Grooming responsibilities

This is not about how to groom but more on if you are up for the job or not. Grooming must be something you consider when you choose a breed. Whether or not you want to groom at all or simply have a dog that requires little in the way of grooming. Before you add a hairy beast to your family you must consider the grooming requirements.

Having standard poodles myself; grooming is a requirement. Somedays there is no grooming to be done and other days alot. But I decided way back when I had my first dog which was an airedale that I was doing it myself. I went on to have standards and have always done the grooming. But the grooming requirements for a poodle are not the same for all; if you are like me you just shave the hair off and don't have to worry about it. When their coats are short and I let them airdry they require no brushing. The coat having dried into nice tight curls rarely matt and are easy to care for.

But if you want a fancy clip on your poodle then yes, there will be grooming to do. And not only regular grooming but regular brushing so that they don't become matted. If you decide you want an OES (old english sheepdog), a golden, collie, labradoodle, afghan, borzoi, spaniel or whatever they require all require grooming.

Breeds like the Doberman, Great dane, whippet, vizsla or weimaraner require next to no grooming but still shed. So brushing on a regular basis helps to minimize the amount of hair in your home. And then there are breeds that seem like they don't need grooming but they do. Breeds with thick or double coats like the GSD (german shepherd dog), labrador, Jack russell, beauceron and the rottweiller all have thick coats that shed a ton. And because of the amount of shedding it is important to brush at least 3 times a week to keep it to a minimum.

Many people would never consider grooming themselves, some breeds are a ton of work. But if you opt to have someone do it for you; it's going to cost you. I had a look around on the web and a large breed will cost you approx 65.00 and up. You have to consider how many times a year that your dog will visit the groomer. The less often you bring your dog in; the more it costs which only stands to reason because it is more work for the groomer.

Grooming dogs is alot of work; I know. It is not something I would want to do as a profession and applaud those who do. And like any business there are good and there are bad. When choosing a groomer it is best to get recommendations.

But whether or not you decide to do it yourself or hire sommeone to do it; grooming is something you need to consider before choosing your dog. Otherwise you can just end up with a big mess and big headache.