|
General Grooming Info
 One thing you will find about grooming the Samoyed is that everyone has their own way of doing things. Everyone seems to be a little different in finding what works for them. Note: We start getting our dogs accustomed to ALL the grooming routines from day one. With puppies you need to keep the sessions limited to five or ten minutes. Please remember that as you read further along. The latter also applies to the older or rescue dog that has never been introduced to a grooming session. Patience and a lot of praise, while being firm, is the key I have found. There is no need for heavy handling a Samoyed or raising your voice in anger in my opinion and especially with a puppy. Being firm and being heavy handed are two different things. Dogs tend to learn best using praise and a lot of it. In addition, have Patience, Patience, and more Patience! You will be amazed at how fast they learn. AND, how much they will enjoy the grooming sessions with you and you them if the groundwork has been a pleasant experience for them. It is best if you make it a habit of grooming your Samoyed at least once a week with the exception of shedding (blowing coat) periods. You will find that if you continue to do weekly grooming sessions that the time involved will only amount to one to two hours per week.
These are the basic, along with optional, supplies that can be purchased (sometimes more cheaply in catalogs).
-
Shower massage, with a long hose
-
Towels
-
Rubber matting for the tub
-
Good dog shampoo, without bluing
-
Drain cover
-
Hand held rubber scrubber/brush
-
Grooming table, w/or w/o grooming arm (photo above)
-
Dog dryer
-
Cotton balls
-
Nail clippers (I use the orange handled type)
-
Nail grinder
-
Slicker brush
-
Pin Brush
-
Comb (I use the Greyhound comb w/a small & large tooth end)
-
Scissors, invest in a good pair
-
Thinning shears
-
Rake
-
Dog toothpaste and toothbrush
-
Tick and flea prevention
-
Soft cloth for ears
-
Kwik-Stop septic powder for toenails, if needed
-
Tack box, tote/duffle bag, tool box, etc. to keep your supplies in
The Bath & Drying
First, you do not need to bathe the older Samoyed more often than approximately once every three months, due to stripping their natural oils. Exceptions are showing, puppies, etc. I personally bathe my Samoyeds in the bathtub. Some Samoyed owners will bathe their dogs outside during the warmer months on top of the grooming table.
For the bathtub I recommend that you invest in a shower massage hand held sprayer with extra long hose if possible. Also, get yourself a bath mat to prevent your dog from slipping in the tub, as the bottom is slick especially once you start using the shampoo. In addition, I recommend that you purchase one of those rubber maid type of drain covers to cover your drain and prevent the hair from clogging your drains.
What you will need for the bath is a good shampoo. Do not use human shampoo, as the pH is different for dogs. I personally use #1 All Systems, which does not contain bluing, peroxide, etc. although the shampoo itself is blue in color. Shampoos that contain bluing can easily turn your dog's coat blue. Others, and myself, have had great success using a dog shampoo such as Pure Pet and 1st In Line. I do not use flea shampoos on my dogs. For flea and tick prevention I personally use Frontline TopSpot. If you would like you can also buy yourself a rubber type of hand held scrubber to assist you with the areas that are prone to pick up more dirt such as the hocks, elbows, etc.
Prior to bathing your Samoyed you should make sure you have completely brushed or combed out your dog. You want to make sure they are free of mats, which will only get worse when wet. The hair between the pads need to be free of debris. Also, rid your dog of loose hair if blowing coat. Only brush the Samoyed tail versus combing it.
Note: Some Samoyeds have a problem with not being able to properly empty their anal sacs naturally. If you do not know how to express the anal sacs it is always a better idea to have your veterinarian do so. Plan this prior to bath time, as once the anal sacs are expressed the odor is strong. The anal sacs are your dog's scent glands. If your dog's anal sacs are full you may notice them plopping down, scooting across the floor on their rear end; they may be swollen near their anus, etc.
So, now you should be ready to bathe your dog.
RINSE your dog very well down to the skin. RINSING is the most important part of the bath. If you do not rinse well both prior and after shampooing you will not have a clean dog. Leaving shampoo in can also result in skin irritations.
Once rinsed, shampoo starting with one area at a time. Some people prefer to work from the head down and I suggest this method if your dog has fleas so the fleas will at least travel down versus up towards their eyes, etc. Others prefer to work on the feet, elbows and legs first, then from the rear forward. The latter is so that the shampoo can sit longer on those areas (feet, elbows and legs). Note: if your Samoyed's coat is of correct texture you will find that you will need to re-wet the next area you work on prior to shampooing due to the coat drying. Be careful not to get shampoo in your dog's eyes or down in their ears along with water. Some people will use cotton balls to help prevent shampoo and water from getting into their dog's ears (see the section on ears for more info). Shampoo well down to the skin. And, remember…a little diluted shampoo goes a long way. A helpful hint for shampooing your dog is after you rinse your dog add shampoo to the area(s) you will be starting with and run a little water over the shampoo prior to messaging and shampooing in.
