Grooming a double-coated dog
Dec. 22nd, 2018 09:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kryptariaI started writing this in answer to a post elsewhere, but we're so far off the original topic, I figured I'd put it up here instead. Relevant grooming info under the cut.
Disclaimers: I'm not a pro groomer. My experience is based on a couple of years spent with a pro show groomer, many discussions with show dog handlers, and my own trial-and-error. This info is applicable to grooming many types of double-coated dog, like huskies or malamutes.
I am not affiliated with any of these companies, nor do I get any kickback if you buy their products. These are just what I've learned to trust.
More under the cut:
Bath frequency
First, you definitely don't want to do baths with soap-based shampoo once a week. Once a month is much safer for skin health and oils in his coat.
Disclaimers: I'm not a pro groomer. My experience is based on a couple of years spent with a pro show groomer, many discussions with show dog handlers, and my own trial-and-error. This info is applicable to grooming many types of double-coated dog, like huskies or malamutes.
I am not affiliated with any of these companies, nor do I get any kickback if you buy their products. These are just what I've learned to trust.
More under the cut:
Bath frequency
First, you definitely don't want to do baths with soap-based shampoo once a week. Once a month is much safer for skin health and oils in his coat.
A fellow borzoi-carer suggested Earth Bath (https://earthbath.com/) for Xena, because every time she goes outside, she comes back in smelling like poop. That's the joy of living in the rain-infested swamp that is Maryland. Earth Bath is supposedly soap-free, so it's safe to use as often as necessary.
Never shave unless necessary (surgery, for example)
If you're worried about your dog overheating in the summer, bring the dog inside and turn on the AC.
People will claim that the fur acts as insulation and lets a double-coated dog feel perfectly fine in the heat of the summer. This is true only to a very slight extent. Those thermal images you see take the temperature of the dog on the OUTSIDE, not at the level of their skin or body. Flat-out, double-coated dogs aren't meant for hot environments, or chihuahuas would have evolve pomeranian coats.
Double-coated dogs are so well-built for icy temperatures that even most basic cooling vests (evaporative cooling ones) don't help them very much. Professional ice-pack vests can help, but those are generally used for military or police dogs and cost a small fortune.
I lived in Arizona for almost 25 years. During that time, I had a chow/golden and a malamute/husky/chinook mix, both of them working as my service dogs. I never made them work outside during the heat of the day. I scheduled appointments either first thing in the morning or as late at night as possible, minimized the trip from the car to wherever I was going and back, made sure my car had rear AC, and always gave them cool water to drink when we went out.
Grooming tools
For Bucky, I use:
Here's where you're again going to want to talk to Chris Christensen Systems.
Bucky has an extremely downy, fluffy undercoat and long, straight guard hairs. There's no curl to his fur at all. For him, I had been using Espree Oatmeal & Baking Soda shampoo, Espree Remoisturizing conditioner, and Chris Christensen White On White whitening shampoo.
However, it wasn't giving me the results I wanted, so I switched him to their Ice On Ice shampoo (http://www.chrissystems.com/bathe/ice-on-ice-shampoo.aspx). It's a miracle in a bottle. This stuff includes Moroccan Argan Oil, which apparently coats each strand to prevent mats. I didn't believe it until I tried it. I gave him a quick bath (using only the Ice on Ice shampoo and the Espree conditioner) and blow dry, and then blocked out an entire day to comb him out. I was shocked when I found only a handful of tiny mats from the blow drying.
BUT.
What's good for the Bucky is not good for the Xena. As a borzoi, she's going to have a long, silky coat that's anywhere between wavy and curly. The Argan oil will weigh down her fur, so they suggested using either their Spectrum One (usually used for poodles or for borzoi with extreme curls) or their Spectrum Ten (for borzoi with a gentler curl/wave) shampoo/conditioner.
For both of them, I use Espree Foaming Facial Cleanser on their faces (https://smile.amazon.com/Espree-Oatmeal-Baking-Facial-Cleanser/dp/B003Z0PLOC/) very, very carefully.
Groomer tip: Save the Espree bottle. Sometimes you get one with a defective pump, so it's always nice to have one with a pump that you know works.
Dematting/detangling, dirt-resistance, and long-term conditioning
My go-to spray for dematting is Chris Christensen's Ice On Ice Ultra (http://www.chrissystems.com/treatments/ice-on-ice-ultra.aspx). Saturate the mat with this, rub it in with your fingers, let it sit for a few minutes (or thirty seconds if you're easily bored), and then work the mat free with the end of your coarse comb.
