Walking Shelties In Spring Can Be A Messy Experience

A client of ours has two of our shelties, "Dawson" and "Mia" and here they are dressed to head out on a wet, muddy spring day.

Cynthia uses these from Muddy Paws a local Ottawa retailer.  Check them out, might be just what you wish you had!

photo with thanks to Cynthia

Remember to take one step at a time in training your dog to wear them.  Many dogs freeze with anything strange put on them.  So have lots of treats, start in the house for just a few minutes with it on, and work up slowly till they accept the suits.

Happy Dog Days!

Remember too ... we're here to give your sheltie that spring sPaw when all is said and done ~ at sPawDays.

Marquessa

Dawson

Bogey

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What's So Good About Teaching A "Long Stand"?

In my dog obedience classes I'm always asking the students to tell me, specifically, 5 reasons for a specific exercise.  I want them to be very specific, to their lifestyle and environment.

One might say ....

I ask my dog to sit when I'm preparing their dinner.
I ask my dog to sit before I put their dinner on the floor.
I ask my dog to sit when my grandmother comes in the door.
I ask my dog to sit before we go out the front door for a walk.
I ask my dog to sit when I put their collar on.
Sit quietly while waiting for my vet appointment.

Sit is an easy one ... but the stand, owners have a hard time with.  So when would you ask your dog to stand?

Wouldn't it be nice if they,

Stood, calmly while your vet listened to their lungs/heart?
Stood while you wiped their back paws before running across your rugs?
Stood calmly in the bathtub for a simple bath?
Stood calmly in the bathtub while the 5+ minute skunk removal application worked?!!!

and then there are reasons we just never consider in life ... like either an injury or a senior dog with mobility problems.

Paw-Pads Self Adhesive Traction Pads

Check out this link and then go to the "Sizing & instructions" page.
It reads ...

"To Activate the Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive:
After applying, have your dog stand with full weight on pads for 60-90 seconds. This will activate the pressure-sensitive adhesive. They should not feel Paw-Pads™ once applied."

Now you might think this silly, but I'm considering it for an aging senior we have at the moment, especially for her rear paws that tend to slip out from under her on our non-carpeted surfaces.

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Winter Booties For Dogs

Winter is on it's way ~ whether we're going to like it or not!

I get asked many times about whether shelties need booties for walking in the winter. My general answer is no, not usually. One of the biggest keys is you need to keep the hair trimmed on the bottom of their feet. Below is a pic of one foot that's been trimmed, the other still to be done. One of the areas dogs sweat is from their paws, (did you know this?) and thus with the hair & their sweating it all leads to those big snow balls that collect between their pads. This can cause small cracks in the thinner areas between their toes. Not to mention all the sand/salt they pick up! Dog's pads are meant to be rough and able to handle most surfaces ~ just think ~ they can run through dried grass, prickly weeds, woods with who knows what on the ground, over rocks and we don't consider protecting them during this time.
So, when might booties help? If you have no choice but to walk on heavily salted streets every day, and especially when we have those minus 30C consistent days, they can help. Those icy days we get can help with traction. Or maybe you have a senior dog, arthritic dog, that needs help with traction.

There are two problems with booties - one will the dog walk with them on??? and two will they stay on? There are many kinds on the market. You need to 'train' your dog to accept them on their feet. Don't just put them on the day you need them as many will shake, pull them off or just fail to move! Train them in the house, one bootie at a time, a few good treats to distract them and make it fun. Maybe play with a toy, so they aren't thinking about them. Work up till they accept all four.

These are ones I've seen in action. I have one in my dog class, with a waxed floor, there is a Rotti that will slip on the sit. She wears these and they stay on for the full hour, no matter what she's doing.
Check out this site ... click on the pic from their home page ~ Pawzdogboots.com
Biggest question, where can you get them? I plugged in my location and found Pet Value carries them. They come different sizes ... but hey! take your dog and use it as a training/socialization situation at the same time.

Enjoy winter! and don't forget to groom those feet.

