good hunter will go over their dog after hunting and remove any burrs found. I work with a lot of hunters and this technique works great for all of them.

Foxtails are another problem, and most people suggest shaving dogs pads and the like to prevent them from entering the dogs skin where they can cause terrible infections, but I have no personal experience with these. This is a good article with pictures for those of you who do have these in your area: Foxtails

While we cannot prevent the little and big burrs from attacking our clients and our personal pets, you now have the skills to remove them easily!

Happy de-sandspurring dogs!

 

 

Teddy Bear head Update Number 2

I found this photo with diagrams drawn on it that I used in a Groom Team Newsletter. I would have sworn it was on my website or this blog, but apparently it is not. This dog happens to be in the shop today after a "mommy" haircut, so I had to find the photo to show my help how cute she really can be. 

SO, knowing that it is not where I thought it was, I have put it where it belongs. 

 

If you click on the photo above it will open in a new window making it easier to see.

I am using the combs that come with my Speed Feed most of the time these days and use a 9mm on top of most heads following the arrows in the photo, and making sure I take out the bulk under the ear on the cheeks to make the ears lay flat. I use thinners after the curved shears to blend the head and soften the look. 

What you do with the nose is a style as well as area preference. I live in an area where most shih-tzu and the like are shaved down the nose. Other areas of the country would not have this done, but here, if you do not do it, clients complain it isn't short enough, which is why I did not address that part of the groom in my instructions.

This is a super easy and fast way to accomplish a teddy bear head, as well as being consistent. Hopefully it works for you.

Done in a Snap will take you to my article on using snap on combs posted last year. It is still relevant and applies to the above photo as well.

I have taken the time to videotape three different Teddy Bear heads for you, including one done with a vac system. Hopefully this will help you all see better how I do my heads and learn how to acheive a teddy bear head fast and easily as well. Remember that you may have to clieck on each video twice to enlarge it in a You Tube video window.

 

  

  

 

 The heads above are all done using the same basic technique yet they all look different. I did go back to all of them and touch them up more after the camera stopped rolling because the finishing was not critical to the technique and the videos took over an hour to upload (EACH) as it was.

Happy grooming!

"Cat Feet"

 
No, I don't really mean a cat's foot, but rather a foot type on a dog. This style of foot is generally found on dogs such as Golden Retrievers, Keeshonds, Huskies, Pomeranians and the like. Dogs with fuzzy, tufts of hair that explode from between the toes are prime candidates for this type of foot. It is called a "cat foot" because when it is finished it resembles the foot of a short haired cat.

 What you need to accomplish this look is a fuzzy foot, slicker brush, comb, clipper for the pads, shears to trim the hair with, thinning shears and nail trimmers or a dremel.

Start by getting the dog clean and dry because the feet are the dirtiest part of the dog and I refuse to work on dirty dogs. Then, trim or file the nails as short as you can get them, and trim the hair from between the pads (or scissor the pad hair flush with the pads, whichever you prefer).

Place the foot on the table and brush the hair on the foot up towards the leg. If there are mats you can leave them in, since this is a sensitive area to begin with and it hurts to comb them out in many cases.  
 IF the mats are severe or really deep in between the toes, you can use a comb to slide behind them and then cut them out with either a ten blade or thinning shears. DO NOT cut them out with shears unless you have something behind the mat because skin can be pulled up with the matted hair and result in a badly cut foot. The comb slid behind the mat prevents the shears from coming close to the skin and leaves enough length in many cases to avoid a hole in between the toes. On dogs with mats you will not get as nice of a foot as on dogs with no mats between the toes, but the same basic technique applies. You can see in the photo to the right what it looks like when there are mats removed from in between the toes.

After you brush the hair up, you take shears and cut the hair off the top of the foot and the sides of the foot, making it as round as possible and taking all the hair around the foot OFF the table. When you have dome what you can from the top, lift the foot from behind the leg and fold it towards you, trim any hairs that hang below the foot and around the pads of the foot. Finish with thinning shears on the top of the foot to soften the look and make it look more natural.

This same technique can be used on spaniel feet and pekingese feet as well.

This video clip is short, and the dog was really not very cooperative. It was her first haircut ever and we had some issues working on her. You will hear the voice of my son in the background talking to her every now and then. SHe did calm down and allow me to work on her more after she got used to being handled by me. Overall she did really well.

