need to cut my yorkies hair

[richard 6767]

I need to cut my 10 year old yorkies hair...tired of paying 50 for a hair cut for her....but when she sees the scissors she goes crazy...I wonder what the groomer does to calm her down...anything I can give to calm her down of a mild sleep ? thanks...Richard
tableclocks@comcast.net

[zcb]

Maybe try some of the natural calm drops that the vets give when your dog is afraid of storms and fireworks. I've used it for Scooter and his fear of thunder and it does make him more mellow, and believe me that is quite a feat. It couldn't hurt......

[richard 6767]

Originally Posted by zcb

Maybe try some of the natural calm drops that the vets give when your dog is afraid of storms and fireworks. I've used it for Scooter and his fear of thunder and it does make him more mellow, and believe me that is quite a feat. It couldn't hurt......

thank you any brand or anything special ? pet smart have it ? thank you...

[mimimomo]

Can you have someone hold her & distract her while you trim her? My Mimi hates scissors, so I have my Dad hold her head & he kisses her the whole time loll. When I need to trim her face, he holds her body, this calms her down. She loves my Dad, he's her person.
You can also try soft e-collars for grooming. A member here makes really nice one for our small Yorkies, here's her website: The Kiss-E Collar
I have one that attacks any grooming tool, so I put the kiss-e collar on him to prevent him from getting hurt. It also blocks his view of the torture devices.

[Sunnydayz]

My mobile groomer actually uses an e collar with Gizmo as well, because he's just learning how to be groomed by a pro groomer, and he also hates his nails done, as well as the dryer :-)

[CesarTheGreat]

I cut my dogs hair for a while before I got tired of dealing with it. Easier to pay somebody. He is good for the groomer but not for me. I think it's the table they have - it holds the dog in a position where they can't pull away and holds their head up.

I thought about getting/building one but decided to just take him to the groomer.

He only goes nuts when they do his nails.

Look into the table and get a good pair of dog clippers. The difficult part will be trimming the paws. Everywhere else is easy.

I tell the groomers not to do the dew claws. I do those myself and it's a PITA. He screams like he's dying. Make sure you get it though if it grows into the pad, as many often do.

[theporkieyorkie]

I think my dogs do much better at home where they are comfortable. My little one is super squirmy though and he does not like to sit still while getting his hair cut. He has gotten better, but it's just been with practice. I took him to the groomer once to get his toenails trimmed and the only thing they did that I didn't do was man handle my dog. I could have done that myself to get the job done, but I didn't want to hurt him...hence me taking him to them. I asked to hold him for them but they said they aren't allowed to do that. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper and didn't return.

Groomers still deal with wiggly dogs...they are just used to it and they know how to hold the pup and work around it.

If you are going to start grooming your dog at home, you probably need to make the grooming process a daily ritual and practice with the scissors and clippers until you desensitize your dog...even if you don't cut the dogs hair....pretend like you are to get your pup used to it. You could also do a little bit of grooming at a time. With my squirmy guy, I will cut his ears one time...his front feet the next...and his back feet the next...and then the next time his potty patch etc etc. This keeps the grooming time shorter and less stressful, yet I can still keep him looking good.

At 10, you may not be able to get your pup to like being groomed, but maybe you can get them to tolerate it. I am wondering, if perhaps your dog had a bad experience with a groomer. I would think, that after 10 years, a yorkie would be used to being groomed. My 10 yr old is so used to it that he lays right down on the table and sits in the sink without trying to jump out. The 2 year old is even getting used to it, after getting weekly baths for the past 6 months.


Hopefully, your pup will be calmer at home and it will be a less stressful and it will be less costly.

[Sunnydayz]

I find it well worth paying the groomer as he does so many things I can't or don't now how to do myself :-) they remove the hair from te ear canals, the sanitary cut, they express the anal glands, trim his nails, brush his teeth, plus the cut and trimming :-) I have a wonderful mobile groomer as I would never take Gizmo to a groomer away from home. I've heard way to many horror stories about grooming shops, and I was blessed to find a wonderful mobile groomer, which is a family run business that has been doing grooming for over 30 years. Gizmo absolutely loves his groomer Mike, and I think Mike feels the sae way since he's always threatening to put Gizmo in his pocket and take him home with him because he's so good and so cute heehee.

[Rainbows]

Its not wise to start cutting your dogs hair without proper training, you need certain brushes, tools, and sheers to do it properly and if you dont know what your doing, especially around the paws and ears you can nick them and hurt them pretty bad. It might be expensive, but thats the price for being a yorkie owner, either way buying the tools and learning how to do yourself will be expensive too.

[gracielove]

It sounds to me like her grooming experiences have not been pleasant for her if she is that afraid when she sees the scissors. If she has endured years of harsh handling by groomers you are going to have your work cut out for you trying to teach her that grooming is not supposed to be a fearful experience.

