thinning a dogs coat

[Gypsydals]

Originally Posted by Tankstar

Do you have a force dryer? Or what about taking him to a groomer. let them do the grunt work. then it will be easy to keep up with

No I don't have a force dryer. We took him to the groomers last year thats where he was shaved down at. Thats what the groomer recomended to do, because of his age, never being to a groomer before, not being able to stand for the long period for the grooming due to his age, and how thick his coat was.

[Saintgirl]

That was a lazy groomer. Period. It bothers me to no end when I hear that a dog can't stand so I recommend shaving it. Almost the entire body of a dog can be done while it is laying down. I deal mostly with aggressive dogs and senior dogs. It takes time, patience, and comfort for the dog. A groom that might take me an hour on a healthy dog might take an hour and a half or hour and forty-five, but at the end of the groom the senior is comfortable and unstressed. Last week I groomed a rough coat collie who was 14 years old! Nearly the entire groom was completed with her sitting or laying down. A nice HV dryer and a combout removes all of that undercoat. Each time that coat is shaved the problem with the undercoat will only be compounded. A friend of mine completed a Great Pyr who had a terribly impacted coat and who 10 years old. No coat shaved and a beautiful and healthy coated dog emerged. See if you can find an IPGA certified groomer. Without regulations in the grooming industry it is hard to know if you are trusting an educated groomer.