I also do a general full-body misting with this stuff, especially on Bucky's feathers -- that's the fluffy fur at his butt and along the backs of his legs and underside of his tail, where the guard coat isn't as thick. It's pretty good for preventing mats from forming later and also good for sealing the fur against dirt penetration, but its real strength is as a leave-in conditioner.
For my dirt-magnet, Hurricane Xena, I'll be using The Stuff (https://smile.amazon.com/d/Dog-Conditioners/Stuff-Dog-Concentrate-Conditioner-Bottle/B0012GK4BG/). No seriously, that's what it's called: The Stuff.
It's a 15:1 concentrate, so you'll want to buy an empty spray bottle to mix it. You'll also want to be VERY careful to clean the floor around where you spray. The Stuff is incredibly slippery, so any overspray can end up killing someone if it's on a hard floor.
You can use it to saturate mats, but it really shines when you do a full-body spray onto a dry coat, then brush it through. When the pup gets dirty, let the dirt dry, then brush it out. Most if not all of the dirt (and theoretically poop) should just fall right out.
Rinseless/dry shampoo
Again, my go-to is Chris Christensen's Show-Off (http://www.chrissystems.com/bathe/show-off.aspx). When I took Bucky to the RT Booklovers Convention, I carried a tiny bottle of this for touch-ups. Spray it in, rub to lather, then wipe off. It worked pretty well on his feet. However, since then, Chris Systems has come up with other formulas, so I'd call and talk about your specific dog.
A borzoi breeder I know also suggested Cowboy Magic Greenspot Remover (https://cowboymagic.com/products/cowboy-magic-greenspot-remover/). It's formulated for horses, but it also works on people and dogs as a rinseless bath. She uses it on her older borzoi who can't pee right and sometimes end up soiling their inner legs/bellies.
Other tools
Here's where you can spend as much or as little as you like, and where things get complicated.
Recirculating bath system:
Rinsing is where the horrible work happens. Any soap residue at all left on a dog's skin can attract dirt or create mats. That's how you get hot spots and infections. So when you rinse, you need to get all the way down to the skin... but rinsing depends in part on water pressure.
The best I can do is city water pressure. I use a good handheld shower head with the spray dial set to a single "massage" jet setting, rather than the dispersed "rain" type spray (which does absolutely nothing and is only useful for gently rinsing the face). I also have a ten-foot shower hose so I can reach under and behind Bucky.
I put the shower head right up against his body and go over him inch-by-inch, which is as much of a pain in the ass for both of us as you'd imagine. This is actually the most time-consuming part of the bath.
The best way to know you've rinsed 100% of the shampoo or conditioner off a dog is to put the dog on a black rubber mat. If the water running off him has no visible suds or bubbles anywhere, you're good to go on to the next step.
(Side note: In a perfect world, I'd have a second tub beside the first, so I could fill tub #2 with clean water. Then I could use the sump pump to rinse him off while he was standing in the first bath. It wouldn't recirculate, but it would provide great water pressure. I just don't have a bathtub with two tubs.)
There's some more information, slightly outdated but with pictures, on my Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/writerjbrock/posts/781324185412192
I could swear I had a video of the recirculating system in use, but I can't find it on FB or Twitter. Very frustrating!
Edit: I FOUND IT! https://www.facebook.com/writerjbrock/media_set?set=a.845660882311855&type=3 includes videos of the recirculating system and some very good photos of what a wet undercoat/dry topcoat looks like under a high velocity dryer. You can see how the undercoat is clumped and thready when wet, even though the coat feels like it's dry.
Never shave unless necessary (surgery, for example)
If you're worried about your dog overheating in the summer, bring the dog inside and turn on the AC.
People will claim that the fur acts as insulation and lets a double-coated dog feel perfectly fine in the heat of the summer. This is true only to a very slight extent. Those thermal images you see take the temperature of the dog on the OUTSIDE, not at the level of their skin or body. Flat-out, double-coated dogs aren't meant for hot environments, or chihuahuas would have evolve pomeranian coats.
Double-coated dogs are so well-built for icy temperatures that even most basic cooling vests (evaporative cooling ones) don't help them very much. Professional ice-pack vests can help, but those are generally used for military or police dogs and cost a small fortune.