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Are You Prepared to be Skunked?

If you meet one of these ... probably it will be last potty call at 10 pm or so, when your dog comes
face to face with one! Likely you're not prepared, but then what are you to do, other than panic, if your dog, and maybe you get sprayed? It's certainly not a pretty sight, or should I say smell.
First off, let's try to prevent this kind of incident from happening all together. Make sure you take your dog out on lead and carry a flashlight ... a) you'd like to keep your dog from putting his nose where you don't want it to go, and b) you just might see the light from their eyes, or the white stripe. Skunks only spray if they feel threatened.

However, if it happens what is one to do? Well, at 10 pm you're probably not prepared, right? or maybe after reading this Blog, and you're in an area where you could come into contact with them, you just might have some items on hand.

If you have none of the so called 'skunk-off' products, you can try going to your vet and finding their outside drop off box as they are usually kind enough to leave a bottle there for emergencies. Otherwise, you need to find a safe haven for your dog, out of the house ... like the garage. If you've crate trained your dog, here's a time when it would come in handy. Leaving your dog on a porch or deck, in their crate would also work. The key is to remember that where ever the dog has the skunk's oils on them it will transfer everywhere.

So what can you have on hand. In asking on FB and searching the web there are a couple of tried and true suggestions. Most people haven't found the store bought products to work well as they'd hoped.

This is one, and we can all keep it on hand at a minimal cost.

Take 1 quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (available from any drugstore), 1/4 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate for you science types) and 1 teaspoon of liquid soap, such as Ivory. Mix in a bucket and immediately apply to the stinky pet. Rinse thoroughly with tap water.

*Warning*

This mixture can be explosive, as it will fizz and creates pressure if it is enclosed in a seal tight container. Never store unused portion, always discard. Be sure to only mix in an open container and do not try to store or cover it in any way. Do not get the mixture into the dog's eyes, nose or mouth.

Another one I was told worked well for them was the clear Ivory dish soap. Wet, lather well & rinse.

And the last one, believe it or not are the feminine hygiene douches! Yep, can you see a man buying a box of it at 11pm at a Shopper's Drug Mart? along with some candles? I've had more than one reply of similar nature :) but those that have tried it say it does work.

One key to remember is the skunk's oils transfer everywhere, have I said that already?! So change your clothes to old ones, use paper towels to soak up any oils you can 1st. Remember, that as you wash the dog the oils transfer from the affected area, so 1st work the skunked area well before doing the rest of the dog. Most often the face is involved, so one must be careful around the eyes. Use an old face cloth, sponge, or paper towels to clean this area - remember you are going to be throwing these things out!

Be prepared, and be alert at night, especially if you're in unknown territory, such as a camping.

Good luck, if this happens to happen to your dog.

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Motorcycling Sheltie

It's that time of year when motorcycle people hit the roads, head out touring ... but ... there's a difference with this family ... towing behind in his own little custom made trailer is a SHELTIE!!! Yes, it's Casey! Turning heads, stopping to take his picture ... Shelamo Autumn Dream, a son of our Shelamo Tia Maria, sired by our BPIS Ch Shelamo Changing Winds.

He came in today for his spring tune-up - a full wash down, suds up, shine up (and trimming the edges).

He's loaded and ready to hit the road.

off they go ... their trip this year is to head to NB, NS, the Cabot Trail and PEI ... so if you're in that vicinity watch for the Motorcycling Sheltie.

His travels will be on Facebook, so if you contact me there, I'll tell you where to find him.

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From This To That - Spring Grooming

Owners go away for some sunshine & rest during the March break, their dogs come to us for some major play time and to get freshened up, or a makeover in some cases.

Here's Hudson before

and after

Doesn't he look proud here?!

Yes, I'll agree (with my camera anyway), natural sunlight helps enhance their colouring.

When's your sheltie's next full grooming?