 

Overall this is a simple, fast and easy way to accomplish a "cat foot" on most dogs. I hope this has helped you understand a bit more about how to go about grooming this type of foot.

My Secret Weapon

I have a trick I use to ensure that the dog on my table gets the same haircut it got last time, even if I have never groomed the dog before. The trick is really simple and when you realize it, you will probably think to yourself, "Now WHY didn't I think of that?" unless of course you know my secret as well!

If you find a spot, say a pad, a poodle foot or face, the area around the rectum, the tummy, or even under the eyes is generally speaking cut really short. Whatever length you take off those areas will tell you how much to take off the rest of the dog to ensure the same haircut they had before. Cut off an inch? Take off an inch all over. Take off a quarter inch? Then take off a quarter inch! This may not work as well with two or three inches of hair, but for those that are well maintained it is a remarkable trick to have in your arsenal.

Simply follow the same outline for the head and take off the same amount from the edges of the haircut. Same with the body, and the ears, tail, legs...if you take off the same amout that you take off those short areas you will have the same haircut the person likes every time. If they want the dog longer than last time, then you take off a bit less and if they want the dog shorter then you take off more.

NOW it is important that you do NOT change the shape. For example, if the head is round, stay with that shape. If it is "poodle on top and Teddy on the bottom" follow that shape. DO NOT change the way the dog looks, just simply take off length.

This is really helpful in shops with multiple groomers or if you are grooming a dog that usually goes somewhere else. Also, that new client from out of state? This technique will pretty much guarantee the same groom they had before.

You can mess up to a degree if they have had a mini groom done in between grooms, but if they have not had that done, it is a foolproof, easy way to get consistency in your grooms even if you change stylists.

I have to admit I am horrible about writing down instructions for a groom, but by utilizing this technique my staff and I can insure that the dogs will look the same everytime they are in the shop.

 

Terriers in a SNAP!

 

We all get terrier type dogs that come in the shop that “should” get stripped, but either they have never been stripped, or the owner doesn’t want to pay for stripping, or the groomer doesn’t know HOW to strip or doesn’t have TIME to strip.

There is a technique using snapon combs, that will mimic a handstripped look, keeping the pets looking natural and saving you time and energy.

The candidates for this technique are not always purebreds. However, they can be. Cairns, Westies, Scotties, Border Terriers, and of course, Norwich, Norfolk, and any mix that has a hard coat texture is a perfect candidate for this technique, and if the owner is wanting a more natural look they will appreciate your efforts.

 

I begin by bathing the pet and making sure I use a texturing shampoo, like EZ Groom’s Structure. On terrier type coat I use a spray on conditioner while drying the coat, rather than a rinse out, and I like Ruff Coat by Show Seasons the best of any I have tried on this type of coat. It is important on this harsh coat that drying be done properly as well. It MUST be dried flat against the body rather than fluffed out from the body.

 

Once the pup is prepped, you have to decide what length comb is going to work the best on the dog you are working on. That length will be long enough to lay flat, but short enough to look as if there was a hair cut given to the dog. I decide which comb I am going to use by running the comb through the coat without turning the clipper on. That way I can gauge how much hair is coming off and adjust before actually cutting any hair.

I tend to gravitate toward my Laube Speed Feed for this type of coat more often than anything else, but you can use a Wahl Stainless steel snap on or a plastic com by any of the other manufacturers, depending on your preference and your equipment availability.

 

The biggest thing to remember is to always follow the direction the hair is growing on the dog’s body. Even if you find that the hair is changing direction, you have to adjust your clipper to follow the new line. If you cross the direction of the hair’s natural growth you will get gaps and lines that are hard to erase and it will diminish the natural appearance of the groom.

 

Under the neck, I switch to a shorter snap on length, and trim the area from under the jawline to the breastbone, shorter, following the lay of the coat, and only trimming the area that is between the cowlicks. You will see the area to be clipped when you tip the head back slightly. Generally it is a U shaped area similar to that on a poodle.

 

The ears on the puppies featured were plucked slightly on the outside to keep color and only scissored along the edges to make the shape more defined. If the ears are to be tipped, I only trim the inside of the ears short, using a longer blade on the outside or plucking them when possible. This makes the ear appear more natural.