I lived in Arizona for almost 25 years. During that time, I had a chow/golden and a malamute/husky/chinook mix, both of them working as my service dogs. I never made them work outside during the heat of the day. I scheduled appointments either first thing in the morning or as late at night as possible, minimized the trip from the car to wherever I was going and back, made sure my car had rear AC, and always gave them cool water to drink when we went out.
Grooming tools
Start by giving Chris Christensen Systems (http://www.chrissystems.com/) a call and describing your dog's coat exactly. Their brushes are expensive -- $30+ per brush or comb -- but they're amazing for a reason. The metal pins are all rounded and ground smooth. You can drag one of their brush down the inside of your forearm and not look and feel like you've been attacked by an angry hedgehog, in comparison to the $5 brushes you get at Petsmart.
For Bucky, I use:
- Wood pin brush (http://www.chrissystems.com/tools/wood-pin.aspx): Only ever use a wood pin brush on wet fur. Never use metal or you risk breaking the fur.
- Ice Slip Dematting Brush (http://www.chrissystems.com/tools/specialty-brushes.aspx): After he's 100% dry, I back-comb with this. Back-combing is where you start at the butt and use your free hand to fold the fur in the opposite direction (towards the head). Then you comb what little fur is exposed. Move towards the head a tiny bit at a time (1/4-1/2 inches) to make sure you comb the entire undercoat. This will probably require multiple sessions, bribes for the dog (a peanut butter Kong or a dried hoof filled with frozen ground beef, for example), anti-inflammatories for your wrists, and possibly some Xanax or alcohol (for you, not the dog).
- 7.5 inch #000 fine/coarse comb (http://www.chrissystems.com/tools/combs.aspx): As soon as I find a mat in the undercoat, I use the end pin of the coarse side to tease through the mat. Usually I can coax the mat out this way. Then, after I complete back-combing, I go back over his entire coat with the coarse side, then the fine side, to make sure I didn't miss any mats. Tiny mats grow up to be big mats, and big mats are the real problem, causing hot spots and skin infections, and possibly requiring a shave, which means the coat won't grow back the same.
Shampoo & Conditioner- Ice Slip Dematting Brush (http://www.chrissystems.com/tools/specialty-brushes.aspx): After he's 100% dry, I back-comb with this. Back-combing is where you start at the butt and use your free hand to fold the fur in the opposite direction (towards the head). Then you comb what little fur is exposed. Move towards the head a tiny bit at a time (1/4-1/2 inches) to make sure you comb the entire undercoat. This will probably require multiple sessions, bribes for the dog (a peanut butter Kong or a dried hoof filled with frozen ground beef, for example), anti-inflammatories for your wrists, and possibly some Xanax or alcohol (for you, not the dog).
- 7.5 inch #000 fine/coarse comb (http://www.chrissystems.com/tools/combs.aspx): As soon as I find a mat in the undercoat, I use the end pin of the coarse side to tease through the mat. Usually I can coax the mat out this way. Then, after I complete back-combing, I go back over his entire coat with the coarse side, then the fine side, to make sure I didn't miss any mats. Tiny mats grow up to be big mats, and big mats are the real problem, causing hot spots and skin infections, and possibly requiring a shave, which means the coat won't grow back the same.
Here's where you're again going to want to talk to Chris Christensen Systems.
Bucky has an extremely downy, fluffy undercoat and long, straight guard hairs. There's no curl to his fur at all. For him, I had been using Espree Oatmeal & Baking Soda shampoo, Espree Remoisturizing conditioner, and Chris Christensen White On White whitening shampoo.
However, it wasn't giving me the results I wanted, so I switched him to their Ice On Ice shampoo (http://www.chrissystems.com/bathe/ice-on-ice-shampoo.aspx). It's a miracle in a bottle. This stuff includes Moroccan Argan Oil, which apparently coats each strand to prevent mats. I didn't believe it until I tried it. I gave him a quick bath (using only the Ice on Ice shampoo and the Espree conditioner) and blow dry, and then blocked out an entire day to comb him out. I was shocked when I found only a handful of tiny mats from the blow drying.
BUT.
What's good for the Bucky is not good for the Xena. As a borzoi, she's going to have a long, silky coat that's anywhere between wavy and curly. The Argan oil will weigh down her fur, so they suggested using either their Spectrum One (usually used for poodles or for borzoi with extreme curls) or their Spectrum Ten (for borzoi with a gentler curl/wave) shampoo/conditioner.
