Welcome TO GROOMING AT WILDES DOGGY DAYCARE

Grooming should be an enjoyable experience for the dog and the groomer. Dogs are not extensions of ourselves, they have their own autonomy and choices they make. Behavioral studies have shown that dogs who are trained and groomed through autonomous methods, such as the positive reinforcement method, are happier, more well-adjusted emotionally, and more responsive to subsequent groomings/trainings. 

Absolutely not! Your dog will come home groomed. This just means that we take more breaks than the typical groomer. If a dog communicates they’re done, we will take a short break and reconvene when their anxiety has decreased. We do not force any dog to be groomed, we reassure them through positive reinforcement that grooming is great experience, like going to the spa! 

Positive reinforcement grooming is all about trust. Before they even step foot on the grooming table, we establish this trust through some simple commands that most dogs, even puppies can perform. Once they are on the grooming table, we recall those trust commands to help keep them at ease through the stressful parts of the grooming.  

Positive reinforcement grooming will not only make the grooming process easier for the dog, but it will also teach them to be still for anyone they trust, should you want to learn some at home grooming. Furthermore, the slipknot neck restraint can be painful and damaging to all breeds, but especially smaller breeds. Small breeds have fragile tracheas, which is why they should only wear harnesses.  

Matting is the tight knotting of dog hair that cannot be brushed out, it must be removed by cutting it out. Matting occurs in many breeds, particularly those that have hair instead of fur. Matting can occur when the hair gets too long, if the dog itches certain regions too much, or if they’re wearing harnesses or clothes that are too tight. 

Matting can impact a dog’s health by restricting the blood flow to the skin or limb, depending on where the matts are located. Severe matting can require surgical intervention and in the most extreme cases, amputation.  Removal of matting can also cause bleeding, which can be troublesome in dogs with blood clotting disorders. 

An ear infection is when a colony of fungi or bacteria take place in the outer or inner ear canal. Ear infections can occur in certain breeds when the hair becomes too long, if they roll around in dirt consistently, if they itch their ears too often, and more.  

Ear infections impact a dog’s health like ours, they’re very painful and can prevent dogs from sleeping due to the pain. Some ear infections may require vet treatment, using anti-fungals and antibiotics to mitigate any microorganism infection. 

Anal glands are two small sacs located on at the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions from the anus. These sacs contain anal gland fluid, and this is how dogs recognize each other and mark where they have defecated.

If the anal glands are not expressed as defecation occurs, then the sacs will fill up with anal gland fluid. Ruptures can occur when the glands are not expressed and they become too full, causing the sac to the rupture. 

Anal gland ruptures primarily affect small breeds as their bowel movements are not large enough to express the glands as they defecate. You can prevent anal gland ruptures by taking your pup to the groomers or vet to get them regularly expressed. An untreated anal gland rupture can cause a bacterial infection, with sepsis occurring in severe cases.  Some ruptures may require surgical intervention, but most heal with antibiotic and steroid treatment. 

Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that occurs on the teeth of dogs if they are not regularly brushed just like humans. Tatar deposits occur when plaque is not removed and hardens overtime. Older dogs are more likely to have tartar deposits, as they increase with age.  

Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly and having your vet scale their teeth every 1-2 years will extend the lifetime of their teeth. Dogs who do not have routine dental care throughout their life will likely have very little or no teeth in their elderly years.