This might sting a little. A dog’s nose can smell a Q-tip from across the room. You don’t have to force yourself on any dog, it’s actually rude. They are not obligated to be friends with every human or dog they meet. This is good information. The sniff test – Stop doing this! The sniff test is a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they’re actually doing. When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure at them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe and whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. […]

by Carol Bryant Want a client for life? Start expressing their dog’s anal sacs. That’s the exact piece of advice a veterinary technician shared with me while having my first Cocker Spaniel’s anal glands expressed during a routine visit. There is definitely a time and a place for anal sacs to be expressed and have all that fishy-smelling material removed from a dog’s scent glands. The problem is there are: Too many people expressing a dog’s anal glands too often Too many unqualified people manipulating a dog’s anal glands Too many dogs experiencing too much discomfort and undue trauma from improper and sometimes needless emptying of anal glands It’s a […]

Sometimes I have to make a judgment call for your pets and their grooming. Sometimes it is in conflict with the information your vets give you. I see most of my clients every 4-6 weeks. I know every square inch of their bodies. I know every like, dislike. I see things on my grooming table you or the vet will never see. When I am determining the best course of action for your pets grooming I always consider, if it were one of my dogs, would I do the grooming? Quite often that means you, as the pet parent, don’t get what you want. While I want you to be […]