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More product info...including FOOOOODZ.
First, I updated this filtre ("grooming tips and tricks") and pulled some of the more blatantly off-topic posts. :P
Second...oatmeal shampoos are love. Summer and winter are bad for dry skin, we see it a lot in the salon...and doggie "dandruff" is just vile. Oatmeal shampoos and something like a natural wheat-grass conditioner or remoisteurizer is ideal.
I absolutely adore these wheatgrass products: http://www.tailwaggerspets.com/p1104/ta
But I love their conditioning stuff the most.
Sadly a lot of the coolest shampoos are tough on a dog's skin. My favourite is the blueing shampoo, followed by purpleing (which we don't have in the salon, though I keep a bottle of it here at home for Cricket). However, they can be a little harsh on a dog. Oatmeal shampoos are generally easier on them, very soothing to the skin.
Now, the trouble is that shampoos and conditioners aren't the whole story. A dog's coat isn't just window-dressing, it can be an indicator of the WHOLE BEING. People always look at me funny when they complain about their dog's dry skin, the shedding, and lack of lustre, and I turn around and ask what they feed their dog.
For the best coat possible, you need to not only wash with appropriate product, but feed the right foods. Dog food that contains a lot of fillers is worthless. No, really...read the labels. Excessive ammounts of corn (I won't buy food with corn in it, PERIOD, and I never reccomend it) or food that contains glutens or gluten meal? Is not ideal food for your pet and will negatively affect their overall wellness...including their coat quality.
I personally am a huge fan of Nutro's Natural Choice line and Nutro's Ultra line, and Blue Buffalo's foods are amazing. I personally feed Blue to Cricket, and the Nutro Natural Choice for cats to our feline family. :)
Now, to be fair, good food isn't cheap. That is the part that people often seem to hate, they want their dog to look awesome and feel good but they don't want to buy the foods the dog needs to make it happen. Kathy and I spent a while talking to a gentleman with a Sheltie who looked like a train wreck, telling him about how the dog's poor nutrition is adversely affecting it's health and thus it's coat looks like absolute shit...flakey, dull, and rather vile.
Five minutes later we see him go through the checkout line, with a big ol' 40 lb bag of goddamn GOODLIFE SHIT in his cart. I loathe that fucking crapass food...it sucks SO HARD! Foods like Goodlife and Ol' Roy make me want to vomit just THINKING about them. PARTICULARLY Ol' Roy. *shudders*
For the best coat possible, feed a good-quality, meat-oriented food (preferrably kibble unless your dog actually NEEDS to eat soft food) with no fillers, no gluten or gluten meal, and certainly no corn...I have found that I can get away with washing a dog with blueing shampoo and then rewashing with oatmeal shampoo to get the brightness from the blueing without aggravating the dog's skin...and then liberally apply wheatgrass conditioner. I like to leave the conditioner on the dog for at least five minutes, to let it "soak in," the results are amazing. Some Unicoat before applying the dryer...hand-drying to perfection and then a quick misting with a scented finishing spray, and I swear the dog will look better than can be imagined.
Seriously.
Second...oatmeal shampoos are love. Summer and winter are bad for dry skin, we see it a lot in the salon...and doggie "dandruff" is just vile. Oatmeal shampoos and something like a natural wheat-grass conditioner or remoisteurizer is ideal.
I absolutely adore these wheatgrass products: http://www.tailwaggerspets.com/p1104/ta
But I love their conditioning stuff the most.
Sadly a lot of the coolest shampoos are tough on a dog's skin. My favourite is the blueing shampoo, followed by purpleing (which we don't have in the salon, though I keep a bottle of it here at home for Cricket). However, they can be a little harsh on a dog. Oatmeal shampoos are generally easier on them, very soothing to the skin.
Now, the trouble is that shampoos and conditioners aren't the whole story. A dog's coat isn't just window-dressing, it can be an indicator of the WHOLE BEING. People always look at me funny when they complain about their dog's dry skin, the shedding, and lack of lustre, and I turn around and ask what they feed their dog.
For the best coat possible, you need to not only wash with appropriate product, but feed the right foods. Dog food that contains a lot of fillers is worthless. No, really...read the labels. Excessive ammounts of corn (I won't buy food with corn in it, PERIOD, and I never reccomend it) or food that contains glutens or gluten meal? Is not ideal food for your pet and will negatively affect their overall wellness...including their coat quality.
I personally am a huge fan of Nutro's Natural Choice line and Nutro's Ultra line, and Blue Buffalo's foods are amazing. I personally feed Blue to Cricket, and the Nutro Natural Choice for cats to our feline family. :)
Now, to be fair, good food isn't cheap. That is the part that people often seem to hate, they want their dog to look awesome and feel good but they don't want to buy the foods the dog needs to make it happen. Kathy and I spent a while talking to a gentleman with a Sheltie who looked like a train wreck, telling him about how the dog's poor nutrition is adversely affecting it's health and thus it's coat looks like absolute shit...flakey, dull, and rather vile.
Five minutes later we see him go through the checkout line, with a big ol' 40 lb bag of goddamn GOODLIFE SHIT in his cart. I loathe that fucking crapass food...it sucks SO HARD! Foods like Goodlife and Ol' Roy make me want to vomit just THINKING about them. PARTICULARLY Ol' Roy. *shudders*
For the best coat possible, feed a good-quality, meat-oriented food (preferrably kibble unless your dog actually NEEDS to eat soft food) with no fillers, no gluten or gluten meal, and certainly no corn...I have found that I can get away with washing a dog with blueing shampoo and then rewashing with oatmeal shampoo to get the brightness from the blueing without aggravating the dog's skin...and then liberally apply wheatgrass conditioner. I like to leave the conditioner on the dog for at least five minutes, to let it "soak in," the results are amazing. Some Unicoat before applying the dryer...hand-drying to perfection and then a quick misting with a scented finishing spray, and I swear the dog will look better than can be imagined.
Seriously.
