First Trip to the Groomers

Phury

New member
Hello! Our puppy Naaru is 7 months old. On the 9th of July he is scheduled for his first trip to an actual groomer. We don't have many Newfs in our area so I had to settle on a groomer that seems to know what she is doing. We are having a bath and comb out. She will hand dry him on the floor. She plans to try to get as much under coat out as possible between the dryer and combing/brushing. She will also clean out his pads. We love the natural look of him and are against having anything cut off or trimmed. He has quite a head of floof and long furry ears. He also has very long feathers and pants. We like the messy feet.He does tend to get smallish tangles/mats under his arm pits from his harness rubbing and is sensitive about me getting them out or even cutting them out but otherwise he has no knots or mats. I could really use some advice though. His coat is half puppy fur and half adult fur. It's only started changing in the past month or so. His pants and feathers are a much lighter shade then the deep brown coming in on his back, tail and fronts of his legs. We've been told if we don't cut that off that the fur will stay that way giving him that two tone appearance on his legs. His head and ear fur also lightened up extremely as though someone used sun in on him or peroxide but I think that's from chlorine and sun the first time he swam in the pool and then layed out in the sun unrinsed. We are sure to rinse him immediately now but were told we needed to have all that lighter fur on his head and ears cut off as well. We really don't want to cut or even trim him if we don't have to but if that light fur needs to come of then we will have to. I'm hoping to get some advice on if it will fall out or shed off on it's own or do we need to have him trimmed? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
P.S. Is it acceptable to bring my own shampoo,conditioner and grooming spray?
 

Brandie&Maggie

New member
Hi!

I highly recommend having him trimmed. You may love the "muppet look" (I do too) but keeping them at least somewhat trimmed will help keep him neater and much easier to manage. You don't need to do a perfect grooming all the time but trimming occasionally is really good.

Trimming the feet is a must. You can keep the tops longer, but it's really not optional to keep the feet trimmed. Unkempt feet get mats, hold in moisture, get yeasty, etc.

Ears are also very important. Again, you can keep them longer, but trimming behind and around gives them good airflow and helps prevent matting and bacteria growth.

Trimming under the arms will just keep him comfortable - you can't see it.

Pants/feathers are totally up to you - if you want to keep them long and are willing to brush them, fine. But keep in mind they will hold snow/mud/etc a lot more if they are long. We tend to keep them longer most of the year but trim short for winter.

It's hair - it grows back :)

I don't know specifically about the color changes in the fur, but if you don't trim the top coat, it's going to stay a long long time.

Regarding the shampoo, etc - I'd say no, you should not bring your own. Choose a groomer that uses products you like and agree with. Typically they use a professional bath and the shampoo, etc is pre-diluted and dispensed there.

My previous newf, Maggie, always had that fuzzy muppet appearance - but her feet and ears were always trimmed, as well as feathers and pants in winter. Otherwise it was asking for trouble.
 

Sound Bay Newfs

Active member
The lighter colored coat is puppy fur. It will eventually come out leaving a smoother black coat. But he has to be trimmed. Otherwise his coat will be hard to manage and get matted. They are more comfortable being bathed and trimmed.
 

BlackLightning

New member
I highly recommend trimming him. You don't have to go crazy, but this is the age when you want him to get used to everything - and dealing with an adult Newf that has never been trimmed is NOT fun. Been there, done that... almost cut the dog's ears because they freaked every time they heard the scissors near their face. The sound of the scissors near their ears can really startle them.... you want him used to that now. Also, as others have mentioned, you will ultimately need to trim him. Otherwise he will become more difficult to manage and will mat easier. Personally, I love a trimmed Newf. Especially their head. It completely changes their expression (for the better in my opinion).
 

wrknnwf

Active member
I agree with everyone above on keeping your dog trimmed. But if you should decide not to, be certain to check between each pad on his foot regularly. The long fur there will ball up into a rock hard mass and be very difficult to clip out because it is tight to the skin. It's an easy thing to miss, so every time you comb and/or trim nails, which should be often, check between his toes and pads.

Believe me, it's not hard to learn to trim him yourself using the proper tools. At first he may look a little choppy, but we can help you learn the best techniques.

For starters, if he does get a nasty mat, do not cut across it or cut close to the skin. Instead, cut in the same direction the hair grows, from the skin side to the tips. Insert the scissors about a half inch from the skin. Be careful not to poke him. Snip the mat into two or three smaller sections. Then comb gently. The mats will probably come out with the comb, but if they don't, make another snip where necessary. This is incredibly easy to do and won't leave him looking like he backed into a lawn mower. Plus you greatly lessen the risk of cutting his skin.

Minimum tools I use...good pair of curved dog grooming scissors, inexpensive comb, nail clippers, and slicker brush. To that you may want to add a Mars Coat King (18 double wide) for raking out undercoat on his body (not on bony parts like legs), and a pair of good (not pet store brand) thinning shears for evening out any choppiness. These are all the tools I need to groom my dogs for show and trials, or just regular grooming (along with a good dog dryer - not a human hair dryer). I have clippers, but only use them for old dogs that need sanitary maintenance. I rarely use them at all, because you really only need a good pair of scissors to do all your cutting. You don't have to spend a fortune, but your shears, dryer and Coat King will be the most costly items. With care, they will last you a lifetime. Be sure to get your shears sharpened regularly and change blades in the Coat King if they get dull.

Also, when you groom your dog yourself, it helps create a strong bond. If you're gentle, he will learn to love it and you may find it very calming yourself.
 
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