If the way your dog smells often gets to you, you may be interested in a shampoo that leaves a better scent than the generic found at your local pet store. Gerrard Larriett has sought to provide aromatherapy products for pets (and as a result, their humans as well).  After grooming a dog with his “Happy Jasmine” scented shampoo/conditioner, I was very impressed. It made a very satisfying lather and left the white poodle I was grooming more white than the oatmeal shampoo I usually use. The dog smelled very fresh after drying and didn’t have any “wet dog” scent at all. At $16 for an 8 ounce bottle, it should last you several months if you bathe your dog every 2-4 weeks as recommended by most veterinarians.  Gerrard Larriett Aromatherapy also carries candles and freshening sprays. Check out all their products here.

Four paws out of four! 

Angels’ Eyes Tear-Stain Remover guarantees the removal of eye stains on your pup in 3-5 weeks. It works from the inside out, eliminating tear, mouth and lick stains before they begin.  Angels’ Eyes causes the hair to grow back un-stained. The powder is made from beef liver and tylosin. Tylosin is an antibiotic that prohibits bacterial protein synthesis–go figure. Some dogs react poorly to Tylosin, responding with vomiting and diarrhea. There are many dog groomers and breeders who swear by this product. The thing I don’t like about this product is that you sprinkle it on your dog’s food everyday for 3 months. After 3 months you reduce to four times a week, and after 6 months you reduce to twice a week. For dogs 12 pounds and up, you need 1 teaspoon a day. It’s a long process which guarantees you to continue to purchase their product for 1/2 a year. I will say, that there is overwhelming proof that it works. Some dogs can detect it in their food, which necessitates being creative. There are other more inexpensive ways to prevent staining such as only giving your dog filtered water and changing from a beef-based food to a chicken-based food. It is also helpful if you are diligent about removing eye “gunkies” everyday and trimming around the eyes to prevent buildup. If you have done these things and your dog still has nasty brown eyes, paws, and lips, I say give Angels’ Eyes a try and let me know what you think!

Three paws!

I think every household with a dog or a cat should have styptic powder on hand. It’s a great thing to keep in a doggie first aid kit. Kwik-Stop is most commonly used by groomers if they cut the nail quick when trimming nails. By applying just a little bit of styptic powder, the blood will clot and stop the bleeding almost immediately. It’s amazing stuff. Pour a little powder into the lid and dab your pet’s nail into the powder. Corn starch will also help stop bleeding in a pinch, but this is much less messy and you need less of it. The gel variety seems to be a bit messy, so I still go with the powder.  Works on minor cuts like a charm.

Four paws!

I had really high hopes about this product. Nothing is more nerve-wracking (in my opinion) than cutting nails. Cut the quick once and your dog is fearful, in pain, and bleeding everywhere.  The Quickfinder Nail Clipper is said to sense the heat in the nail, giving you a green light if you’re away from the quick, yellow if you need to be cautious, and a red light if you’re in danger of cutting the quick. Great theory, right? Well, it doesn’t work at all. The light turns red just as you begin to place it on the nail and the actual clippers are not sharp enough to cut the nail cleanly. Plus how are you supposed to keep your dog still, place the clippers over the nail and still be able to see the lights? They needed to position them on the side or back so that you’re not twisting your body around just to see if it’s safe to cut. Cool idea, not worth the money. For now, it’s back to the dremel for me…

Zero paws.

As a groomer I use a slip lead consistently but it’s not a bad tool for all dog owners to have on hand. No adjusting a collar, no fumbling with clasps, just easy on–easy off. Great for those quick potty breaks outside, bath time (dries quickly), or agility class (waiting for the next run). Just feed the leash through itself onto the metal ring and you have a handle on one end and an adjustable collar on the other. Individually they are sold on amazon for $5, but here is a pack of six for $9.99.

I am a huge fan of the Pedi-Paws nail grinder. It’s easy to use, durable, and very inexpensive (it’s on sale on Amazon right now for only $6 bucks!). You can read my review of the Pedi-Paws nail grinder here. I change the sandpaper head on my nail grinder every 5 dogs or so. Eventually you will need to buy some replacement heads. I have found these to be just as durable as the heads included with the actual grinder. You just need a Phillip’s Head screwdriver to mount it onto the hand-held device. Cheap and easy! If you go to a store like Bed, Bath, and Beyond to buy replacement heads, you will pay $5-$10. But on amazon you can find them ridiculously inexpensive–under $1.00 for 12 heads. You can purchase the Replacement Heads by following this link.

I was not familiar to the benefits of using a pin brush until I boarded a papillion and his owner sent one along. I had always used a typical plastic comb when brushing my dogs, but quickly realized that the pin brush is very helpful! It is much more comfortable to the dog than a comb, gently brushing away dead, loose, or tangled hair and separating the fibers, leaving a full, clean and shiny coat. There are two main types of pin brushes. One has balls on the ends of the pins, like this one, and others like the Scalmpmaster Pin Brush have exposed bristles. There is some level of personal preference here. It is my experience that the exposed bristles cause less tangles and allow you to go deeper into the coat than those with the ball-ended bristles. A pin brush works well for both curly coats (like the poodle or bichon) or smooth coats (the schnauzer, yorkie, labrador, etc). They vary in size and price, but the Scalpmaster is a good place to start if you’d like to give the pin brush a try.

This type of muzzle keeps the dog’s mouth firmly shut at all times. This is definitely of benefit in a grooming situation for short periods of time. The downfall with a Dog Grooming Muzzle is that the dog is not allowed to pant, since it cannot open it’s mouth. This is not a proper muzzle to put on a dog in a dog park situation–better to use a plastic basket muzzle. But in the case of grooming, or short training sessions, this type of muzzle is very helpful to have on hand, especially due to the adjustable muzzle circumference. Every groomer should have one on hand!

There are several different size options available, so you need to measure your dog’s muzzle to guarantee proper fit. To measure your dog for a basket type muzzle, first measure from the eyes down to the tip of the nose. To measure the circumference of your dog’s snout, start one inch below your dog’s eye and measure all the way around the nose. By adding a 1/2″ to each of these two measurements, you will ensure that you order the correct sized muzzle for your dog.

There are two basic kinds of muzzles for dogs. The first option keeps their mouth completely closed and is usually made of mesh. The second option in the Plastic Basket Dog Muzzle which allows the dog to drink and pant but prevents any damage biting might inflict. It is lightweight and is difficult for the dog to remove. It is adjustable at the clip behind the ears. This type of muzzle is a great option to give the handler peace of mind. I use it on multiple occasions for dogs that are aggressive toward other dogs at a dog park (allowing the dog to still learn to socialize) or to put owners at ease if they are concerned about the dog biting a human. Every dog groomer should have a muzzle like this on hand for those larger dogs with a big attitude. This type of muzzle does not work with short-nosed dogs like shih-tzu’s or pug’s, and some complain that the plastic feels flimsy. I believe that the plastic is strong enough to do it’s job and keep the product inexpensive.

There are several different size options available, so you need to measure your dog’s muzzle to guarantee proper fit. To measure your dog for a basket type muzzle, first measure from the eyes down to the tip of the nose. To measure the circumference of your dog’s snout, start one inch below your dog’s eye and measure all the way around the nose. By adding a 1/2″ to each of these two measurements, you will ensure that you order the correct sized muzzle for your dog.