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Dog Grooming Forum Dog Grooming Forums - Bathing your dog and grooming your dog isn't always the easiest of task. Do you want to know what dog grooming techniques are working for others? Maybe you want to offer ideas or ask questions about dog grooming styles for specific breeds.
Popular Threads: How to give your dog a bath, How to cut Dog's Nails, Remove Dog Tear Stains


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Old 02-12-2008, 02:05 PM   #1
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Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

Hey all. My 4 1/2 month old Bichon-Poodle is adorable and adjusting great to his new home. I am a new pet owner and as a kid, we owned large, short haired dogs - so grooming is new to me.

Charmin is wonderful and relaxed - he lets me clean his ears, eyes, teeth and loves to be brushed. After a thorough brushing he looks so cute! Fluffy, soft...adorable. And within five minutes, he is scraggly and looks like hes been through a windtunnel. lol. These pics below were taken minutes after a good brushing.





It's not an issue, really, he still looks cute to us - but I am wondering if I am using the wrong types of brushes or if there are any tricks to it. I am hestitant to try any topical products or sprays because he has already had a bad reaction to a shampoo I had used.

Also, I know it has been in many previous posts, but what is the best way to minimize/clean tear staining?? The vet has checked his eyes - said they were fine. But everyday there is dark brown crud stuck to him.

Thanks all. =)
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Old 02-12-2008, 03:03 PM   #2
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Re: Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

The "scragly" hair is most likely due to him being a mixed breed. You may want to take him to a groomer and have them show you how to proerly use the tools you have, or let you know what kind of tools you need. Also when you bathe him you'll need to blow dry him all the way down to the root, that's how bichon and poodles get that really poofy coat, again a groomer can show you how to do this. The groomer can also show you how to prevent and clean the tear stains. And you may need to consult with your vet on which shampoo to use since he had a bad reaction to one you already used before.
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Old 02-13-2008, 08:29 AM   #3
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Re: Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

What a cutie!

The scraggliness (which is TOTALLY a word, and a good one, too!) is more than likely the result of a mixed-breed coat, a very common thing to see. Poodles and bichons have coats that naturally curl and sort of "clump" together. Groomers use their tools (more specifically a high velocity dryer and/or a fluff dryer) to fully dry and straighten the hair after the bath, giving them that sort of fluffy "show" appearance. You may be able to achieve this look at home with a brush and a hair dryer, but it will take a good chunk of time. If you're fond of the length but not the scraggliness, I would recommend having a groomer take a snap-on comb over the body to "tighten up" the coat, or rather a light trim w/o taking off much length. A groomer can also clean up the face a bit, ridding the hairs around the eyes that catch those eye boogers, and trimming up the face in general. As far as tear stains go, it can typically be traced back to the kind of food the dogs eats, and also any underlying health condition the dog *might* have. When the facial hair is wet from excess tearing it can become a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, which cause the brown coloring. There are some products out there, like Angels' Eyes, that do help, but are somewhat controversial because they use a small amount of an antibiotic, called Tylosin, and some people worry that the dog can develop a resistance to it. These products are sprinkled over the food daily and supposedly help to reduce staining (and I've heard very good things about them). I'd ask your vet about them to get their opinion before adding it into their diet. Tear staining is a pretty common problem amongst dogs (and cats), and unless it's really bad, can typically be trimmed away ever 4-6 weeks by a groomer.
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Old 02-13-2008, 02:50 PM   #4
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Re: Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

yeah the only way to really acheive a good look with these dogs is to completely dry the dog by hand with a stand dryer. but it may always have that sort of look just b/c poodles and bichons have different hair textures, and many mixes get sort of a thin wispy type of hair. you may want to think about taking him a bit shorter, his hair looks a bit uneven so it may look less straggly if he was one length all over.

as for the tear stains, there isnt much. giving the dog distilled/bottled water can help. also feeding a high quality diet. much of the staining is caused by a protien in the dogs saliva, so feeding a high protien food would help this along. other than that, you have to clean them everyday. the only other thing that would make it easier is having a groomer scoop the eyes, and just clip the hair below the eye. this way there is at least no hair to stain and clump to. but you would still have to clean them out every day, sometimes multiple times a day. if you are cleaning them regularly, the staining wont occur.
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Old 02-13-2008, 05:11 PM   #5
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Re: Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

I have a dog who always used to have goopy eyes, She's black so you couldn't see stains but they were always icky.

Since switching to higher quality food that has COMPLETELY disappeared. It took about 5 months though.
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Old 02-13-2008, 07:47 PM   #6
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Re: Scraggliest Little Pup (if thats a word)

I've heard that Apple Cider Vinegar added to the food daily helps with tearstains. It's also a good source of a lot of minerals. I would imagine a teaspoon for that sized dog would work well.
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