For both of them, I use Espree Foaming Facial Cleanser on their faces (https://smile.amazon.com/Espree-Oatmeal-Baking-Facial-Cleanser/dp/B003Z0PLOC/) very, very carefully.
Groomer tip: Save the Espree bottle. Sometimes you get one with a defective pump, so it's always nice to have one with a pump that you know works.
Dematting/detangling, dirt-resistance, and long-term conditioning
My go-to spray for dematting is Chris Christensen's Ice On Ice Ultra (http://www.chrissystems.com/treatments/ice-on-ice-ultra.aspx). Saturate the mat with this, rub it in with your fingers, let it sit for a few minutes (or thirty seconds if you're easily bored), and then work the mat free with the end of your coarse comb.
I also do a general full-body misting with this stuff, especially on Bucky's feathers -- that's the fluffy fur at his butt and along the backs of his legs and underside of his tail, where the guard coat isn't as thick. It's pretty good for preventing mats from forming later and also good for sealing the fur against dirt penetration, but its real strength is as a leave-in conditioner.
For my dirt-magnet, Hurricane Xena, I'll be using The Stuff (https://smile.amazon.com/d/Dog-Conditioners/Stuff-Dog-Concentrate-Conditioner-Bottle/B0012GK4BG/). No seriously, that's what it's called: The Stuff.
It's a 15:1 concentrate, so you'll want to buy an empty spray bottle to mix it. You'll also want to be VERY careful to clean the floor around where you spray. The Stuff is incredibly slippery, so any overspray can end up killing someone if it's on a hard floor.
You can use it to saturate mats, but it really shines when you do a full-body spray onto a dry coat, then brush it through. When the pup gets dirty, let the dirt dry, then brush it out. Most if not all of the dirt (and theoretically poop) should just fall right out.
Rinseless/dry shampoo
Again, my go-to is Chris Christensen's Show-Off (http://www.chrissystems.com/bathe/show-off.aspx). When I took Bucky to the RT Booklovers Convention, I carried a tiny bottle of this for touch-ups. Spray it in, rub to lather, then wipe off. It worked pretty well on his feet. However, since then, Chris Systems has come up with other formulas, so I'd call and talk about your specific dog.
A borzoi breeder I know also suggested Cowboy Magic Greenspot Remover (https://cowboymagic.com/products/cowboy-magic-greenspot-remover/). It's formulated for horses, but it also works on people and dogs as a rinseless bath. She uses it on her older borzoi who can't pee right and sometimes end up soiling their inner legs/bellies.
Other tools
Here's where you can spend as much or as little as you like, and where things get complicated.
Recirculating bath system:
Because I'm dealing with a double-coated dog the size of a small horse, I don't want to use a squeeze bottle to apply shampoo to his whole coat, then rub it in by hand. Bathing him properly (two shampoos, possibly whitening shampoo, and conditioner) takes HOURS to do this way. You can buy a recirculating bath system from a grooming supplier for $450 or so, or you can build your own. Pick up a cheap sump pump from amazon, buy a remote power switch, and then go to your local Grainger or other hardware store and ask about couplers and hoses.
You need the remote power switch (or foot-operated power switch, though those are more expensive) because sump pumps are "always-on" machines. Normally they're wired so a float turns them on when it reaches a certain level. You want to be able to control it with a button or switch.
To use it, plug your bathtub and fill it with about an inch of water. Add concentrated shampoo (you'll get a feel for how much you need). Put in the sump pump/hose. When you turn on the pump, it'll suck in the water and shampoo and blast it out through the hose at higher pressure.
This will be strong enough to get through the guard hairs, into the undercoat, and all the way down to the skin. Don't use this on your dog's face/ears, obviously, and be careful near your dog's genitals/butt.
It means I can soap or condition Bucky in about a minute or two, rather than the ten it would take to do him by hand. It actually takes longer to drain the tub, get rid of the foam, rinse him off completely (see below), and then rinse the sump pump/hose with clean water so I can reset to do the next round of shampoo or conditioner.
Also, you'll want to add either a cut piece of window screen to the bottom of the sump pump or put the pump in a cheesecloth bag to trap fur. You'd be amazed how much fur you get when you do a high-pressure bath this way.
Side note: What's "comfortably warm" for you is "way the fuck too hot" for a dog. You want to bathe your dog with cool to lukewarm water. Your dog will have a preference. Learn to read their body language to figure it out. Strangely enough, Bucky doesn't like cold baths, though he likes sleeping in snow or freezing rain.
