Bath Time!

[Amber]

So, Maigee got a bath today.  Last time, I started using oatmeal shampoo because she has been having a little dandruff.  I am very pleased with it, she is nice and fluffy and shiny.  I actually think she is fluffier than normal, if that is possible.

So, a few questions about bath time...

What kind of coat does your dog have?
How often do you bathe?
What kind of shampoo do you use?
How do you dry when done?
Do you comb before/after/both?
What kind of brush do you use?
Anything special you do?


Now, to answer for myself:
What kind of coat does your dog have? Similar to a border collie, maybe a little longer?
How often do you bathe? Once a month, unless we play in the creek in the summer, then it is more often because she gets muddy.
What kind of shampoo do you use? I just started using PetSmart's Medicated Oatmeal Shampoo (I think that is the name).
How do you dry when done? Usually towels, then she rolls on the carpet in our heated garage.  Sometimes I will use a blow dryer for desensitization (the one thing she is weary of is fans).
Do you comb before/after/both? I brush first, then comb afterward.
What kind of brush do you use? I use a pin brush before (unless she is shedding bad, then I might use a shedding blade), then I use a comb with two different lengths of teeth afterward.
Anything special you do? She always gets her anal glands cleaned out first, that way she doesn't smell because it is washed off with the bath.  I also cut toenails while they are a little softer.

[Sheenar]

I'll answer for Pebbles:

Pebbles had a typical Yellow Lab coat.

I bathed her once a month.

I used BioGroom shampoo --first the regular kind, then switched to their oatmeal formula b/c of her allergies.

I would squeeze water off as best as I could while she was in the tub. Then hold up a towel in front of me and give the "Shake" command (she would shake off the water on command --also rain or dust). Then I would towel dry as best as I could. Then release her from the bathroom and let her run willy-nilly all over the place! lol

I would give her a full brushing before her bath. Curry comb and then rake. Then use the curry comb while in the bath.

I would clean her ears with R-9 (or is it R-7 --can't remember) ear cleaner after baths.

[robbertbobbert]

Elliot is a chesapeake bay retriever. has kind of a wiry oil coat. Typical for his breed.

I do. not. bathe him myself. I am capable, but he just doesn't like it. I know I could train it out of him, but it's exhausting and I'd much rather pay someoen $30 to do it.

[Amber]

One other thing I noticed that I hadn't paid much attention to before is Maigee's tail.  I knew her fur on it was getting long, but when it is wet and down, it drags on the ground a couple inches!  I was surprised at how long it has gotten.  Typically it flips over her back.  She wags it in a big circle and it is quite funny when she is in a play bow and starts wagging it.  My dad calls her helicopter butt.

[Magesteff]

What kind of coat does your dog have?
Max has a wire-y sort of coat - but it doesn't shed.
My brother's dog Ozzie has very short  single coat like a doberman/rottie/Shepherd type coat, but it is very short.

How often do you bathe?
Max is a pet so he only gets a bath every couple of months. Durring the past year I had some neighbor kids that washed him for me until they moved.

Ozzie goes about every 5-6 weeks or so unless he has a hives break out on his belly then he goes when that happens to get his special shampoo/

What kind of shampoo do you use?
Max had  very dry flaky skin on his lower back-base of tail area, so I got a Vet brand medicated aloe vera-oatmeal shampoo. But I also have pet store brand oatmeal shampoo and hypoallergenic shampoo.

Ozzie has special Vet shampoo that has to get lathered up and sit for tem minutes before it gets rinsed off.

How do you dry when done?
Max - when the kids were doing it, towel dry - at the groomers - he gets toweled and blow dry.

Ozzie gets blow dried. He loves to lay in front of the blower

Do you comb before/after/both?
I had the kids brush Max after his bath. Groomer brushes him out while he is being blow dried

Ozzie's hair is so short he doesn't need brushing/combing

What kind of brush do you use?
I have a double sided bristle/pin brush and a regular bristle hair brush that I use on Max - I also have a mat buster comb, because he has several on him right now

Ozzie has a bristle brush, but he really doesn't need brushing his hair is very short and a bit on the sparse side.

Anything special you do?
I recently got some detangle spray for Max, he has a number of Mats on his chest and linside legs, and he really hates having me brush his legs, and the mats don't want to brush out easy, and he doesn't like me pulling on him with the mat buster comb. I do try to ne gently and hold  the base of the mat so it doesn't pull...

Ozzie has some special medication pads that if he is itchy gets rubbed on the red spots, and over his belly.

[Spectrum]

What kind of coat does your dog have?
   
Gavroche: Single coat, short, coarse hairs

Logan: Short double coat


How often do you bathe?

Once a week. Logan takes a shower with me on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and Gavroche takes a shower with me Wednesdays or Thursdays

What kind of shampoo do you use?

Oatmeal shampoo or whitening shampoo, sometimes Mane n Tail shampoo. Also wither oatmeal or Mane n tail conditioner

How do you dry when done?

I towel dry and then let them air-dry themselves. Gavroche sits in a corner and pouts until he's dry. Logan rubs himself on the floor, couch, people, Gavroche, etc and then lick himself dry

Do you comb before/after/both?

Gavroche gets "brushed" out with a rubber curry once in a while, but not necessarily before or after a bath. There's not much to brush.

Logan gets brushed every 1-3 days depending on shedding and if he really needs it. I do brush him out before a bath, after the bath, and again when he's dry to make sure I have all the dead hair out.



What kind of brush do you use?

