quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I've never seen the need, and every dog I've ever had has been a house dog. True, none were ever particularly long haired, but unless they rolled in something particularly tasty or tangled with a skunk they were left to be dogs. One exception would be to remove burrs or ticks.

So beyond appearance for long haired dogs, what's the advantage?

Short haired dogs shed, and don't need to get haircuts. The constant shedding keeps their hair in check so you don't have to cut it. Sounds like that is what you have experience with.

But there are other breeds of long haired dogs that don't shed, or shed minimally. So just like a person's hair, they need to get haircuts every so often. If you don't, it tends to get matted/dreaded, it gathers more dirt and debris, and it becomes increasingly harder and more time-consuming to wash and dry the longer it gets. Plus it's hotter for the dog during the summer if their long coat is overgrown.

It's these haircuts that are generally the point of the more in-depth "grooming", more so than just the quicker and easier baths or brushings that occur more often.

For comparison, here's my dog right after a haircut:


And right before:


That length of hair is borderline unmanageable on him, as far as keeping it clean and brushed, so it's time to see the groomer for a haircut.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
This is an honest, non-judgemental inquiry. Kudos to those of you who do your own grooming.

I've never seen the need, and every dog I've ever had has been a house dog. True, none were ever particularly long haired, but unless they rolled in something particularly tasty or tangled with a skunk they were left to be dogs. One exception would be to remove burrs or ticks.

So beyond appearance for long haired dogs, what's the advantage?

Long haired dogs can develop matting if they are not at least combed on a regular basis, even dogs that supposedly don't shed like Poodles. My dad raised Collie's, and they could get "fur balls" behind the ears. We had a Malamute that blew the undercoat twice a year, and our Welsh Corgi does the same. Combing helps keep the hair on the floor and under the furniture under control.

Our two Frenchie's get a spa day about once a month from the Mrs., they fit in the utility sink in laundry room. I set up a spray hose in there

Short hair

Our Lhasa Apso Wonder Dog gets her beauty treatment about every six weeks, cost is $70 plus I give the lady a $15 tip. Well worth it to us.


Bob

Yes, I get the long-haired dog/matting/shedding thing, as implied in the OP. Perhaps all the posters to this point fall into that category and I assumed too wide a sample.

I withdraw my question.

quote:

Originally posted by B92F:
We just got this table a couple of weeks ago, so far so good. Check the size for your particular dogs:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BH..._fed_asin_title&th=1

As for scissors, I've been happy with this set for about a year now.

https://www.amazon.com/Purple-...s%2C134&sr=8-29&th=1

I'm going to get those scissors, they look good and a good price. The large table is probably the way I'd go, it can hold 300 pounds. That's a good price too.

Thanks for the recommendation!


ARman

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
This is an honest, non-judgemental inquiry. Kudos to those of you who do your own grooming.

I've never seen the need, and every dog I've ever had has been a house dog. True, none were ever particularly long haired, but unless they rolled in something particularly tasty or tangled with a skunk they were left to be dogs. One exception would be to remove burrs or ticks.

So beyond appearance for long haired dogs, what's the advantage?

No problem with the question. Besides looks, it keeps their coats health, mat free, and makes the coat shinier. And with Australian Shepherds reduces shedding ( Aussie Glitter) as said buy another poster, now my babies only shedding twice a year June to December and from December to June!

Even with the weekly ( at least twice ) brushing their under coat will start to get compacted on their rear hips where they lay in their kennels. The undercoat rake is the only thing that really gets that broke out.

With Aussies you never shave their coats, they have a double coat, and shaving it will really mess up their coat. Besides it doesn't make them cooler, the opposite.

The proper way is rake and strip out some of their undercoat while leaving the top coat intact. It will protect them from the sun, let air get to their skin.

The only cutting that should be done is their " wings, the long hair on their legs ) and their britches ( the fluff on their bum ),feet ( Grinch feet/paw pads- better traction ) and around the ears, jut to clean them up. I like a more natural look, so a little longer than what every groomer always cuts, even after explaining exactly what I want. That's why I started to groom my pups myself. Now, I get a clean, natural looking trim, and they look like how I like.

I have had people, especially others Australian Shepherd owners excitedly ask " who's your groomer?". Because they have run into the same problems I did.

A neighbor had a groomer shave her mini aussie ( mini American Shepherd ). She was in tears. It really messed up his coat. The undercoat grew faster then the gaurd hairs, it took years to get it back to the same.

I guess since I started these to as pups, they don't mind. And enjoy it for the most part, and we get to bond.

ARman

Matted hair at the butt is a disgusting thing to cut away. Been there, done that many times. Curse the neglecting owners.

I take these two to a groomer, they come back looking like this.
Bailey in the foreground is a mill rescue and was very neglected. Groomers close by wanted to sedate to groom her, we said no way. We found what I consider to be a dog whisperer. About a forty mile round trip every six weeks, but well worth it. Sophie in the background likes to go along for the ride and beauty treatment.

My Mini Aussie, goes to the groomer every 6 weeks, comes out looking so handsome. I will bathe him after he rolls all over a dead fish by the lake shore. If I mention the word bath, he heads for the basement and hides. So funny!

Our doodle goes to the spa once a month, it ain't cheap but it keeps her coat in check.

Both:

If'n we do it, we call it "warsh the dog".

If'n we have it done, we call it "throw him in the crick" and let nature do it.

Regardless, the boy don't like neither one. Of course, growing up in the backwoods, I had his attitude at the time. (Them back-holler cricks is damned cold this time of year. )

About every 2 months these two go to the groomer.

Well, we’ve always only had german shepherds, so not too much grooming other than brushing and a bath. I’ve always done it myself, other than one time we boarded the two we had at the time, and they bathed them. I try to brush, I admit I don’t do it as often as I probably could, but I do brush, and they always looked good, didn’t have tufts stuck on them. I bathe the one we have now maybe 2-3 times a year. I also clean her ears, and do her nails myself too. I’ve always had a phobia of leaving our dog(s) with a stranger and them getting hurt or scared, etc. that phobia kind of got enforced after the time we boarded ours, and one came home very sick, and had to go to the vet and get antibiotics. So, I just do it myself.

Love the pictures of the beautiful fur babies looking all good whether they were groomed at home or saw their stylist!

I started doing it myself because I couldn't find anyone to do it like I wanted. I didn't much care for it at first. I rather be doing other things.

But after a short time, I got to like it. I enjoyed the bonding, and the satisfaction of a job well done and my babies looking so good, knowing that I did that.

Always looking to improve my skills, rechnique, and tools.

ARman