Handheld shower head and extended-length hose:You need the remote power switch (or foot-operated power switch, though those are more expensive) because sump pumps are "always-on" machines. Normally they're wired so a float turns them on when it reaches a certain level. You want to be able to control it with a button or switch.
To use it, plug your bathtub and fill it with about an inch of water. Add concentrated shampoo (you'll get a feel for how much you need). Put in the sump pump/hose. When you turn on the pump, it'll suck in the water and shampoo and blast it out through the hose at higher pressure.
This will be strong enough to get through the guard hairs, into the undercoat, and all the way down to the skin. Don't use this on your dog's face/ears, obviously, and be careful near your dog's genitals/butt.
It means I can soap or condition Bucky in about a minute or two, rather than the ten it would take to do him by hand. It actually takes longer to drain the tub, get rid of the foam, rinse him off completely (see below), and then rinse the sump pump/hose with clean water so I can reset to do the next round of shampoo or conditioner.
Also, you'll want to add either a cut piece of window screen to the bottom of the sump pump or put the pump in a cheesecloth bag to trap fur. You'd be amazed how much fur you get when you do a high-pressure bath this way.
Side note: What's "comfortably warm" for you is "way the fuck too hot" for a dog. You want to bathe your dog with cool to lukewarm water. Your dog will have a preference. Learn to read their body language to figure it out. Strangely enough, Bucky doesn't like cold baths, though he likes sleeping in snow or freezing rain.
Rinsing is where the horrible work happens. Any soap residue at all left on a dog's skin can attract dirt or create mats. That's how you get hot spots and infections. So when you rinse, you need to get all the way down to the skin... but rinsing depends in part on water pressure.
The best I can do is city water pressure. I use a good handheld shower head with the spray dial set to a single "massage" jet setting, rather than the dispersed "rain" type spray (which does absolutely nothing and is only useful for gently rinsing the face). I also have a ten-foot shower hose so I can reach under and behind Bucky.
I put the shower head right up against his body and go over him inch-by-inch, which is as much of a pain in the ass for both of us as you'd imagine. This is actually the most time-consuming part of the bath.
The best way to know you've rinsed 100% of the shampoo or conditioner off a dog is to put the dog on a black rubber mat. If the water running off him has no visible suds or bubbles anywhere, you're good to go on to the next step.
(Side note: In a perfect world, I'd have a second tub beside the first, so I could fill tub #2 with clean water. Then I could use the sump pump to rinse him off while he was standing in the first bath. It wouldn't recirculate, but it would provide great water pressure. I just don't have a bathtub with two tubs.)
Tub strainer:
This one's mandatory unless you're a plumber. Just pick up one of those cheap strainers that goes into the tub drain. You might have to unscrew your existing drain plug if it's one of those pop-up types.
Never, ever bathe a double-coated dog without a tub strainer, or you're looking at a $500 emergency weekend plumbing call. Trust me on this one, too.
Never, ever bathe a double-coated dog without a tub strainer, or you're looking at a $500 emergency weekend plumbing call. Trust me on this one, too.
Dryer:
NEVER use a human hair dryer on your dog unless 1. it's got a COOL button and 2. you're just spot drying a tiny spot, and at that point, you're better off blotting with a towel.
(Side note: NEVER rub with a towel. That's how you create mats. Always blot.)
For a double-coated dog, you have three choices:
1. Go cheap and prepare to buy a new dryer every year or so.
2. Go to a do-it-yourself place like PetValu or PetClub, where they provide the cheap dryer.
3. Invest a few hundred bucks in a dual-motor high-velocity cool-air dryer.
In the case of 1 or 2, you'll never get all the way down to the skin. Cheap, single-motor dryers just don't have the power to dry all the way down. A dual-coated dog will look dry in no time, but their undercoat can stay damp for days.
I went with the Chris Christensen 2EXTREME dryer (http://www.chrissystems.com/dryers/2xtreme.aspx) and yes, it's ridiculously expensive. It was my one treat with the (disgustingly small) settlement from my divorce and worth every penny. At full speed, with the cone nozzle, I can blow Bucky's top coat dry in no time. Then I switch to the flat diffuser nozzle and spend the next hour or so fighting with him as he feels dramatically sorry for himself and flings himself upside-down on the floor, then curls up into a ball like the world's most pathetic pillbug.
