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Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Ginger Chamberlain

I am now owned by a 4 month old Maltese given to me by a friend. I wish to keep her in the puppy cut but can't afford the groomer fee and am looking for a book or video or someone in the Northern Virginia area to help me figure out how to get a happy little girl pup to stand still and cut her without butchering her adorable shape. What tools (other than scissors, brush and comb) do I need? How long should her hair be around the face? I want her to be able to see but I don't want her to look bald either. I would appreciate any help or advice you can provide. Thanks. G

DISCUSSION:

My Maltese is the same age as yours and we have brought her to the groomers twice already. The second time she was much more obedient(groomer claims). Anyway, I live in NJ and a store called PetSmart grooms dogs/puppies for 50% off on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It comes out to $9.00! We also told the groomer for a trim and she did a good job (it took 1.5 hours). Short and cute. I hope you find a store like this near you because Princess smells so good and looks adorable after grooming. Good Luck.
-Marie

Ginger--I often take Lucy to PetSmart for the $9 bath and brush--but that is all it is. For grooming (clip, nails, cleaning hair ear, etc), they charge $28. I live in Germantown, MD, fairly near you, so assume the pricing is all the same. I have found that at our PetSmart, it depends on which groomer you get if you are going for the grooming. So I usually take Luce elsewhere to be groomed (usually about $30 or $32 if she needs a little extra brushing) because I can count on it being done well consistently. One thing I have noticed at my PetSmart is that they use some sort of doggie hairspray when they are finished--whatever it is, it mats Lucy's hair by the next day or so, so I'd suggest you tell them not to use any spray if you go there. They usually do a nice job, I should say and you can't beat the price IF you can get a Tues/Thurs appointment.
-cathy brown

Hi I have two maltese siblings--brother and sister. They are 1 1/2 years old and wonderful little puppies. My husband and I retired last December and we are looking for ways to reduce our monthly expenses. I would like to take a a course somewhere close to home on grooming my own puppies. We live in Mesa Az. Can anyone out there help me with some information.
-Carol

Most groomers will give you a class on how to groom your dog for a fee. I know that mine does. Check with the groomers in your area and ask. If you can not find one, please let me know and I will ask my groomer who is my friend to make you a video on how to groom your dog. I am a firm believer that if you can groom your own dog, you should. You never know what the dog before yours might have been exposed to, so I do not take my dogs to a groomer until they have all of their shots and have been on heart worm medication for awhile.
-Marsha A.

I also live in the Northern VA area. I use Petsmart groomers. They always due a great job with Mika and they let me watch if I like. It cost about $30 to have the "works" done on Mika. She gets a bath and a trim and looks great!! If you look in some pet catalogs you should be able to find a grooming video. Good Luck!! Jackie and Mika
-Jackie Florio