After you have completely shampooed your dog, RINSE. RINSING will take the most time. Your dog is not rinsed well until the water runs clear. I can not emphasize the importance of rinsing well enough.
Your dog should be clean now. Run your hands over the entire dog to release as much water as possible. You may want to use this time to use your "shake" command and let your dog shake off in the tub. Towel dry your dog making sure you also towel dry the inside of the ears. Do not stick your finger or towel dry deep down into the ear canal. Just dry the inside base of the ears. Some people will take this time to use some ear flushing and/or drying solutions. Check with your veterinarian.
Now you are ready to blow dry your Samoyed. There are many good dog dryers on the market and they are worth the investment in getting one. It cost around one hundred dollars when I purchased it. I highly recommend that you get at least a two-speed (high/low) dryer. The dryers will save not only your back, but also time, prevent matting, curling/waving, etc. of the coat. Dry your dog as thoroughly as you can. Be especially careful not to hold the dryer head too close to the skin, in the ears, etc. I usually work on one area at a time using a short motion back and forth with the dryer head. Some dogs hate the area around their ears from being blow dried, so we will allow that section to air dry. Do not comb or brush your dog when their coat is still wet.
At this point I will usually cut the toenails, as they are still soft from the bath and less likely to split. Some people prefer to cut the nails with dog toenail clippers, some will use the clippers then the grinder and yet others only use the grinder. (Note: If you use a grinder be very careful not to catch the hair in the grinder. To prevent this you can stick the toenail through some old pantyhose prior to grinding. Also, trim the hair in between and on the bottom of the pads along with trimming the rear hocks (see the section on trimming hocks for more info). We will usually take a break at this point prior to line combing the dog.
Line Combing
I will share my method of line combing. Basically, line combing is a process of combing out the dog's entire coat from the skin outwards, except the tail (brush), section by section line by line. When first learning this process can seem not only awkward, but tedious as well. It takes time and practice to get to where you feel comfortable line combing. Most of us use this time to just relax with our dogs and/ or spend some time with them. I prefer line combing my dog lying on their side, on the floor and in front of the TV. You may want to put a towel, blanket or sheet under them. Others prefer to line comb with the dog on the grooming table.
Different people may start in a different area of the dog when line combing. Remember that your dog has more sensitive areas of his/her body just as you do. Usually these more tender areas are on the dog's side, ruff, tummy, etc. The legs/feet/elbows, rear and shoulder areas are where I usually begin line combing.
Line combing is one of those things that is best learned while watching versus trying to put it in writing, but I will try. Have either a trash can or plastic bag near by to put the coat you remove into. Using the large tooth end of the Greyhound comb in my right hand I lay my left hand down on the section of the dog's coat I will be starting with separating that section from the skin to where you can now see a line of the dog's skin. The first time I line comb the entire dog I will take a section of the dog's coat from under my left hand and comb out from the skin all the way to the end of that section of coat. I do this in the direction the dog's coat lays. You continue to line comb each small section until the entire dog is done. Usually, I will then take the small tooth end of the coat and go back over the dog line combing in more of an up and out direction taking long strokes. Generally speaking, the body coat will go towards the direction of the head and out. The part of the dog's coat that lies on top of the back near the tail will be combed in the direction of the tail and the pants/skirts (the coat viewed from the rear) will go in an out and downwards motion. Again, on line combing your best bet is to arrange to meet with someone more experienced in line combing on a day when they plan to groom their dog. Visuals, I have found, are so much better when first learning and most owners would be more than glad to have you watch, learn and ask questions.
Trimming Hocks
I generally trim the hocks/rear pasterns and do feet while my dogs are lying down in front of the TV. With the dog lying on his/her left side I first comb out the coat on the hock thoroughly using my Greyhound comb (small tooth end). I line comb down towards the paw, then I line comb up towards the point of hock, but do not forget to comb the point of hock also. Time and energy permitted, I will also sometimes line comb the hock and rear pastern area coat from side to side. Now, with the dog's hock supported in my left hand (I am right handed so do not know if left handed people do this differently) I will comb all the coat on the hock, from the point of hock to the pad towards the floor (to the right side). Once all the coat is combed towards the direction of the floor, I slightly rotate the hock in my left hand towards me so that I now can see that right side using the imaginary line which can be seen from approximately the fibula bone down to the side of the pad. I will trim the coat starting at the side of the point of hock down towards the beginning of the pad area. I personally use scissors to do this, but many people use thinning shears instead. This is another one of those personal choices. The reason most people use thinning shears versus scissors is because it is felt that the thinning shears leave a more natural look. I suggest thinning shears for sure until you get the hang of it. Plus, until you get used to doing this area I would recommend trimming a little at a time to avoid cutting too short. After this side is complete, I will then line comb all the coat to the opposite side (left) and repeat the procedure just like you did to the right side of the hock. After both sides are complete, I will again line comb the entire hock coat down towards the pad and then up towards the point of hock, and out. It is an up and out type of stroke with the comb this time. You can look at the coat on the hock and touch up any stragglers. Now, you can do the other hock.