(Side note: NEVER rub with a towel. That's how you create mats. Always blot.)
For a double-coated dog, you have three choices:
1. Go cheap and prepare to buy a new dryer every year or so.
2. Go to a do-it-yourself place like PetValu or PetClub, where they provide the cheap dryer.
3. Invest a few hundred bucks in a dual-motor high-velocity cool-air dryer.
In the case of 1 or 2, you'll never get all the way down to the skin. Cheap, single-motor dryers just don't have the power to dry all the way down. A dual-coated dog will look dry in no time, but their undercoat can stay damp for days.
I went with the Chris Christensen 2EXTREME dryer (http://www.chrissystems.com/dryers/2xtreme.aspx) and yes, it's ridiculously expensive. It was my one treat with the (disgustingly small) settlement from my divorce and worth every penny. At full speed, with the cone nozzle, I can blow Bucky's top coat dry in no time. Then I switch to the flat diffuser nozzle and spend the next hour or so fighting with him as he feels dramatically sorry for himself and flings himself upside-down on the floor, then curls up into a ball like the world's most pathetic pillbug.
There's some more information, slightly outdated but with pictures, on my Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/writerjbrock/posts/781324185412192
I could swear I had a video of the recirculating system in use, but I can't find it on FB or Twitter. Very frustrating!
Edit: I FOUND IT! https://www.facebook.com/writerjbrock/media_set?set=a.845660882311855&type=3 includes videos of the recirculating system and some very good photos of what a wet undercoat/dry topcoat looks like under a high velocity dryer. You can see how the undercoat is clumped and thready when wet, even though the coat feels like it's dry.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 10:05 pm (UTC)I'm going to keep going back to this again and again as Radio's coat needs change and he inevitably gets a burr or six in his fur. I do wash Radio once a week with a non soap based shampoo, I always assumed when he got older he could go less often as he learns not to roll in everything he sees but I am also very wary of making sure I'm not overdrying his delicate puppy skin. Do you also keep Xena's baths to once a month?
no subject
Date: 2018-12-22 10:17 pm (UTC)It's less a jacuzzi and more a power-sprayer, but it takes so much of the effort out of it!
This is the pump I got: https://smile.amazon.com/Superior-Pump-91250-Submersible-Thermoplastic/dp/B000X05G1A/
I also picked up this hose kit -- https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B005K0BX9C/ -- but I had to go to grainger for a proper coupler and extra hose clamps. Also, 1 1/4" hose diameter is WAY too big.
However, the sump pump comes with a 5/8" connector, which is a standard garden hose... which is way too small. The flow restriction is extreme. Better to go big than small, in this case.
Xena was born in mid-September, so she still rolls in everything. I've been using the Show-Off on her to deal with the poop smell and just hoping for the rain to turn to snow already, dammit, since our backyard floods.
If I were you, I'd get the Earth Bath first, since it's soapless. That's the best way to keep his skin and coat healthy if you're bathing that frequently.
Then pick up The Stuff and see if that helps keep dirt and odor from sticking to his fur. Just remember to dilute it (so you'll need an empty spray bottle with measuring lines) and scrub the floor where you overspray. Make sure to use lots of soap -- Swiffer wet pads will leave the floor slipper. Learned that one the hard way!
Then put your money towards the metal brush and comb. The brush will pull out a ton of dead fur as well as the burrs.
After that, you can start getting fancy. I'm not sure if Chris Christensen is closed for the holidays, but it's definitely worth trying to call them some time next week to get advice. You can also hear about specials that way.
No matter what, if you do order anything with them, you get a free 4 oz sample bottle of whatever you like.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-23 11:06 pm (UTC)I'm in Canada so I'll have to look into seeing if there are distributors of the Chris stuff for my area, I can get ahold of most of the other things if I sell my soul to Jeff Bezos! I've got The Stuff bought and paid for already and I'm waiting for it to arrive, I'll let you know how it works on Radio!
The weather is starting to turn here in southwestern Ontario and it's just above freezing at 1c (34f) Because Radio goes out for short walks about 4-5 times a day while we are bathroom training I believe his GSD undercoat has started coming in. Every day he's a bit denser, bless his heart. I'll see if I can give the Christensen team a call and get their advice on his coat, he's also primarily a white dog with spots of colour on the body so I'll also be looking for something that keeps the yellow off as much as is possible.
