A Message from
the Artful Groomer

Happy summer! Well, now that the heat has arrived, and what better way to kick it off than with a feature article about shedding!

The Artful Groomer Blog
I have also launched The Artful Groomer Blog, where I will be posting other topics of interest with a bit more regularity. Be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed if you’d like my articles delivered to your desktop, and please post your opinions!

Update on Summer Hours
My shop is now air-conditioned, so that I can accept appointments throughout the day this summer. As most of you know, I accept appointments Monday through Saturday, including evenings as needed. When you arrive for your appointment, please enter through the side garage entrance when the front is closed.

New Collar Designs
I’ve also introduced a few new collar & leash designs, and will be working on matching harnesses in the near future. Be sure to check them out!.

Coming Soon - North Port Dog Park!
North Port has approved plans for a 1.5-acre dog park that is slated to open by the end of this summer. The park will be located off of Sumter Blvd. near the Jockey Club. Stay tuned for more info in my next newsletter.

Help! My Dog is Shedding Like Crazy!

It’s shedding season, and all of you with dogs that shed know it, because there is dog hair everywhere in your home! It seems to happen suddenly and with no warning. You find yourself vacuuming and sweeping up after your dog nonstop, with no end in sight. So what can you do? Well first lets talk about why and when your dog sheds. Then we’ll talk about how you can manage it.

Why a Dog Sheds
You all know the most common reason for shedding, and that’s when your dog’s sheds his/her heavy winter coat in the spring. There are a few other reasons dogs shed:

• Adult females that are unaltered shed when in heat.
• Puppies shed their puppy coat for their adult coat.
• Stress. Yes, just as humans can lose hair when stressed, so too, do dogs.
• Dry skin or a damaged coat. Dogs that are bathed frequently or with a heavy detergent-based shampoo may get dried out and lose the natural fatty acids that help maintain a healthy and conditioned coat
• Dogs with a medical condition, such as sarcoptic mange or a yeast infection will lose hair.

Keeping Your Dog's Shedding in Check
Lets focus on the common causes of shedding, as they are can all be treated at home using similar methods without the aid of a vet or dog groomer. Keep in mind that seasonal shedding cannot be eliminated – it’s a natural process that no drug or treatment can stop. But you can do a few things to keep it to a minimum so that you and your dog can live harmoniously during his/her shedding period.

• Mark your calendar! Shedding is much easier to control when you know its coming and you are prepared. Think of it like preparing for any season. A snowstorm is much less stressful if you’ve got everything you need should you be snowed in, right? So start checking for the signs of shedding by giving your pup a good coat rub. You will know by the amount of fall out that the glorious season of shedding has begun.
• Carve time out everyday to brush your dogs coat. 5 minutes or less should do it for most dogs. Concentrate on the back, sides, chest and particularly the hindquarters. No time for brushing? Give your kids (or the neighborhood kids) an incentive by giving them extra Xbox or TV time for the one who can brush out the most hair. But by all means, do it outdoors - after all, it’s the indoor hair that’s driving you nuts!
• Use the proper brush. A bristle brush is not going to do much good on a dog with an undercoat. Bristle brushes a great for short coats. Use a coat rake on really long coats (but be careful of the pressure you use), or a pin head brush (your dog groomer can recommend one that will work best on your dog’s coat).
• Give your dog a good massage using a rubber curry brush at least once a week. The rubbing will not only relax your dog, it will remove a lot of the hair without the risk of over-brushing and damaging the skin.
• Bath and condition your dogs coat once a week before and during shedding season. Note: be sure to use a conditioning shampoo in addition to a conditioning treatment following the shampoo. Those that are best are the ones that contain Omega3 and 6 Fatty acids. There are also supplements on the market that can be added to your dogs food that contain these acids and vitamins A and E – all good for promoting a healthy coat.
• Use a deshedding treatment. There are many on the market that make it easier remove dead hair.
• Step up your visits to the groomer. If you don’t have time to bath & brush your dog, cutting the coat very short will lesson a lot of the shedding. Your groomer can also provide a good deshedding treatment along with your regular groom at a minimal charge.

All Artful Canine nylon collars
are hand crafted, washable
and treated with Scotch guard
for stain resistance.
Our collars are worn, washed
and personally tested
by Max & Tilde
prior to sale on our site.

There's Nothing more beautiful
thank an Artfully Dressed Canine!

Rescue Dog of Month

Pepper Ann is a sweet 8-year-old Scnoodle mix
and is available for Adoption through the
Schnauzer Rescue of Florida

Dealing with Aggressive Behavior in Dogs

For any of you that have had a dog with aggression issues, you know that it can be a difficult behavior to manage. After all, we love our dogs and are disheartened when they growl or bare their teeth at others and us. Aggressive behavior can be complicated, and takes time to understand. The more aggressive the behavior, the more difficult it is to manage. Like Caesar Milan, I believe that dogs can be rehabilitated and their behavior controlled. But it takes time, patience, and “a village” to raise a balanced dog. By village I mean your family, your other dogs, friends, neighbors, groomer, etc. – you need to get everyone on the same page in terms of how they approach and respond to your dogs behavior. Consistency is key to a dog’s rehabilitation success.

I am on a personal mission to become a better dog handler both on and off the grooming table. Dog Groomers are not adequately trained in dog behavior in grooming school, and as a result are often ill equipped in dealing with aggressive dogs. Some will not groom a dog that exhibits aggressive behavior, and will advise their owner to have their dog “Vet groomed” – an expensive procedure whereby the dog is put under anesthesia in order to be groomed. Others, myself included, have asked owners with dogs that have behavior problems to sedate their dogs prior to their grooming session. Whether a dog is sedated for a groom or not, he/she will exhibit aggressive behavior if not properly managed by its owner. Although a calm and assertive groomer can better manage an aggressive dog, it is much safer and healthier if the owner and groomer work in tandem when dealing with aggressive behavior.

Below are some helpful links for those interested in learning more about agression behavior.