Gavroche - rubber curry comb

Logan - depends. Undercoat rake or slicker brush when he's shedding, pin brush to get hair out when he's not shedding, and a boar bristle brush for general brushing. Flea comb to get the glue out of his hair


Anything special you do?

I glue Logan's ears every 1-3 weeks per his breeder. His right ear stays tipped all the time no matter what, but the left one likes to pop up on occasion. I glue them both just for the sake of looking symmetrical.

I trim nails every 1 to 2 weeks as needed, flush ears after every bath, and any other "detailing" as needed. Teeth brush or wiped daily (PetzLife is AWESOME stuff). Teeth scaled if needed, usually not more than every 4-6 months. Gavroche hasn't had his scaled in a long time. I just scaled Logan's this week. TufFoot applied nightly or as needed. 

[Amber]

I've heard of taping ears, but not gluing them.  I assume it is for the same purpose, but how do you do it?

[Nianhel]

I've heard of taping ears, but not gluing them.  I assume it is for the same purpose, but how do you do it?

http://www.vistadeishelties.com/ears.html

That's not the way I do it. But it's a way to do it. I glue the ear to the ear, rather than to the hair infront of the ear.

[Spectrum]

I glue hair to hair, but since he's a smoothie it appears to be ear to ear. Glue alone is just much more simple than gluing the tape together, and then taping the ears   I use Tear Mender which is a natural latex-based fabric/leather glue

[labs4ever]

Ok I will ask the question,  WHY do you glue their ears?  Is it to help them stand up when they are grown up dogs??  That is what I am geussing.  I have not heard of htis,  only of docing ears and tails on other breeds then collies. 
btw have you guys read the books by Jon Katz that have a lot of Collies in them?  I love dog books in general but  Mr Katz is a great story teller! 

[Nianhel]

Is it to help them stand up when they are grown up dogs??

Actually it's the opposite. You glue them to keep them tipped when they're adults. Collies are sposed to have 3/4 erect ears, with the top flopped forward (tipped). Some dogs have great natural ears. Some need help. Usually all of them are glued until at least 6 months because the ears will go erect during the teething stage.

[kaika_dragon]

I have no dog, but I'll answer for my cat! (the only one I bathe...)
What kind of coat does your dog have?
Silky, medium thick.
How often do you bathe?
Every few months.
What kind of shampoo do you use?
I vary.  Usually either baby shampoo, or my own sulphate free shampoo, watered down.
How do you dry when done?
Towel.... if he will let me.  Otherwise it's drip-dry for Max! 
Do you comb before/after/both?
Neither.  Our cats all get occasional brushing.
What kind of brush do you use?
A furminator.
Anything special you do?
Not really...

[Spectrum]

Is it to help them stand up when they are grown up dogs??

Actually it's the opposite. You glue them to keep them tipped when they're adults. Collies are sposed to have 3/4 erect ears, with the top flopped forward (tipped). Some dogs have great natural ears. Some need help. Usually all of them are glued until at least 6 months because the ears will go erect during the teething stage.

Exactly. Logan has one very nice ear, and one ear that doesn't like to cooperate. If it were up to me, I wouldn't glue his ears, because it doesn't matter to me what his ears look like. But his breeder wants him to get his conformation Ch. (and it's written in the contract), so until that's done they'll get glued. They stay tipped for a while after the glue is taken out (I've had Logan's out for a couple weeks before and the one that like to go prick was still tipped, but was starting to come back up).

[Roxie]

What kind of coat does your dog have?
Medium length, thick undercoat - especially on his rump from base of tail and down his thighs up to about his ribs, and back of his upper hind legs.

How often do you bathe?
About once a month. Tay gets too itchy if more frequent. I bathe him in my tub, or rent a tub at PetCo.

What kind of shampoo do you use?
Oatmeal for sensitive skin.
I have used human shampoo when I run out of dog shampoo, but it makes his coat to fly-away. If I use a rinse it looks too greasy.

How do you dry when done?
Towel dry after he shakes and covers me with water, then air dry himself.

Do you comb before/after/both?
Before to remove loose hair, and then after to really fluff him up.
I also comb or pin brush him out every time before we work.

What kind of brush do you use?
I use a fine toothed (almost like a flea comb with a handle) metal dog comb. That removes undercoat best. Very laborious and time consuming.
I also use a rake (like for Collies or Old English Sheep Dog) on his hips and butt to remove under coat when he blowing coat only.
I use a regular ladies plastic pin brush 2-3 times a week just to smooth his fur.
 
Anything special you do?
Feed the best quality food I can afford. He does great on 4 Health Lamb and Rice, or Purina One Salmon.
He grows a lot of hair between his pads and toes that has to be trimmed every 3-4 weeks.

Tay did not coat fully up like most Terv's do. So he doesn't take all the time to groom like other Terv's (Thank God!) But It is nothing to spend a good 1-2 hours 3-4 days a week during the 2 times a year he blows coat. Only about 15-30 minutes before we go in public. My Border Collie Riley takes a fraction of the time! He does not blow coat like Tay.

Roxie

[labs4ever]

That is interesting about the COllie ears.  So Sheena do you have a simular contract with  Phoenix as far as  doing  confirmation and show stuff with the breeder?    And if so does she do that with ALL her clients or   just with those that are also SD prospects?    If I was wanting a Collie I would definitley get one from   your guys' breeder!   I  love COllies too actually as they are so  smart,  but I need that  layed backness, so  I have my Sophie girl!