Page 53 - Demo

the hair between the pads. For this she uses a small pair of straight shears.
Lisa lightly trims the front leg hair only up to the pad using 46-tooth thinning shears. She does not trim the front leg feathers at all.
The Feet
Brushing with a dog-formulated toothpaste and a soft toothbrush should become a daily ritual for all dogs, not just show dogs. Aside from keeping teeth and gums healthy, brushing prevents bacteria from invading the dog’s cardio-vascular system, which can lead to serious ill- nesses and death.
The Grand Finale
We didn’t actually subject Dante to a bath after he had spent a couple of hours on the grooming table, but that would be the next step in prepa- ration for the show. Lisa recommends using tepid water and a soft stream rather than a harsh spray. Water that is too warm and sprays that are too harsh can strip essential oils from the dog’s hair follicles. Dogs should never be scrubbed vigorously for much the same reason. Gently work shampoo through the dog’s coat with a light squeezing motion. If the dog is very dirty down to its skin, use a light massaging touch on the skin as well. Rinse, rinse, and then rinse some more. Shampoo residue can dull the coat and irritate the skin. A volumizing leave-in conditioner will make drying and brushing the coat easier and will give you that fluffy show dog look.
Shampoo is a personal preference, and Lisa recommends that if you don’t like the results from the sham- poo you are using, do not hesitate
Lisa holds the dog’s foot by the pad as she works on it. It gives her a better overall view of the foot as she works by keeping her hands out of the way.
Using her small slicker brush, Lisa back-brushes the foot hair up and out from between the dog’s toes. Using 46-tooth thinning shears, she trims away the longer hair on the top of the foot and around the edges of the foot.
Lisa has Dante lie down on the grooming table so she can trim out
Once a week, whether her dogs are showing or not, Lisa trims and grinds their nails. Using nail clippers, she will snip the tip off of any nail that needs shortening. She angles the clippers back over the top of the nail, which reduces the chance of cutting into the quick. Then using a Dremel with a sanding drum, she rounds and smoothes the nail and shortens it as much as she can.
Dental Care
You do not want a judge to look at your dog’s teeth and see ugly brown plaque! At least once a week, the dog’s teeth should be scaled using a dental scaling tool.
May/June 2005 The Australian Shepherd Journal 51