Some will trim hocks with their dog up on the grooming table. Basically, after completely line combing the hock coat out they will set the dog's foot evenly with the end of the table. Then holding the thinning shears vertically to the ceiling they will trim from the back starting at the bottom of the paw upwards towards the dog's point of hock. Again, with the thinning shears being held vertically to the ceiling. They usually start with the middle section of the hock until they get the hock trimmed how they would like followed by doing the right and left sides of the same hock. I suggest consulting with someone who uses this method prior to trying it.
Feet
To add on the feet/pads, try to cut your dog's nails at least once a week and no longer than once every two weeks. This will greatly depend on how fast your dog's nails grow. As with people, some dogs nails grow much faster than others do. Letting toenails grow too long can cause many problems including difficultly with gait. If you can hear your dog's nails clicking as they walk across the linoleum, hardwood floors, concrete, etc. they are too long. The nails should be trimmed as close as possible. With clear nails the quick can easily be seen, but is more difficult to the inexperienced owner on those black toenails. You will notice on the under side of your dog's nail it makes sort of a "V" shape. This can sometimes be a good indicator on those darker nails. Until you feel comfortable clipping the nails without quicking them it may be a good idea to have your veterinarian or tech do them for you, have more experienced friends do them, or be assisted the first couple of times by someone more experienced. There is a product called Kwik-Stop, which is sold, in most pet stores. This product is a septic powder that you can apply to a quicked nail to prevent bleeding. There are other products for this as well. Always check the coat in between the pad/toes on top and bottom for dried mud that may have harden and feel like rock, thorns, stickers, etc. once a week if not more often. These things can cause a lot of pain and discomfort for your dog. Also, I know some owners live in areas where foxtail are a problem. The feet are especially important to keep up on your Samoyed. Feet are a vital part of the dog's body.
Ears
Your Samoyed's ears should be checked on a regular basis for mites, infections such as yeast (may notice a brownish black substance inside the ears or reddening), ticks, fleas, etc. If you notice your dog shaking his head there could be a problem in the ears. Head shaking can cause an Auricular Hematoma so it is important in more ways than one to have your dog's ears checked by your veterinarian if this occurs. In brief, a hematoma is a fluid-filled swelling that develops on the surface of the pinna in dogs from head shaking or ear scratching. The condition is common in dogs. There are other problems that can cause hematomas, but for our purposes here we will address the ears. Treatment is surgical to allow drainage. For normal regular care of the ears, my vet suggests that cleaning the outer inside base of the ear (the part you can see) with a dry soft cloth is sufficient for my dogs. It is not recommended that you stick your fingers down into the dog's ear canal or use Q-Tips down inside the ear canal. Using Q-Tips down into the ear canal can cause damage to the ear. Some owners will use a mixture of vinegar, alcohol and water to clean the inside base of the ears and that is okay but would check with your veterinarian first for use with your dog. Your vet may recommend that you periodically use a rinsing solution followed by drying flush to clean further down into the ears.
Teeth
Clean and check your dog's teeth often for tartar build up, redness of the gums or gum line, chipped/split/cracked or broken teeth. Also, for any foreign object that could be stuck in between the teeth or gum line, etc. I personally prefer to have my vet clean my dog's teeth. However, many owners do clean their own dog's teeth using a scaler and some follow up with a polisher if they own one. Even if you scale your own dog's teeth it is a good idea to have your vet or tech do the teeth ever so often. Polishing the teeth after cleaning/scaling is important. One thing we can all do is brush our dog's teeth on a daily or as often as possible basis. Most vet offices, pet stores, catalogs, etc. sell dog toothpaste and tooth brushes. You may prefer one of the finger type toothbrushes. Some owners will use baking soda and water for the teeth versus dog toothpaste. Again, check with your veterinarian on what he/she thinks is best for you and your dog. Consult with them prior to using a human brand of toothpaste. Keep in mind that gum disease, bad breath or excessive build up of tartar could signify other primary problems which should be addressed and treated.
Ticks & Fleas
|
