Pantops Pet Salon & Spa
Charlottesville's Professional Dog Grooming

The Chow

The Rottweiler

While we do groom Pit Bulls occassionally, caution should be taken with this breed

Basics:
Country of Origin: Spain, Great Britain
Group: Sporting
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Height: 18-21 inches
Weight: 40-50 lbs
Color: Liver and white or black and white

AKC Rank 2006:  26

The English Springer Spaniel

As I edit this article, headlines today proclaim that the “English Springer Spaniel is “America’s top dog.” Diamond Jim, a liver and white Springer, won best in show at the Westminster Dog Show which means he beat Bill Cosby’s Dandie Dinmont terrier entry! After winning, Diamond hopped right into his handler’s arms for a victory hug. This show was his last and soon he will be returning to his owners in Virginia to resume his life as a therapy dog. His handler, Kellie Fitzgerald, said, “They’re working dogs. He’s not going to be just a couch potato.” Diamond has already worked with Alzheimer’s patients. Of the 100 times that the best in show title has been presented at Westminster, this is the sixth time an English Springer Spaniel has won.
~Jenna
The English Springer Spaniel “is a gun dog with unlimited stamina so he thrives on physical activity.”

When considering a Springer, always keep in mind their initial purpose–hunting. Their history with this job explains their boundless energy, desire to please, and loyalty. “Boundless” is by no means an understatement. The Springer’s stamina requires the owner to commit to exercise and lots of it. Jenna’s family owns a Springer, Maggie, and she says her dog just can’t be worn down. It’s best to look elsewhere if you lead a sedentary life!

Most breeds originated with a working relationship with man and the Springer is no exception. They were bred to flush birds into the air for hunters. 70 years ago, Springer breeding divided in two directions—the bench Springer, bred for show, and the field Springer, bred for hunting. After 70 years of emphasis in different areas, the appearance and demeanor of the show dog differs markedly from that of the field dog. Most of the dogs we seek out as pets probably are AKC registered and originally bred for show. The field Springer has a much shorter coat and is smaller than the show dog. Field dogs have trials and testing just as their show counterparts do.

As far as grooming is concerned, Springers have beautiful double coats and need to be brushed several times a week to prevent that soft undercoat from matting. In the typical breed groom pattern, the head and top one third of the ear is clipped very close (1/8”) and the back is clipped to between 1/4″ and 1/2″ and then blended into the sides and legs. The feathering on the chest and legs is lightly scissored to make an even line and the pads are rounded but full.

For those who like this look but want less maintenance, the feathering on the legs and chest can be scissored to about 2” long. We call this our Summer Cut. A very popular cut and our easiest haircut to maintain is the Utility Cut. Except for the trademark ears, the total dog is clipped to 1/4″-1/2” all over. Many of our customers prefer this for summer and revert back to the breed groom for winter months. The Springer coat and the hair itself is some of the coarsest we clip so unless you we a very sharp blade we’re liable to get hung up in the fur. This speaks well for their ability to run through brush and thickets and also repel water.

Determine what you want out of your Springer and which division would suit your lifestyle when you are researching the background of your potential puppy. Also be aware that there have been reports of a strain of very dominant aggressive Springers whose behavior may be unpredictable. As with all dogs, careful breed selection, including an examination of the parents, is crucial. Your choice of a Springer will require you to be able to devote at least an hour daily to vigorous exercise in addition to proper socialization and regular brushing followed with a comb. If you can exercise your Springer to burn off a lot of energy, they are known to make wonderful family pets. Jenna says there is nothing quite like that soulful Springer gaze.

1. The Breed Groom involves trimming the dead ends and leaving the length.

2. The Summer Cut is the in-between cut.

3. The Benji Cut leaves the legs long and full but the body is taken down short.

4. The Utility Cut is short all over.

Basics
Country of origin: Germany and
Central Europe (France and Russia)

Group: Toy for Toy Poodle,
Nonsporting for Miniature and Standard

Lifespan: Toys – up to 18 years!
Miniature and Standards – 12-15 years

Height: Toy – under 10”
Miniature – under 15”
Standard – 15” and over

Weight: Toy – 4-8 lbs
Miniature 12-18 lbs
Standard – varies

Color: Any solid color or varying shades.