By using thinning shears to shape the legs, underline and head, blending the neckline into the body, you will keep a natural appearance and reduce lines.

 

 

These techniques work tremendously well on schnauzers that have a harsh coat are are sensitive to clipping as well. You can virtually eliminate clipper irritation by using snap on combs, as the blade never touches the dog’s skin.

Follow up with a light  hand carding the coat and you will have a halthy coat that appears as if you hand stripped it in a short time and you will have a happy dog and owner. 

My apprenctice Ashley did most of the grooming on this page. Thanks to the owners of the pups for allowing us to use their pets photos.

The Dirt on Recirculating Bathing Systems

I hear all the time "You are washing a dog with dirty water if you use one of those" and it is not true. I have talked until I am blue in the face about how this type of system works and I have decided to show you how it works, why it works and how fast and easy it will make washing your dogs. I am going to try to dispel a few myths.

Myth number 1: You are washing dogs with dirty water.

BUSTED. You use fresh water and shampoo on every dog. The dogs are rinsed after each wash, and then the tub is refilled with fresh water and shampoo for the next washing.

Myth number 2: Bacterial and fungal infections are often transferred from the water to another dog.

POSSIBLE, but only if you are not cleaning the pump and draining it regularly. I will explain how to do this later in the second article.

Myth number 3: Dogs are not clean.

BUSTED. The dogs are clean with less water and shampoo usage.

Myth number 4: It takes too long to fill the tub.

BUSTED. It takes less time to fill the tub to a level that the pump will turn on than it does to wet down a dog and then lather them up. If your tub uses a lot of water, like mine does, then this system may not be best for you.

Myth number 4: the dogs don't SMELL clean so they aren't clean.

BUSTED. We have been conditioned to associate fragrance and perfumes with clean. The more diluted shampoos used in the bathing systems result in very little fragrance sticking to the dogs.

Clean dogs will have no fragrance. They are devoid of smell. If clients want a stronger fragrance then you can add cologne.

Myth number 5: The systems cost too much and don't offer enough benefit to justify the cost.

BUSTED. You can build your own system for less than $150 complete and the time, shampoo and wear and tear on your body that the system saves is definitely worth the cost.

Myth number 6: I can get a dog cleaner by hand.

MAYBE. But I bet I can get that same dog done just as clean, faster, with less water, less shampoo and none of the hand scrubbing.

Myth number 7: These systems do not work well in Mobile vans.

BUSTED. It may take some creative parking if your tub was installed level, but many vans come complete with a super sudser and the tub angled. One van company is actually building tubs on a slant with a well to put the pump in.

Myth number 8: These types of systems use more water than I would use if I washed by hand.

BUSTED. Because you are filling the tub with the water you would prewet with if hand washing there is no added water usage. They get dogs cleaner in one wash than you can do with two in many cases by hand, and since the shampoo

is diluted to the extreme, it rinses faster than ever as well, saving water.

Myth number nine: It will not save me shampoo because a gallon of water needs a large amount of shampoo to dilute it correctly.

BUSTED. You are not prewetting which means that one ounce or less of shampoo in a gallon of water will get dogs clean. No need to follow the dilution suggestions on the bottles. Those are for handwashing scenarios and are to be used on a

wet dog, further diluting the shampoo.

Myth numer 10: the dogs will miss the hands on that I do when I hand wash.

BUSTED. The washing action of the pump feels good to the dogs, like a massage. If you miss touching the dogs you can. Fell free. You just do not have to scrub get them clean.

In other words, most of the things you hear from people who do not use this type of bather are wrong. They are incorrect. They are blatantly wrong.

I will tell you how to use the systems and how to build and care for them as well in my next post.

In the meantime you can view the video clips I have on YouTube. One is me washing my Wheaten, Kreamer, who needed a bath BADLY. It takes me less than 5 minutes to completely wash him.

 

And here is the rinsing video. You can see how much faster he rinses, how squeaky clean he is, and how clean the water is, dismissing the theory that the dirty water will redeposit the dirt onto the coat.

 

A Note about the videos. They appear to be cropped looking at them here, but if you click twice, it will take you to YouTube where you can see them in full size. 

Until we meet again!