hello im going to try and groom benji myself hes nearly 8 month and have managed to bath and even blow dry him last week (hes been bathed before but not blow dried) my daughter helped me and wealso give him a chew to keep him occupied but my daughter wont be here all the time shes back at school so doesnt have a lot of spare time so i was thinking about getting a grooming table does anybody use them and any advice would be great thanks kay
All the best to everyone for 2010
Yes I use both a collapsing one and also an electric one.
Ebay have some excellent offers on folding ones, buy the one with the arm and noose roughly about ã56 but well worth it and will last many years if treated well. Also folds to be able to get it out of the way.
Good luck.
I use a grooming table with hydraulic jack. It turns 360 degrees and the hydraulic jack allows you to adjust the height easily as needed. It's great for grooming and daily brushing!
couldnt be without my table, i have a folding one with an arm and noose, which is great for keeping them stood.
thanks for replies i think a folding one will be best,did it take long for them to get use to a table?
mine were stood on tables from the word go, they have always been used to it, but i would imagine that it wont even phase, if you make it a nice place, ie have treats to the ready
thanks will do
ooo, I want one like snowpeas.
Check out some of the articles I've posted on grooming. Remember to give lots of praise. Excellent bonding time.
I have a folding grooming table with a basket/tray underneath so i can store all the grooming equipment. I got mine on e bay and i wasn't too expensive and really well built.
Iwill have to get sorted soon someone in pets at home thought he was a labradoodle pup :Dim trimming him but not taking much off, brushing though most days.
How offten should i wash Jasmine? She is 11 weeks old .
She loves to play outside with the children but does get dirty with it also when she wees she seem to be a bit yellow on her coat where she wees from. She loves to be brush so dont have any prombles with that, also i have got a furmation on is way as she seems to leave alot of hair, i take it that it is puppy hair that is coming off her?
When should i take her for her first cut?
Again alot of question from me.
Hi Pia I thought Jasmine was a bichon. Bichons dont loose their hair, that is why they need to be cut regularly. You shouldnt bathe them to often as they loose oils from their coat but if you use a very mild shampoo (I use Johnsons baby shampoo) every couple of weeks is fine. I do wash their paws when they are really dirty. There are plenty of other shampoos (some to whiten, some to oil coats) just check out the articles other members have posted. I use the baby one for my puppy.
Hi Pia, Please under any circumstances do not use a Ferminator on any Bichon breed. Their coats are far too long and will not shed but they must be groomed on a daily basis. The furminator is only supposed to be used on dogs with stright fairly short hair to remove the undercoat and even then can be quite brutal. Using a Ferminator on Bichon breed will cause untold damage to the coat by possibly ripping the coat away from the skin. You will cause your pet immense pain as you drag it through the coat - that's presuming it will go through! I only ever use a Ferminator on our short haired Spaniels and even that can be pretty tough going at times. Use a straight pin type brush gently brushing her through. If she feels any pain this will put her off and you will have a very un-cooperative puppy who refuses to be grommed.
You just said what i was about to say Liz. A furminator will hurt her. As for bathing i find that giving them a good brush through at least once a day will keep her clean, they are quiet self cleaning. To much bathing will wreck the coat although washing feet and bums, can be done more frequently if need be. Mouth and eye area should be done daily to avoid staining. !st cut i would say around 6 mths, nothing much will come off her but she needs to get used to going to the groomers if you are not going to trim yourself, it can be very scary for a puppy so be sure to stand her on a table when you brush her through, and maybe get her used to a dryer being put on her. Also play with her feet inbetween toes, ears and mouth. A groomer will touch all of these places. Remeber lots of praise whislt you are doing this she will be a happier puppy at the groomers.
Hi there
thanks for coming back to me again.
Yes she is a bichon frise,kc registed and 5 genertion pedigree and yes she does lose some fur, when i brush her the come does has hair on it and if you roll it in to a small ball then it would be about 3-5mm.
I shall not use the furmation on her thanks for letting me know.
I think you have been given excellent advice. If you do have any matting in the coat you can use cowboy magic products which help to get rid of the matts without pulling at the coat
Pia Bichons do malt, but within the coat, this is what you are seeing on your brush. You need to brush to remove it if you do not brush the hair will stay there and mat up. Her puppy coat will be coming out now, which is probably why you think she is losing alot, this will settle down, but you must still brush daily otherwise you will get terrible matts, which can turn painful. A bad time awaits you soon with the coat, as she comes into her adult coat, you might find you have to brush twice a day, just to keep the mats away. This can happen from 4 to 6mths and usually lasts for around a month. Hope this helps
Hi There
Thanks again to you all, and thanks for the warning about Jasmine coat when she is 4-6 month, it is a go think that i work from home and do havethe time to brush her.
Hi Pia As Carol says above the coat of the Bichon MUST be groomed daily and sometimes it can take anything from an hour upwards to ensure the coat is free from tangles and knots. Chloe my 3 year old Bichon is brushed daily with a straight pin brush and then finished with a good comb. It can be very time consuming but it is wise to get into a routine with this as early as possible. There are loads of articles on site regarding grooming. Just use the search facility at the top of the page. Once her adult coats starts to come in this is the most difficult time and you could find yourself brushing her more than once and finding so many matts! Always remember to brush her thoroughly as well before her bath as the coat will tend to "clump" up when wet. Use a mild shampoo and plenty of conditioner to begin with so you are not pulling at the fur. Never rub the coat when you are bathing her as this will just encourage matt formation. I tend to smooth the shampoo through her coat and then find it is easy to brush the conditioner through her coat very gently before rinsing thoroughly. Don't rub her dry with the towel but pat her coat gently to remove excess water before finishing with a dry. Now getting her used to the dryer may an entirely different thing altogether, but again be patient and try not to frighten her at this early stage. It is important that you try to make grooming as pleasant as possible for her so she sees it as a "treat" time. I had a very bad experience with a groomer when Chloe was younger and have since groomed Chloe myself. She now trusts me and I find it is not difficult to keep her coat in tip top condition. Bichons are a breed that do require high maintenance grooming. Hope this helps.
But once you have gotten into a brushing routine it is worth it because bichons coats are absolutely beautiful. Though like the others have said when going from a pup to an adult coat is the most difficult time and matts will easily form. The best thing you can do is invest in a good brush and cowboy magic. Good luck, we have all been there, so know how you feel. Sarah x