AKC Rank 2006:  8

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Basics
Country of origin: England
Group: Herding
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Grooming: Brush at home weekly
Height: 18-22”
Weight: 35-55 lbs

AKC Rank 2006:  56

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Country of Origin: Germany
Group: Toy
Lifespan: 16-18 years
Height: 7-12 inches
Weight: 3-7 lbs
Color: All solid colors as well as parti-colors
AKC Rank 2006:  14

Pomeranians are one of our most popular breeds.  With early socialization they can be very friendly and easy to groom. They can have a tendency to be shy with strangers so an early introduction to the groomer is highly recommended. They need frequent brushing to help keep the undercoat from getting too matted.  Many of our customers prefer to keep them in short clips or scissored well to make home grooming easier. When they are well groomed, they are certainly one of the handsomest toy dogs that we do.

Keep in mind, dogs of the toy group are not recommended for small children as they may be temperamental—but for older children and adults they are known to be eager to please, gentle and affectionate. Patience is required in housebreaking them and they have a tendency to bark if not properly controlled.

Puppy Cut

Utility Cut

 

 

 

 

Basics:
Country of Origin: Scotland
Group: Terrier
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Height: 11 inches at the shoulder
Weight: 15-22 lbs
Color: White

AKC Rank 2006:  33

Archived from “The Paw Report:” Issue #9, March.

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Basics
Country of Origin: Newfoundland – England
Group: Sporting
Lifespan: 10-12 years
Height: 21-24 inches
Weight: 65-80 lbs (male), 55-70 lbs (female)
Color: Black, yellow, chocolate

AKC Rank 2006:  1

  The Labrador Retriever

My sister Nina and brother Chris both have Labrador Retrievers as a part of their family. Nina’s husband Ron is an avid sportsman and chose his Labs from hunting stock while my brother Chris wanted a good family member to entertain his three boys. Both are on at least their 3rd Lab and for good reason—these dogs get high marks across the board. A breed standard Lab is a calm house dog, playful yard dog, and intense field dog. Labs also make excellent guides for the blind and service dogs for the disabled.

Here’s what Nina had to say about Labs:  “Meet ‘Jaeger’ Greene, our female yellow Labrador retriever. She has been a part of our family for the past 7 years. We got her as a puppy in 1999. She has probably been the nicest Lab that we have had, and we’ve had 2 others, females. Our first dog was a Golden Retriever, male. After having the male Golden for 12 years, ‘I’ decided that a female Lab was the way to go. They stick around…don’t tinkle on everything in sight and are more relaxed than
males….sorry, guys, that’s just the way I see it, and they don’t have as much dog hair as the Golden. My husband who loves to hunt … and has always wanted to have a dog…agreed to my ‘sex’ requirement!

Labs are just beautiful to look at, soft to pet, and loving members of the family. They are easy to train and will respond to anyone with authority. As Mike has said in many of his articles, training is KEY. You must start early and be consistent. I like knowing that my dog will always listen and is very loving with the grandchildren. I never even consider worrying about her with them. What a great choice for those of you who would like a family pet for the adults….and children! As to hunting…she is right there. She will retrieve a duck in the morning and sleep with a grandchild that night. What a perfect pet!”

If you haven’t groomed a Lab, you may assume that short coat is easy to take care of but it can be quite the challenge. Labs are double-coated dogs—the outer coat is dense and hard in texture while the undercoat is weather resistant and protects them from cold, all types of ground cover, and water. Their ability to retrieve fowl out of water on a cold day makes them a favorite of duck hunters. It is that soft undercoat that requires proper brushing.  The primary reason our Lab customers bring their dogs to us for a bath is because we use a special undercoat removing tool which seriously minimizes shedding and allows the skin to breathe.

Some of our customers have gone so far as to give their Labs a haircut—between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch. This really does cut back on the brushing altogether and the shedding that does take place is hardly noticeable.  Below is an example of this utility cut.