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Two Plus Weeks At sPawDays - What A Change

During Xmas we had a full house of boarders, one being this Bichon Frise. He came in with a coat quite clumped up, and in need of a good grooming .. his owners were well aware and were frightened to take him to one of the local grooming places as last time they shaved him to the skin even tho the length they wanted had been discussed prior. With the Xmas rush and preparing to go away, plus the snow we've had (which yes mats the hair big time!), they hadn't had the time to keep him up. So ... I asked ... would you mind if I gave it a shot? I don't own clippers, so no shaving! and I'd like to do more of a 'show trim' on him. I got the go ahead.
Here's how he started out. What one has to remember is as you brush a coat (hair not fur) like this out it 'grows'! and I mean grows .... So bit, by bit hour by hour, day by day I worked on him.

As I brushed him out, I trimmed as he just had so much hair. Here he's pictured after about 6 hours of work.

Come'on enough pics already!

(swear I must have taken some 100 shots thru the whole process)

Now we're getting down to D-Day, the day before he's to leave. I've got him down to a more manageable length, most of the clumps out so it's time for the bath and a good conditioner to work out what's left.
Blow drying is a different story on this kind of hair. My high powered dryer doesn't do the same kind of job as it does on the shelties! This meant switching up, and using a regular hair dryer. (remember this is a totally new breed for me to do!) The more his hair dried, the LONGER it got! Sheesh! I thought I'd trimmed a lot to start with? As you can see he loved the pampering.
Finally ... after starting @ 10 am, breaks here and there, brushing, more trimming, more brushing, trimming, I finished him up later that evening and I think he looks pretty spiffy for his owners.
Here's a full view of him. If you go back and look at his original pic it doesn't look like too much length was taken off, but I'd say upwards of 2" has been trimmed. I didn't want to drastically change his overall look, but even at this length both his owners & I feel we could go shorter so his love for playing in the snow doesn't tangle his coat up any more than necessary.

Needless to say, his owners were ECSTATIC with how he looked.

Humm .... I think I'd give myself 2 Paws up too!

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Grooming - Before & After

I've loved what Penny found and has had on her Blog for sometime now http://ruffleithshelties.blogspot.com/

It's certainly a true explanation of what we do as dog groomers!

Top Ten Reasons Why It Costs More to Get Your Pet Groomed Than Your Own Hair Cut

10. Your hairdresser doesn't wash and clean your rear end.
9. You don't go for eight weeks without washing or brushing your hair.
8. Your hairdresser doesn't have to give you a sanitary trim.
7. Your hairdresser doesn't have to clean your ears.
6. Your hairdresser doesn't have to remove the boogies from your eyes.
5. You sit still for your hairdresser.
4. Your haircut doesn't include a manicure or pedicure.
3. Your hairdresser only washes and cuts the hair on your head.
2. You don't bite or scratch your hairdresser.
1. The likelihood of you pooping on the hairdresser is pretty slim.

It's coming that time of year when most dogs need a good grooming. The undercoat must be coming out, the summer dirt has blown up into the coat and more than likely they have greasy ear hair from all the loving they get. A good shampooing done at least 2x over, and hand blown dry helps get rid of the last remnants of dead coat and opens it up for the new coat to come in. Any skin problems can also easily been seen when this is done.

Last week I did a full groom on a new client's dog. Would you believe, he's 11+, and I thought I'd post some before & after pictures.

TJ before

TJ after

Consider making a booking today.

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Grooming - Paw-Pads- What Will They Think Of Next

I receive a magazine called Pet Product News and enjoy reading it every month. There is an ad in this May issue for what are called "Paw-Pads". They are designed to be put on each of the pads of the dog's foot to help provide secure footing. I can see this very useful for senior dogs, arthritic dogs when you have mostly hard surfaces in your home vs carpeting. Or you may have mostly carpeting, but you visit elsewhere where they don't and the dog has issues with the floors. Here's the website ...

http://pupgearcorporation.com/Products/Paw-Pads

This does not mean you don't need to take care of your dog's feet! Grooming 101 is NAILS!