It sounds like Radio and Xena are very close in age, Radio was also born mid September, he's scheduled for his sixteen week boosters mid January.
Because I'm not familiar with the unique health and needs of Huskies/Malamutes, I was wondering if/when you fixed Bucky. Because Radio is a GSD mix, the consensus I've gotten is no younger than sixteen months or he'll be more prone to hip dysplasia as an adult. (one of the health concerns of the breed) It's not too big a deal, as he's not an incredibly assertive or territorial dog, but I was wondering, if you did fix Bucky, if you saw a large personality change in him.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-23 11:25 pm (UTC)(Strangely, that "unique scent" that people always talk about in fanfic? I've never smelled any one person's "unique scent" that was unrelated to their soap, deodorant, etc. Bucky's hormones were the first ones I've ever smelled, and WHOOF. No wonder why I'm asexual. Those sex hormones were RANK!)
However, if he hadn't turned into a hormone-riddle stinky, I would've probably waited a year or two, possibly even more. He actually bottoms at the dog park every time someone tries to hump him. He thinks it's their way of making friends, even the girl dogs. So he was never assertive until we moved to Maryland, where my wife's four cats try to steal his food, so now he's got resource-guarding issues, despite being neutered. *shrugs* The cats are also fat, so it's not like a big deal if they can't supplement with dog kibble!
And Radio and Xena are the same age! She's getting her rabies vaccine a little early, on the 27th, so we can start taking her out and socializing her.
That's the big thing. Get Radio out NOW. Expose him to every single situation and person you can. People of all ages, all races, all body types. People in heavy coats and UGG boots and wheelchairs and walkers. Screaming children running at full speed.
Take him to Lowes or Home Depot or whatever stores admit dogs (carry a clean-up kit of paper towels, wipes, and maybe some Nature's Miracle). Let him hear rattling shopping carts and the BEEP BEEP of forklifts.
Make him walk on every surface you can, from wet grass to gravel, icy pavement to sand, carpet to title. Sit on restaurant patios or in parking lots with the window open (and the heater on!) so he can smell things.
Expose him to other dogs as soon as he has his rabies shot. Try to find out if a nearby store or trainer does supervised puppy play dates. Expose him to giant dogs, tiny dogs, and everything in between.
Expose him to everything physically possible BEFORE he turns twenty weeks old. There are puppy checklists. Early socialization is key, especially with working breeds like GSDs and mixes.
Unfortunately, my wife's GSD was very badly socialized as a puppy and developed massive aggression issues, even though he was neutered young. He never was socialized to other dogs, so when I moved in with her, he wanted to kill Bucky and Darian. We finally had to rehome him, and he bit the husband after bonding with the wife and their two kids. Ultimately, we had to euthanize him, because no shelter or rehoming agency would take him due to that bite. :(
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Date: 2018-12-24 12:09 am (UTC)Because we know Radio will probably be a large boy, I've been anxious to socialize him. I always worry we're going to miss something. Socializing him is for his protection, as is training him, and he's on a fairly consistent schedule for both. I've realized quite quickly that he honestly really needs the training because he's such a smart dog he gets anxious and destructive if his mind isn't occupied. I don't know what would happen to my heart if he had a negative reaction and something like what you described with yours happened with him.
Because Radio's mum was up on her vaccines, our vet told us we can take him out, but he can't go to dog parks yet, and he generally can't associate with dogs who aren't confirmed safe and vaccinated until his 16 week shots. But there's still a few adventures he can go on now since he has his bordetella and leptospira vaccines.
He's gone to a few puppy play groups, where they screen for first shots, and there's an Akita at the one we go to that's about his age and Radio just doesn't understand how a small boy can be so angry at him, but he's gentle with the smaller pups and the puppy classes are going a long long way to teach him bite inhibition. He doesn't herd me anymore by biting the backs of my knees and nipping at my Achilles tendon which was a big problem when he was eight weeks so progress is being made. We also take him out on the bus because our transit system lets us take leashed dogs and he's not a wild child. We live in a very urban area so it's perfect for him to see people of all ages, races, abilities etc. I'm so anxious about thunderstorms though- I can't socialize him to them in time, our thunderstorm season is june to august and he'll be too old by then. The best we can do is when they come, we'll have to make positive associations with him and cross our fingers.
