Grooming question?

Mel Blacke

Mel Blacke

Well-Known Member
Out of the members here who groom your own dogs, I have a question for you--do you shave trim or clean out the hair in between the toes and on the bottom of your dog's feet? I know a lot of American Cockers have dense coats that grow very thick....probably in between the toes too. I "clean out" in between the pads of my dog's feet on a more or less weekly basis. I don't try to remove it all but try to shorten it and get some of it out. I always thought it is kind of expecting the dog to run, stop and turn in fuzzy house shoes. The bottom of her feet is all black so it grows quickly and is especially thick. The breed standard for the ECS says something about "cat feet." I am not quite sure exactly what that means but I would guess it means noticeably shorter and neater than the rest of the leg. I take these pronouncements with grain of salt, though.....I try to keep her looking like her breed but not obviously "groomed" or "coiffed," purely as a matter of practicality and personal preference.
 
I do. No scissoring between the feet. I consider it a safety issue. The kitchen floor is ceramic tile and slippery. Same with ice in the winter time. It better too when it’s raining out. Their feet aren’t as messy.
 
I clip flush to the pads, I have tried between the toes with my clippers, my dogs are not used to it and don't like walking on our pavers that way. I know Manuel is right, I just haven't done it.
 
I read somewhere that you shouldn't although I couldn't imagine why, which is why I asked. Like you, I think it inhibits their stopping power on slick surfaces.....like the kitchen or even the mats at the kennel club. Part of the reason that I keep the feet trimmed more or less weekly is to do her toenails which can be hard to find in all that inky black fur.
 
Toenails is something I have never been able to do, they go to the vets monthly or every 5 to 6 weeks to have them done.
 
If I didn't have the pet Dremel then I would be going to the vet or the groomer because I am a big chicken when it comes to toenails. I would be very unhappy and riddled with guilt if I made one of my dog's bleed. Manuel, maybe they just meant that you shouldn't do it for short haired dogs....sometimes you have to be careful who you believe on the internet.....I shudder to think what the hair on the bottom of my dog's feed would look like if I didn't keep after it.
 
Dizzy.....Are you going to groom Callie yourself or hire a professional? This is the age to start messing with her feet and ears, etc.
 
Mel, at this point in time, I'm not sure what I'm doing w/her. Now that Christmas is over, I hope to be able to spend more time working w/her. Only problem being, hubby is off work-he threw out his back, so that means I'm tripping over him. Plus, it's gotten bitterly cold. I don't even want to take her out so she can go potty! I need to figure out ways to work w/her inside.
 
Had the same problem with Fi---our house is quite small. When she was really little, I would get up way early to have some quiet time to practice our puppy class behaviors. It has been bitter cold here, too and has put an end to training at parks so we play the stationary position game in the house. Since I happen to be off today, I am togging both girls and me out in our cold weather gear and taking them for a brief run at the park.....even if it is only for 15 minutes.
 
my first cocker Jake used to get matts between his toes so I did shave pretty close between them and all around pads etc. total pia to be honest.

my current dogs I shave just a bit below and around the pad. .... so it grows out and I dont have to do it too fast. Once it covers the pad, its time to shave again. Makes a mess and they get ice balls between their toes. Plus I have all hw floors so htey slip if I dont.
 
Cockers4Ever said:
my first cocker Jake used to get matts between his toes so I did shave pretty close between them and all around pads etc. total pia to be honest.

my current dogs I shave just a bit below and around the pad. .... so it grows out and I dont have to do it too fast. Once it covers the pad, its time to shave again. Makes a mess and they get ice balls between their toes. Plus I have all hw floors so htey slip if I dont.
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We have pine trees in the back. Gabby used to get mats between his toe and paw pad from pine sap. They would bother him and I would trim them out. It was tedious and neither of us were happy about it.
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
The better to teach you how to groom correctly, my dear. :)
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You are absolutely right....practice does really make perfect. At first, it took me like an hour to do just her feet and trim her legs.....it now takes me like 10-15 minutes to tighten up all 4 of her feet and give her leg feathers the once over and maybe another 5 to do her ears. It took me a lot longer to screw up the nerve to shave her face and I am still learning the finer points of how far to go and how not to miss spots. I even had a stab at thinning the top of the head today after watching a YouTube video twice....I think it was too long and something needed to be done with it so I looked online and found a video. So my sister did one side and I had to do the other side of the head to match. Then there is the part of the neck more or less under the ears where you have to "blend" the long hair on the back of the neck around the sides to the shaved part at a particular angle....that will be a whole new learning process for me but I am determined to learn.
 
I use scissors to trim the bottom, between the pads and toes about once a month.
(I actually have a dent in my dishwasher from Bella sliding across the floor after a ball and not being able to stop)
 
Bella Rose said:
I use scissors to trim the bottom, between the pads and toes about once a month.
(I actually have a dent in my dishwasher from Bella sliding across the floor after a ball and not being able to stop)
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I would love hearing someone explain that to their homeowner's insurance.
 
Ouch!! Poor Bella Rose! I have my doubts about all the sliding on tile floors (I think that it wears the joints) and try not to encourage any antics in the kitchen---at least as much as possible.
 
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