The Grooming Process

In this blog I will be describing the whole grooming process using model dog R.J (Rex JNR.)

Before Photo: RJ is a 8 weekly regular. His ears are matted so will need to be shaved off.

The first step is the preparation work. The nose, bum, privates and paw pads are shaved. The bulk of the coat is shaved off roughly so that I am not washing and drying un wanted fur. In RJ's case his ears needed to be shaved due to matting. Ears are cleaned and plucked and nails are clipped. The tail was fairly matted so I tried to dematt as much as I could. 

Next is the bath. RJ was bathed in everyday chocolate scented shampoo as he has no skin conditions. His tail was soaked in conditioner to help remove the remainder of the matts. All dogs receive a massage whilst the shampoo soaks in. Then rinse making sure all the shampoo is out.

Next is blow drying. RJ doesn't like the dryer around his face much. Different coats have a different style of drying. RJ is just having a basic summer short hair cut so nothing special is needed. I had to use a hand held hair dryer to dry the remainder of his head and face. The dog has to be 100% dry before I can use my clippers on it again or I risk electrocution. 

Next is the finishing clip. RJ has a #5 blade which is a nice practical length for summer without being shaved to the skin. 

Finally the scissor work. I started with his feet and legs. 

Finished up with his head and face. Making sure that his face is in proportion to his body. He had a short blade on his body so I used a #3 blade which is two lengths longer then what is on his body for the top of his head. I trimmed his face up nice and short and keep it rounded to maintain the "teddy bear" look. 

Next step is to brush the tail out. Because it was soaked in my special conditioner the matts were easy to remove. I then trim the ends.

The most important part of the groom- I put RJ on the ground for the all important shake to pull out any loose or messy ends. I trim up all the stray hairs, place a bow and spray with cologne. RJ is now finished and ready to be picked up!