[nagdu] Dog washing

[Tami Jarvis]

Oh! Fun discussion!

Mitzi poodle has a super thick, soft coat, which is wonderful and 
gorgeous! And a major PITA to maintain when it starts to grow out. /lol/ 
I guess the thinner, more wiry version of the poodle coat is the show 
coat because it will form and hold those show styles. Mitzi just gets 
woollier and woollier and... Until she's cooking, then it's time to call 
the groomer!

I keep her cut in a kinda modified puppy or field cut. In other words, 
short all over, with clean face and just a hint of poodle in the topknot 
and tail. I wouldn't concede that much to the frou-frou poodle thing 
except that I got tired of everyone asking if she was a Portuguese Water 
Dog or what kind of dog she was, then arguing when I insisted she is a 
poodle! /lol/ So, now I walk through the world with the word "poodle" 
wafting through the air around me and no questions to answer.

How often I have her done depends on time of year. In the summer, I try 
for every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on budget. In winter, we can go a 
little longer. For Christmas this year, DD got a good set of clippers on 
sale, with plans to start doing the clipping himself. Now he is looking 
at the poodle and reminding me to call the groomer! /lol/ I think he's 
right that for her extra thick winter coat we should rely on a 
professional. In summer, when I'm keeping the coat shorter, he may give 
it a go. /smile/

I used to bathe her between groomings, but... Now I just brush, brush. 
Not as often or as much as she needs, I confess. I have various brushes 
and combs for various stages of growth. I use aloe vera gel for 
cleansing, or olive oil for the added conditioning and to help detangle. 
This keeps her coat pretty clean, and she doesn't get smelly, so I can 
forego bathing. I do surface cleaning with a damp wash rag to remove 
surface dirt for public outings. /smile/ This is also a good time to 
clean around the eyes and muzzle, especially when she is starting to 
grow out and has hair to catch food, chews, everything she sticks her 
long, inquisitive nose into. /lo.

I do love the nonshedding, despite the trials of coat management. Dead 
hair comes out in brush or comb, so I can have a nice ball of it to toss 
or keep. Yup! I keep her longer contributions as well as winter 
clippings to someday have carded and spun and made into a poodle hair 
sweater! Someday. /lol/

Tami

On 01/14/2013 08:21 AM, Eve Sanchez wrote:
> Hi all, I have a discussion question for the group. I am hoping everyone
> could tell us how often they bathe their dogs and what breeds they are. I
> am sure there is a correlation there as well as with the environment (city,
> country, desert, forrest, etc). For myself; with my shepherd, I washed her
> close to the reccommended once a month and brushed her daily. She was clean
> and I almost kept her shedding under control. With my Golden, I need to
> wash her at least twice as often though she does not need enough brushing.
> Her coat looks  like crap if I go any longer between baths than two weeks,
> but brushing does little for her. Just curious as every dog is different
> and not just because of their breed I am sure. Well, let's start the
> discussion and keep our dogs clean. Blessed Be. Eve
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tami%40poodlemutt.com
>