According to the American Kennel Club, the Labrador Retriever holds the rank of most popular totaling 137,867 Labs registered.  The Golden Retriever is a distant second place with only 48,509 registered—about 2/3 less than the amount of Labs. Here, we groom 58 Labs and 37 Lab mixes, totaling 95 Labs coming into our shop.

Labs are typically highly intelligent, easy to train and thrive on human companionship but as with all popular breeds, make sure you get a look at the parents and avoid getting a puppy who will be like his hyper and bone-headed parents. 

Basics
Country of origin:  Tibet/China

Group:  Toy

Lifespan:  10-12 years

Height:  11 inches

Weight:  9-16 lbs

AKC Rank 2006: 9

The Shih Tzu is quite a popular breed.  We have 95 that come to us (not counting the many Shih Tzu mixes that we also groom). Why are so many people interested in this little ball of fur? While many of our breeds have a working relationship with man, the Shih Tzu has been bred to be a companion dog for hundreds of years. This “lion dog” was at times spiritual (tied to Buddhism) as well as a prized possession of Tibetan and Chinese emperors.

Our experience at the shop is very positive—they really are wonderful pets. Yes, we get the shy, snappy ones now and then but this is more an indication of a bad breeder than a judgment on the breed as a whole.

Most of our Shih Tzus are kept in short coats—anywhere from a ¼ inch to 1 inch clip with bangs instead of a tied up ponytail. A 6 to 8 week schedule for grooming should maintain this coat quite well. The longer cuts will require brushing twice a week and ponytail adjustments daily (maybe this is why we do so many short cuts!) At the bottom of this page, we explain the Shih Tzu cuts in more detail.

Shih Tzus are very friendly and good with children if trained properly but I’ve never owned one myself so we asked a few of our customers what they thought of the breed:

Deborah Wishart owns Lucy and says that her dog is so cute and lovable that people stop her in the street to comment! She enjoys the look and ease of the short cut but warns that no matter what you do, grooming costs are high! She’s had Shih Tzus in the family and even though she thinks Lucy is stubborn, she would definitely get another!

Leitzle Ford owns Tori and says that she also loves the “look” of the Shih Tzu and how sweet and loving the breed is. “They are truly a companion dog—loving to be in your lap, by your side, or at your feet.” She also agrees on the short haircut and adds that it keeps Tori comfortable. When she kept the hair longer, she did her best to brush the coat every day. Additionally, she is very emphatic that a dog’s personality is a reflection of the owner–don’t rely entirely on the breed to make your dog…you’re part of the process too!

Tiffany Adams loves her Shih Tzu, Daisy! “If I had one word to describe a Shih Tzu, it would have to be lovable! Shih Tzus are born to please their owners; they make the best companions. Shih Tzus are very low maintenance given their small stature and ‘no-shed’ coat of hair, but are very ‘high’ in the joy they bring to all.” Daisy has one of our long personality cuts with a shorter face–not too short, but not too long either!

Danielle Denega owns Quigley and says “I can’t recommend the breed enough: no shedding, almost no barking (only when someone knocks at the door), very affectionate, alert and curious, easy to travel with, he’s even a good “guard dog”!” She says that the only downside to Shih Tzus is that they’re so people-oriented that they don’t like to be left alone. “He makes sad Quigley faces when he sees me leaving the house without him.” When he’s home, all attention is on Danielle: “I call him my shadow because he literally follows me around the house from room to room. If I’m on the couch, he wants to be on the couch.

If I’m doing laundry, he’s laying at the foot of the machine. If I’m working at my computer, he’s either in my lap, under my chair, or sometimes sitting right on the desk. I was just mopping the floor, and he was chasing the mop around!” She went to the AKC for a breeder referral and was recommended Viki Lemke ( http://www.ashihtzufuru.com/ ).

We offer four basic haircuts for the Shuh Tzu.

Breed Groom

1. The Breed Groom calls for brushing and combing with very little clipping involved. The hair on top of the head is put in a pony tail by parting the hair from the corner of the eye to the ear opening on both sides and then from ear to ear on the back of the head. This gathered hair is centered on the top rear of the head and tied with a rubber band—often followed with a bow. The groin area is clipped, hair in the ears removed and bottoms of the pads clipped. The pads are scissored “natural.” Do a thorough weekly brushing at home and check your work with a comb. Bring your Shih Tzu in to us every four weeks for a professional brushing, combing, and bath.
   