Here is a picture of a JR nails that I did a few years ago which really shows the problems that can occur. The foot will start to splay, nail beds turn inwards/outwards, the dog's pad fails to touch the ground fully thus lack of traction, and with the upward pressure the nails put, then the pastern (like our wrist) will 'go down' and in time cause lameness. Depending on the weight of your dog ... remember dog's carry more of their weight up front ... this puts even more strain on their front assembly, especially when their nails/feet don't provide the right support.

Here's the foot afterwards.

A sheltie's foot with long nails.

With shelties I find many people loose sight of their dog's nails ... literally! As you can see in the picture below, one foot has yet to have the hair trimmed, so it shows how much hair can grow, and thus creating what we call 'slippers' ... and yes that means the dog will slip on surfaces like floors. They will also track in WAY more dirt, water, sand, burrs, end up collecting all those winter snow balls, and I've even removed gum.

Here is what the feet look like when fully groomed.

If you ask me how often should we do our dog's nails, I say about every 3 wks or for most dogs, when you can hear them 'tick' on the floor.

I think these "PawPads" as they say ....

"Paw-Pads provides traction for senior dogs, or any age dogs with hip dysplasia, arthritis, and dogs recuperating from hip or back surgery."

could certainly have their place and provide consumers with another tool to help make their dog safe and secure in any one of these circumstances. How often they need to be replaced, they don't say.

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Have You Check Your Dog's Mouth Lately?

Where has February gone? The Olympics, maybe?

Did you know that since 2003 February has been called the Pet Dental Month? Most Vet Clinics have been offering a discount on dental cleaning in order to help you keep your dog healthy.

"Vision"senior's moment ruling - "Back off! He's mine!"

you can at least see those pearly whites!

If you haven't opened your dog's mouth this month and checked his/her teeth, then GO do so after reading this. And I mean look way into the back & sides of those big molars. Check for broken tips, slab fractures of those back molars; dogs with tight lip lines you need to gently pull down the lips by the bottom canines and check near the gums ... look at all the gum lines for redness & swelling, and bad breath, well something is wrong somewhere.

"Dental disease is not simply suffering from "bad breath" -- infections of the gums, teeth, and oral cavity can spread via the bloodstream to the heart and liver, possibly causing additional health problems."

Many vet offices at this time of year have a chart on their wall showing the direction dental disease/infection will travel to the organs. The one that I find it doesn't show, and some vets forget about this, is urinary tract infections (UTI), and bladder infections. Dog's naturally want to clean their 'private' parts, and if they have dental disease those bacteria just travel right up the urinary tract and cause havoc. So, if your dog has repeated, unexplained UTI's, then have a look at their mouth, you might be surprised what is lurking back there.

Now what if your dog doesn't like having its mouth handled? You need to take baby steps in getting your dog to accept this, and I like to reward with small soft treats after each session. Start 1st just by handling the muzzle, gently without any intent on lifting any lips and looking at their teeth. Once they accept this, then gently lift one lip side; then work to where you can place just place your finger in. Gradually work where you can reach down the side to the back molars, and then to where you can open the mouth fully and have a good look.

Shelties, at least the ones that don't grow way oversize, have a small mouth. I find the smaller the dog, the more likely it is that they will by 3 yrs of age develop tartar issues. Large breeds like Labs, Goldens, Standard Poodles have such a greater surface area with their larger teeth and mouth that food doesn't get caught in the upper back area of their jowls. Next time your sheltie eats a biscuit, or even their hard kibble dinner, reach in along their upper back jowls and you'll be surprised at what you find! Food, caught up there! And that's where several of their salivary glands are located. So with the food stuck up there, and remember Pavlov's law ? they continue to secrete, all the while causing more tartar to build up.

"Dental calculus (also called tartar) is composed of calcium salts, food particles, bacteria, and other organic material. It is yellow-brown and soft when first deposited. At the soft stage it is called plaque. The plaque quickly hardens into calculus. Calculus collects on all tooth surfaces, but is found in the greatest amounts on the cheek side of the upper premolars and molars."

