Grooming table making your dog stand
I am always afraid when I have them clipped to the arm. Sometimes they move around a lot scares me. I don't know how my groomers do it. as soon as Laika gets on the table she curls into a little ball all appendages curled under! Oh and she is ornery too just the littlest pull and she gets upset! arg I want to do this all myself since I bought all this equipment. How do you get in the hard to reach areas like armpits I like to have those shaved. Wow I have my work cut out for me.  |
|
|
| Mine just stand there or lay there depending on what I want them to do, no need to attach them to anything, though I do have grooming arms and nooses for my tables I usually only use it at a show during the finishing touches. I think it's best to start training that as a puppy but I think it can be done with an older dog, if you want them to stand just keep touching the belly if they go to sit and then praise and belly rubs if it works, if not, re stand them and just be consistent. |
| I saw gotsheep put a cooler under their dog so they can't sit. I thought that was such a smart idea! I plan on trying it when I'm trimming. lol I have one too but have no idea how to use it so it's just sat there. Ironically after being told I don't need one, I insisted I did on here and haven't bothered to try to use it. |
| Laika is so stubborn. She gets angry easy too. One good thing about grooming at home I just do it in stages she doesn't have a 3-4 hour marathon like at the groomers. Last time I tried to get her in the tub she trembled all over. SO WEIRD. She has changed so much in the last year. |
| ^^ Yuki is becoming the same way (giving us warnings while before she didn't do anything) and now does the same thing in the tub (never did before). I'm wondering if it's her joints and discomfort. My husband says I need warmer water but I always think it is fine (it's lukewarm while my husband has it reallly warm). So next week I'm at least trying warmer water. |
| Speaking as a complete novice about grooming dogs, from the videos and pictures we studied before we got Mady, we thought we needed to have her lie on her side. However, when she's on the grooming table, which we introduced to her the week we got her, she stands stock still. She refuses to sit or lie down, she wont budge, just stands. So I groom her standing up. Can any of the experienced groomers here tell me if this matters? Is it fine to groom her standing up or should I work at getting her to lie down? |
| I use a small cooler that I place between the front and back legs. This prevents the sitting and laying down. I'll use the arm to noose their necks If I need them to stop wriggling around. A lot of it is learning on my part what to do. My dogs used to be professionally groomed, but it was getting expensive, and I make the time. Asterisk is the worst, though! She also folds in her legs so tight and I REALLY have to be diligent on brushing her legs and not letting her win! |
Baba wrote: So I groom her standing up. Can any of the experienced groomers here tell me if this matters? Is it fine to groom her standing up or should I work at getting her to lie down? It really depends on what areas you're trying to cover. As she ages and her hair grows, she'll more than likely want to lay down. With a full coat, I can either alternate an hour session per dog every other day or do a three hour session. If she'll stand, definitely get her used to having her legs groomed. It's easier to groom her belly (which can get VERY matted) by having her lay on her side. If you're grooming her back, laying down is the best. |
| I stick my leg bended so knee is in their belly under them when I need them to stand. Knee goes in from behind (in-between their back legs). Of course this is when I'm too lazy to get the table out. If they get tired, they just sit their butt on my thigh. |
| To properly groom her (line brushing) you really will find it works better to have her lay on her side. The only thing I have mine stand for is trimming. If you do it weekly even as an adult dog it will only take about an hour once a week to keep her mat free if you decide to keep her in full coat. Just gently pick her up and lay her on her side. |
| if its gadgets your after there is what is called a groomers helper and also a lips system. the groomers helper is like a buffer bar and the lips system varies from a belly strap to a hammock. i have neither so its just a suggestion. i just groom where i can as they lie, sit or stand, as i have found sheepies are the most stubborn breed and in a former life were all turtles (lie there with no legs!) i use a belly strap when needed. and when battle commences and i start to do the front legs i put my head and shoulders inbetween their and head and legs to give a barrier while i brush, clip or trim. i do think it is a sheepie thing that you just cannot do the front legs, they seem to tolerate the back legs a little. but given the chance they will either lie on them or try to mouth you. you just have to be more stubbern then them in the nicest possible way. not tried to cooler yet, i think i will be soon though! |
| About the armpits and hard to reach places- you will develop your own technique. With Ru lying down, I use my left elbow to support his upper leg while using my left hand to keep the hair under control, then brush with my right hand. Of course he needs to be relaxed because that leaves me with no hands free to stop him struggling. Basically, you want to groom the armpit closest to the table when the dog is lying down, as it's easier than trying to groom the upper ones 'upside down'. I'm not sure if any of that makes sense. I'll try & take pics this week as Greg is off work  |
| I have a Tiggy turtle when it comes to front legs too. I groom with a pocket full of Tiggy's favorite treats and hand them out a odd intervals when she's cooperating. We still have the odd wrestling match but I see her look at my pocket and stay where I ask her to sometimes. |
| i just reckon we have to be complete contorsionists to groom an old english because some of the very strange positions we get in just ain't right! i found myself the other day virtually lying on the table with billy above me trimming his inside legs. what other thing in the world would cause you to do something like this???????? its not right |
| If I could do it all over again, I'd lay them on their sides every single time that they were on the table, give lots of treats for reinforcement and repeat it as often as I could just to make them super comfortable. Even if you don't need the dog on its side for a grooming session, go through the motions anyway and just touch all around so it becomes second nature for them. Regrettably, I have a very wiggly and somewhat nervous show dog when it comes to lying down on the table because I wasn't as consistent and repetitive enough when he was young. I also should have continued with him even while he was shaved down but, again, I failed. It really sucks because he has to be on the table a lot and it's a bummer for both of us. Hindsight... So, in a nutshell, yes! Start now. It's better to be able to do it than not to do it. It can only make things easier. |
I'm thinking if I need another table it will be the kind the St Bernard people use  |
| Mine stand on the table at first. Then I put them into a sit by sweeping my arm under their rear legs. They tend to sorta "fold" down into sitting position where the legs are both going to one side or the other. From that position I put them into a "down" where their belly is touching the table but their head is still up (sort of like they lay on the floor). From there, if you grab the paw on the underside, it will make them lie down on that side. Now at first you will have some squirming. Best to use lots of treats ONLY when they do each of the parts as they should. That way they don't get confused. And you might have to apply some of your body weight to get them to quite squirming. As soon as they relax (even for a few seconds) give them a treat while they are in that position. Mine of course are used to being on the table for hours at a time. Every once in awhile a head pops up & all I have to say is "put that head down" & it goes back down. Best to start as young as possible. We try to start putting the puppies on the grooming table as soon as their eyes open so they get used to the different surface. Try short periods of time at first. Gradually they will get to where they want to hop up on the table & lay there for you because 1. it feels good to get brushed & 2. they know they have 100% of your attention! Some people can flop them on their side from a standing position. I've never been able to do that...probably because I am so short. In any case, I like to get them of the mind set that it is mostly their idea. As for brushing standing up....you'll probably be able to do so with a puppy coat that is rather short yet. But to get to the skin as the coat gets a bit longer you really need them to learn to relax & lie down. You'll also need them to lay down to pluck ears well. And I find it easier to trim between the pads & do nails with them lying down. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|