October 17, 2001
Pet owners brush up on canine care
Grand Traverse Kennel Club offers Grooming 101 seminar
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Try wrestling a reluctant Doberman into a toenail clipping session.
With 20 toes to contend with, Kathy Huseltine of Traverse City knows first-hand that this is a chore so daunting that her dog often goes unclipped. Yet as the months pile up without a trim, that clicking sound he makes with each step gives Huseltine the shivers.
"He hates having his nails clipped, we both had to wrestle him because you need somebody really strong to hold him and somebody else to trim," said Huseltine, who also owns a sheltie.
After attending the Grand Traverse Kennel Club's Grooming 101 seminar Saturday, Huseltine had some hope for her dilemma.
"I learned some really helpful tips on doing those," she said. "Toenail trimming was something I was real leery of doing."
Professional dog groomer Mary Belanger led the four-hour seminar, held at the club's meeting room. Sixteen participants came, eager to learn how to better care for their dogs. Using her dog, Muffin, as a model, Belanger demonstrated everything from clipping toenails and dealing with thorny knots to which combs and brushes to use when.
Belanger also gave an overview of the wide range of peg grooming products available on the market. She also encouraged listeners to make creative, Huseltine said, like when making a stable grooming surface for a dog.
"You do not have to buy all these professional products," she said. "With small dogs, you can use a rubber bath mat on the dryer."
Belanger brings a deep commitment to dogs to her seminars. She strongly believes that the more educated people are about caring for their dogs, the better it will be for both pet owner and pet.
Grooming is essential to a dog's health and irregular brushing can allow mats or skin conditions to develop or worsen. In addition, those pesky toenails can actually cause a dog's foot to splay out if they get too long, affecting their walk and overall health.
Belanger sees firsthand in her business that many owners do not really know how to groom their dogs. She told attendees that they should brush and comb their dog all over at least once a week. If their dog is not used to this and resists at first, she recommended starting with just one leg a week and increase slowly from there.
"People come in and just don't know how to brush, they just take a brush and go over the top of the hair and that is not enough," said Belanger, owner of Classic Canines. "I see dogs who come in maybe once a year and they have a really big mat."
Some people enrolled in Grooming 101 to learn how to care for their dogs between visits to a professional groomer.
Linda Reinbold of Interlochen owns two West Highland Terriers that she takes to a professional groomer. However, she wanted to learn ways she could help care for her dogs.
"The sectional brushing she showed looks a lot easier on the dog," Reinbold said. "My female has skin conditions and I learned about some products I have not used before, like skin conditioners."
Establishing a weekly grooming will not only improve a dog's looks, but it is a great way to check over a dog's overall health. It allows an owner to check skin condition and look for growths or cuts.
"If the coat is really bad condition, it may be a clue that they are not getting good nutrition," Belanger said. "Each week, you can look in the ears, eyes and at the teeth to see if there are any problems."
Belanger also extolled the emotional benefits of grooming for both parties involved.
"Grooming is a good way to establish a good relationship with your dog," said Belanger, who also owns a black standard poodle in addition to Muffin, a white standard poodle. "My black standard was just terrified of grooming at first but now he likes it."