So ... get checking, get on the bang wagon of brushing (at least 3-4x a week, daily would be even better), take heed from your groomer if you have good one ... and consult with your vet if action needs to be taken.

Keep your dog clean, from the outside in.

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Summer Dirt - A Fall Clean-up

After a summer of street walking in Ottawa, it was time for these 2 to get their fall clean-up. "Toffee" on the left is a sister to our "Opal" (they are 11.5yrs of age), and on the right is "Sheena" a "Rocky" daughter. These 2 cuties are owned by the Cutler family.

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'Boobie' Imprinting ~ Puppies!

Did you know that puppies will imprint from birth on a particular nipple? That's why you will see pups pushing down under, to get to the mother's lower set of nipples, or ones climbing on the bottom pups to get to the upper row. When they empty theirs, they will move on to the next available one. As a breeder, if you have puppies that need help in the beginning this can be very tiresome as you try to get the puppy to latch on, but they just won't. They fuss, squirm, turn away, and just plain refuse that particular nipple. You have to assess everything, and work on another boobie as this imprinting might be one of the main reasons.

So where does this lead me .....

Our girl "Trixie" is (was as I write this), due to have puppies in the coming week. Saturday, it was time to bath and clean her up. Even tho the girls start to shed out their undercoat, starting at the belly area, to expose their boobies for the upcoming pups, I still trim that area a) the pups don't get lost in their coat, or b) less likely to tangle themselves as they root around.

"Trixie's" belly is trimmed, she's now ready for a bath.

Soaped up well!!!
Now she's getting blow dried. The high powered blower allows you to separate the hairs well and see right down to the skin.

"Trixie" surprised us later in the evening!

No panting, no digging, no pacing, ate her meals until Sat morn and no outward signs, until I noticed her belly was contracting a bit. I grabbed the whelping box, got her in it and then she really started to bear down. Mike held on to her while I gathered up the other supplies and within 15 minutes, several very large contractions, I helped an 8 oz blue male come into the world.The blue boy only minutes old. Still wet & shinny.

Within the next hour and a half she delivered two tri girls, two very plain tri girls! Both, again weighing in at just over 8 oz.

These are on the big size for sheltie puppies, not that we haven't seen this quite often. What I normally like is around 6 - 6.5 oz, makes delivery just a little easier on mom, yet they are still strong & large enough that the fear of mom accidentally lying on them is less.

Now we watch, wait, keep things clean and monitor on an hourly basis as we don't take anything for granted. There are just still so many of their little 'parts' that need to grow ... their eyes are not yet fully developed, nor their ears, their heart & liver, their teeth/bite, that smart brain of theirs, stomach needs to change to adapt to regular food and not just milk, and even their parathyroid won't fully develop until 6 wks of age. And that's just a start!

The wonders of genetics, wonders of life ... still amazes me each time.

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Especially Summer Scratches

I do it for all my clients, grind nails after cutting to remove those sharp edges. Well, in grooming yesterday I didn't heed my OWN standards. It was Rush's day for dead coat removal & nail trimming, so I got the nails done, one side of the coat out and in turning him over, didn't I get a good scratch! It's itchy at times and really does look worse than it is ... but golly, do know these types of scratches seem to take longer than one would think to heal.
Lesson learned! again ....

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Hair Be Gone!

What does half a sheltie's undercoat look like?

Got an urgent plea from one of my regular customers yesterday ... 'Please can you do my two, I can't keep up with them! Kids are home from University and they are keeping me busy in other ways.' Well, I squeezed them in, started last night on them and finished them off this aft. The one girl, well she was almost naked after I took this pile of undercoat out of her.

Yes, once a year of getting their blowing undercoat out can be a daunting task, but once done, that's IT for the year!!! No constant little hair 'pins', no 'needle' like hairs stuck into fabric, chairs, sofa, cars like many of the short coated breeds. A warm bath after removing all of this, and wow, they have a waist again! Happy, happy client ... she didn't even bother putting a blanket in the back seat of her car.

Hummmm ... now I have a few of our own to do.

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