I'll keep an eye out for if he starts to get smelly. I am particularly sensitive to male cats marking so I might be able to pick it up, who knows? Maybe doggy smells like that can only be picked up by some of the population, like the smell of arsenic. (Unique scent fanfic make me laugh until I cry. I want to smell like a mountain lodge! I would love to smell like cinnamon and coffee cake inexplicably! The only unique scent I can pick up is from people who are permanently sauced since they basically sweat vodka. And I think that everyone can smell that? I have to assume those fanfictions are just that- fictions.)
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Date: 2018-12-24 01:27 am (UTC)You can also make progress with things like vacuum cleaners, mixers, hair dryers (not aimed at him, of course), and other noisy things.
When we got Xena, we had her on the couch cuddling my wife. I got the stick vacuum cleaner out, and while my wife was cuddling her, I started vacuuming slowly in the other room, then moved closer. Now, I can vacuum every morning (we have crumbs all over the hardwood floor because Xena is a messy, messy eater) and Xena barely even blinks!
The only "unique scent" I will accept is that Chris Evans smells like a Mountain Lodge candle. Not Steve Rogers -- only Chris Evans, hopefully our future president, once he launches his coup against the evil cheeto.
Disclaimer: I'm totally down with werewolves noticing unique scents, because, y'know, WEREWOLVES!
Also, my groomer friend from the assistance dog school trained her chihuahua-pomeranian mix to detect blood sugar changes, since she had late-onset diabetes. That dog peed everywhere, barked his brains out, but damn, he was FANTASTIC at smelling her blood sugar changes before she ever noticed. He'd wake up from the other room to alert her!
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Date: 2018-12-26 11:49 pm (UTC)Radio is good with the vacuum thank gosh, he got used to it pretty quickly and has positive associations thanks to treats and cuddles when it comes out. His current struggle is he gets barky the second he's left alone in a room for a moment. (Like if one of us were to go to the bathroom quickly) We don't make a fuss out of going, and we wait until he's stopped barking for a second before we come back into the room so he doesn't think barking gets him things but it makes him anxious none the less. We've been signalling "Be right back!" to him, and if he stays quiet until we get back (never more then a minute or two) he gets praise and a little treat, but it's slow going. He only acts this way if we are in the apartment somewhere. When we leave, we don't hear a peep. Our friend who comes to feed him lunch if we are both at work notes he's never barking when she shows up, and our neighbours tell us the same- he doesn't bark if we are not home.
I think we all akin Mountain Lodge it to chris evans ripping logs in half slow motion at this point. The yankee candle girls certainly know what I want the second I walk into the store. (As for unique scents in fics with werewolves?? Well that's just logical isn't it? Canine snooters work much differently then ours! Much better all said and done. I believe whatever werewolves want to tell me about their experiences, I'm certainly not in a position to disbelieve.)
The idea of someone training their chipom to help them with diabetes makes my heart almost burst with how sweet it is. My mum had late-onset diabetes and she would have really benefitted from a good doggo friend like that letting her know when her sugar was too low. What a smart little guy.
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Date: 2018-12-26 11:58 pm (UTC)I've heard an excellent cure for barking is to teach them to bark on command, but I've never figured out how.
For barking when you leave, make a game of it. Say "Be right back" and duck out of sight around the corner. Wait all of one second. Then pop back into sight and give praise/treats. Escalate to two seconds, three seconds, five seconds, etc. over the course of, say, a week, but never go more than one step around the corner. Don't escalate so fast that you set him up for failure. Eventually you should be able to stay out of sight, one step away, for a full minute.
Then your next escalation should be distance. Go two steps, then come right back and give praise/treats for silence. Then go three steps, but quickly, and come back right away. Eventually you should be able to go into the bathroom, turn around and come right back out, and have a silent dog. That's your distance one.
Then you can try going two steps away, waiting for a few seconds, and then come back. Now you're combining time and distance.
Basically, you escalate only one factor: time, distance, level of stress, etc. (For level of stress, it might be, say, hearing noises, like the refrigerator opening, toilet flushing, dog treats rattling, etc.)
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Date: 2018-12-28 07:44 pm (UTC)I have also read that teaching them to speak on command helps, while I've been looking into how to do it I'll let you know if I figure it out. There's so much to teach and it always feels like so little time to do so!
I've been trying your suggestions, the little bugger is very quick to catch on- especially when treats and praise are involved. He's already making it to a minute when he knows it's a game we're playing. He has incredible focus and patience when we are in 'training mode' and he gets things frighteningly quickly. I guess it's training mode as much as possible until he's consistent with these things!