Pantops Pet Salon & Spa
Charlottesville's Professional Dog Grooming

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #10, April 

After three years of planning, I finally made my first trip overseas.  I spent two fantastic weeks in New Zealand and I was actually welcomed into the country by several dogs!  New Zealand has become known through movies for its gorgeous environment and one of their main means of revenue is tourism of that beautiful scenery.  The government of New Zealand is very concerned that care is taken with their environment so biosecurity is a serious matter.  All plants and animal products must be declared or an immediate $200 fine is given.  In order to ensure that seeds, animals (dogs have been known to eat their famous Kiwi bird!), and so on do not enter the country without authorization, a small group of Beagles met me while I waited in line at the biosecurity check point.  The calm and purposeful

Beagles sniffed not only luggage, but people too and while I was there, several people were asked to remove camping gear from their bags so that it could be disinfected so that no organic residue would affect the native life of the country.  See Mike’s article on the sense of smell to find out exactly how much better a nose dogs have compared to us.

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #11, May

While I was in New Zealand, I found the dog culture there quite different.  Dogs there are much more frequently treated as working animals—herders of the many sheep in farms from the top of the north island all the way down to the tip of the south island.  They are very rarely on lead, however they are excellently behaved.  I did not see one dog that was hyper, aggressive, or impolite in any way.  They were all very calm and I would say they were responsive to voice command except that it was more than that.  They understood what was expected of them and just did it—they didn’t need to be told.  I saw dogs in the city consistently stay within a 10 foot circle of their owner.  They would wander, sniff around, but never go beyond the 10 feet and never jump on or bark at a stranger or strange dog  If an owner stopped at a traffic light, so did the dog.  There was no “sit, stay” or lead enforcement….it was just done. 

There is a fascinating trust between owner and dog that I don’t see as much of in the US.  Often, we see owners fighting against their dogs or needing to use a fence or lead to keep them safe.  In New Zealand, I stopped on the side of the road at a corn maze.  My friend and I eventually got lost in the maze and the owner of the maze came to help us out with his dog.  Hickory was a

 little Brussels griffon mix who would disappear from time to time in the corn.  His owner was never concerned about his dog getting lost and did not even watch Hickory as he vanished.  There was an implicit trust that Hickory would not wander so far as to get lost and would not run into the highway just outside of the maze.  He never did and I was impressed.

I’m not sure if the sample of dogs I saw was representative of the entire country and I don’t know—but wish I did!—what type of training was used to accomplish such a relationship of consistently good behavior.  Our database software designer is located in New Zealand and agreed with my observations about dog culture.  He suggested that maybe it was because the dogs, as the people are reputed to be, are just very laid-back and on a permanent vacation!

Archived from “The Paw Report:”  Issue #11, May

“That cat is amazing!  Don’t the dogs bother him?”  Nope!  Dodger is quite content to laze on the counter as dog after dog comes in for grooming.  Sometimes they sniff at each other.  Once in a while a terrier will try to chase him down or a Golden will grin at him over the counter.  With a glare, a growl, and sometimes a swat, Dodger will put them in their place if they get too close.  Otherwise, our shop mascot is quite content to be surrounded by dogs every weekday.  Is Dodger unusual?

Gina Spadafori, a columnist for Veterinary Partner, states that it is “not uncommon for dogs and cats to become friends and to enjoy each other’s company.”  Some dogs and cats are compatible instantly, others

need more introduction and a few have a predatory instinct too strong to overcome.  Spadafori recommends a slow, controlled introduction period which includes allowing the animals to sniff at each other from under a closed door so that each of them has a comfortable area of territory.  After a few days, allow them to see each other but keep the dog on lead.  Watch their responses.  They may be curious, afraid, aggressive, etc.  Let them have an adjustment period under close observation.  Hopefully, your dog and cat will have a new best friend!

What are matts?
Matts are tangles in a dog’s coat which can solidify into a felt-like substance. They are caused by petting, playing, shedding hair, laying down while wet, etc. Matting even occurs in short-haired dogs whose dead hair is trapped in the coat. Matting tends to develop deep in the undercoat, close to the skin.

Problems that arise from Matting:
-Reduced life cycle of hair
-Overheating
-Odors
-Moisture trapped in a matted coat aids bacterial growth
-Skin infections (yeast, etc)
-Parasites
-Skin irritation, itching
-Dull coat
-Discomfort
-Hot spots
-Higher possibility of nicks because it is harder to separate the skin and the hair, clippers can snag

Options once Matts have Formed:
-Some matts can be split with professional grooming tools
–Groomers will NOT brush out matts if the dog is poorly behaved for brushing OR if the brushing required would be painful to the dog or the time and cost ($100++!) would be unreasonably high
-A small number of matts may be clippered out and the holes can be blended
-Due to how close matts develop next to the skin, IT IS DANGEROUS TO CUT MATTS WITH SCISSORS
-Severe matting will require a dog to be shaved because the clippers must go between the matts and the skin in order safely remove the matts. The hair will come off like a second skin!

Preventing Matts:
-For most breeds, set-up professional grooming appointments every 6-8 weeks (4-6 for curly-coated breeds)
-Thoroughly brush your dog weekly—more often if your dog has a long and/or thick coat
-Brush after vigorous play, swimming, and other tangling activities
-When brushing, divide the hair into layers and brush each layer separately
-Use a comb to check through the hair after brushing—make sure that there are no tangles developing close to the skin

Benefits to Matt Prevention
-You can leave your dog’s hair as long as you like and he won’t need to be shaved
-Cheaper cost per grooming
-Grooming is safer
-Coat oils are spread through brushing to promote a shiny, healthy coat
-Stimulation of the coat promotes healthy skin
-Allows heating/cooling air circulation in the coat, the coat “can breathe”
-Brushing removes loose dirt, keeps your dog cleaner and smelling nicer
-A thinned coat makes health problems (lumps, irritations, fleas, etc) easier to identify and treat
-Healthier immune system and waste system (brushing stimulates the lymphs!)
-Soothes skin problems
-Comfortable coat for your dog
-Reduced shedding!