   Puppy Cut

2. The Puppy Cut. Very few of our customers keep their Shih Tzus in full coat because of the maintenance involved and the matting that can develop without frequent and proper brushing. This clip essentially maintains most of the coat but thins it uniformly to about 1.5-2 inches all over. This is a nice clip if you want a full fluffy look and don’t mind some brushing weekly—about half of that required by the Breed Groom. This can be accompanied by bangs and clipping the top of the nose instead of using a pony tail. The length of the coat is established by a lot of hand scissoring which involves much more time and skill on the part of the groomer (this translates to a higher price!). Schedule an appointment with us every 4-6 weeks to maintain this length.

   

   Benji Cut

3. The Benji Cut. If your Shih Tzu has a nice chest (not skinny) then the Benji Cut could be for you. The body is clipped between ¼ and 1 inch in length—leaving the legs and tail long. The legs are scissored into cylinders and blended into the shoulders. The pads are rounded. This is relatively easy to maintain by weekly brushing of the legs, ears, and tail. A professional grooming can be scheduled every 6 to 8 weeks.
   

   Personality Cut

4. Personality Cut. This is by far the most popular groom. The body and legs are clipped uniformly to between ¼ to 1 inch in length. The tail is scissored to half the leng from base to tip and the head is scissored short with bangs. Brush the ears and tail at home weekly and come to see us in 8-10 weeks!

Basics
Country of origin: Scotland
Group: Sporting
Lifespan: 10-12 years
Color: Varying shades of gold

When it comes to a large dog that is an all around great pet for singles, couples, or a family with children it’s hard to beat the Golden Retriever. After researching many breeds and talking with Dad, my daughter Rebecca decided that a Golden was the choice for her and her husband. I suggested she do 3 things; first find a reputable breeder, second, observe the parents or at least the dam on location and third, be willing to spend money—at least $500.

Through an online search, Rebecca found the Golden Retriever Club of America which helped her contact a reputable breeder in Winchester, VA.  This breeder has a national reputation for quality dogs and interviewed Rebecca to see if she was fit to adopt one of the puppies. In the interview, Rebecca described herself and husband: where they lived, how they would exercise, play with, and share their lives with this dog. Upon approval, the breeder selected a puppy from the litter that best suited their situation.

Rebecca wanted a dog to run and play Frisbee with who would also be calm at home since they lived in a town house community with lots of other families and dogs. She also planned on having children so the temperament had to be just right. Ellie cost her $900 and is one of the nicest Goldens I have ever met. She is now four years old and for the past year has shared the limelight with my grandson Logan. Rebecca did it the right way and got a wonderful dog that will hopefully give her 10-12 years of pure love and companionship.

But just like the Cocker Spaniel, Goldens have suffered for their decades of popularity.  Preying on demand, careless “back yard” breeders have ruined many of the breed lines.  We’ve seen Goldens that are exceptionally hyper, hard to train and either too big or small and skinny—very different from the breed standard.  But if you do your homework, your chances of getting the perfect pet are greatly improved.

In terms of grooming the Golden—that big dog does have a big coat! They need to be thoroughly brushed at least weekly with special attention given behind the ears, to the tail, and to the chest area between the front legs. Trimming the feathers can make grooming easier and still retain the “Golden Look.”

We have three basic clips for the Golden. The first and longest of these is the Breed Groom.

Breed Groom

The standard Breed Groom for the Golden is primarily a good brushout. The feathers on the tail, chest, and legs are lightly trimmed to remove dead ends, the pads are rounded and the groin area is clipped short (maintains cleanliness when dogs relieve themselves). The hair around the ear opening is clipped as well to make ear cleaning an easier process. Keep in mind that every groom includes a nail clipping. This groom requires the most maintenance at home–heavy brushing followed with a comb at least weekly. Professional grooming to maintain this coat needs to happen at least every six weeks.