You can try using an all natural treatment called Rescue Remedy for pets. It does calm your pet with no harmful chemicals. You will need to try doing just a little trimming at a time. I would get some small round tip scissors and do a little at a time as she relaxes.

Many of us here at YT groom our own pets. It is not rocket science. After having many nightmare experiences with so called "groomers" we have managed to do a good job without having to pay top dollar only to get a haircut different than what we asked for and frightened pets after their abuse. Others have had real physical harm done to their pets at some grooming establishments.

[crystalsmom]

This link on grooming from the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America may help a new owner, but of course assumes the dog is calm and not frightened. I might mention there is a vest a dog can wear and seems to work for dogs frightened of storms.

As the previous poster mentioned, it is dangerous enough to groom with a calm dog, no less one that is moving to get out of the situation. I would advise caution at all times.

The Yorkshire Terrier Grooming Tips- America

[gracielove]

This might be a good time to mention to new owners that it is really important to totally check out your groomer. Never leave your pup alone with a groomer you have never used. Make sure you are able to tour the actual grooming facility, where the dogs are kept and where they are groomed. Watch how they handle the dogs, especially new pups.

It takes a true professional to train a young pup to love being groomed. People who groom show dogs generally are very good at this since a show dog has to be willing to be handled by strangers. The newer chain grooming stores hire people off the streets and "train" them in house. There are no standards for grooming a dog. A groomer is not required to be trained to groom pets. There is no licensing for grooming pets so know whose hands you are putting your pup into.

There is a website called petedge.com that sells grooming supplies at very reasonable rates. They also sell a little tabletop grooming stand for small dogs. If you are new to grooming you can set it on the floor or a coffee table so your pet is safe.

I started out holding my little ones in my lap and casually snipping here and there as we watched TV. Pets are generally feeling safe and secure when snuggled up with their people. We worked up to the grooming stand but we had developed trust by then. (treats are important, too)We do have a very good groomer that Gracie goes to every few months but for in between we do quite a bit of trimming up here at home.

[mimimomo]

Originally Posted by gracielove

It sounds to me like her grooming experiences have not been pleasant for her if she is that afraid when she sees the scissors. If she has endured years of harsh handling by groomers you are going to have your work cut out for you trying to teach her that grooming is not supposed to be a fearful experience.

You can try using an all natural treatment called Rescue Remedy for pets. It does calm your pet with no harmful chemicals. You will need to try doing just a little trimming at a time. I would get some small round tip scissors and do a little at a time as she relaxes.

Many of us here at YT groom our own pets. It is not rocket science. After having many nightmare experiences with so called "groomers" we have managed to do a good job without having to pay top dollar only to get a haircut different than what we asked for and frightened pets after their abuse. Others have had real physical harm done to their pets at some grooming establishments.

I have to disagree w/this statement. Momo hates the clippers bc if it gets caught on a tangle, he freaks out. He's very sensitive. I didn't hurt him or treat him harshly. B4 I went to grooming school, I took him to several different groomers & they always said he was good to my surprise. When I used to mobile groom, customers asked me if their dog(s) was good & they were. The customer(s) would be surprised bc they said their dog(s) were not good when they were trying to groom them. So just bc your pet freaks out when you try to groom them, it doesn't mean your past groomer treated him/her bad. Just like when people adopt pets, they think the past owner treated them bad or even hit them if the dog cowers or hides. That's not always the case.

[Sunnydayz]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

I have to disagree w/this statement. Momo hates the clippers bc if it gets caught on a tangle, he freaks out. He's very sensitive. I didn't hurt him or treat him harshly. B4 I went to grooming school, I took him to several different groomers & they always said he was good to my surprise. When I used to mobile groom, customers asked me if their dog(s) was good & they were. The customer(s) would be surprised bc they said their dog(s) were not good when they were trying to groom them. So just bc your pet freaks out when you try to groom them, it doesn't mean your past groomer treated him/her bad. Just like when people adopt pets, they think the past owner treated them bad or even hit them if the dog cowers or hides. That's not always the case.

I have to agree here :-) I have all professional tools already, as I'm a licensed cosmetologist :-) but when grooming Gizmo myself, I think he knows he can get away with more with me, so he takes that advantage lol. It's kinda like when you take them to the vet, and they are perfect for the vet, and will let the vet do things they would never allow you to do. That is how my little Gizmo is :-) where with me he won't sit still once he's been bathed, but with the groomer I have, he's the perfect little gentlemen with him, well except a few little attempts to play, but the groomer who is a mobile groomer is awesome with him, and he's learning to be groomed well :-)

[Marhcarter]

I found that it was much easier to groom Huey at home once I bought a little grooming table. Going to the groomer had trained him to stand still once he is on the table with the little noose on his neck, whereas at home on the bed or deck or sofa or floor, the chase was on! The grooming table has not completely stopped the spinning in circles during the blow-dry, but it does keep him contained in one area & when I get the clippers near his face, he actually stands very still until I am done with that part.