Summer Cut

The Summer Cut. This is the “in-between” cut, not too short but not too long either! After thoroughly brushing out your dog, we trim all the feathering on the legs, chest, rear and tail to about half of the original length–less hair means less maintenance and yet your Golden still looks like a Golden instead of like a yellow Lab.

Utility Cut

The Utility Cut is the easiest cut to take care of at home. It is not so short as to show skin but it’s short enough to need minimum brushing. This cut can help your pet stay cool in summer but so can the Summer Cut! The real benefit to the Utility cut over the Summer Cut is that it requires much less maintenance to prevent matting.  Read more about the differences between these haircuts in our Brushout, Short Cut or Something in Between article.

Basics
Country of origin: England
Group: Sporting
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Height: 13-15 inches
Weight: 24-28 lbs

AKC Rank 2006: 16

Most of us are familiar with the cocker spaniel from the Disney movie, “Lady and the Tramp.”  Because of this movie, the cocker spaniel’s popularity skyrocketed.  Everyone wanted a dog like “Lady” (many of our cockers were even given that same name).  Unfortunately, this high demand led to indiscriminate “backyard” breeding that took a typically happy dog breed and created genetic lines of snappy dogs that tend to squat and pee at any new situation or distraction. Ask any veterinarian, groomer, or boarder and we all agree that improper over-breeding has made the task of finding a good cocker very difficult. Along with a possible sour disposition, they often have chronic ear problems and skin disease. That doesn’t mean you should discount the breed as a possible pet, but it does mean that you need to be vigilant in your search for a reputable breeder who will give you several references as well as allow you to examine the parents of your potential puppy.

I had a cocker spaniel named Sugar and she was a wonderful family pet for our four children. Sugar was exceptionally friendly, never snapped, was easy to groom, and well house-trained. I can’t find anything negative about her or some of the many that come in for grooming. If you do your homework and are willing to spend some money ($500-1000) you can get the perfect family pet from a litter of cockers. Think that’s too much to spend on a dog? With an average lifespan of 12 years you’re only spending 17 cents a day for a $750 dog. Spend a lot less and you run the risk of getting the worst. Is it worth it when you then end up being unhappy for a potential 12 years instead of spending that 17 cents a day for a dog that thoroughly enriches your life?

Outside of breeding, grooming is a very important area to consider when choosing a dog. The amount of time, effort, and money you’re willing to spend on your dog should reflect in your breed selection so that both you and your dog can be comfortable and happy. The coat of the cocker spaniel is long and silky with lots of feathering on the chest and legs. This coat requires light brushing at least twice a week and serious brushing followed with a comb every two weeks. If you’re not willing to spend the time, stay away from the breed because they matt very easily. Professional grooming should take place every 4 weeks for show coat dogs and every 6 weeks for coats kept shorter.

We offer four basic haircuts for our Cocker customers.

Breed Groom

The first clip is what we call our Breed Groom–what the breed standard calls for. Here we cut the muzzle and head very short–to about 1/8 of an inch. We also clip 1/3 of the top half of the ear leather. The back is taken down to between 1/4 and 1/2 an inch at about shoulder height and blended into the skirt. The chest is lightly trimmed to remove dead ends and the pads are rounded. The groin area is closely clipped (maintains cleanliness when they relieve themselves). Remember, this style requires a lot of grooming at home as well as professional visits about every four weeks.

Summer Cut

The Summer Cut. Here we maintain the Cocker pattern and style but shorten the feathers, chest, and legs to about half of the original length. This reduces the brushing required at home and can delay your need for professional visits to between 6 and 8 weeks.

Benji Cut

The Benji Cut. For a Cocker that has plenty of chest, this is a nice cut. We continue the short clip down the back and also clip out between the legs and do the chest and stomach. We leave the legs long and scissor them round into cylinders blending in at the shoulders. If you are having trouble keeping the chest from matting, this may be the clip for you. You still need to brush the ears and legs well at least weekly and professional visits should be 8 weeks apart.

Utility Cut

Utility Cut. With this groom, we turn your Cocker into a Beagle with long ears. Basically a maintenance-free cut except for the ears which can be maintained with occasional brushing. Don’t forget to come back to us every 8-12 weeks to maintain the short length of the coat!