She smells like a.... what?
I took Doris to a groomer for the first time today. Her toenails were hopelessly long; she was shedding; I haven't bathed her in almost two months. Really, the bathing part -- well, she isn't stinky. It's hard to justify wrestling Doris into a bathtub full of water and torturing her if she isn't noticeably dirty.
But I was feeling oodles of guilt about those toenails. Someone needed to trim them! I called the groomer in town, asked how much a good brushing, bathing, and trimming would cost, and I made an appointment.
The most alarming thing about the appointment was that the groomer told me it would be three hours from drop-off to pick up. Not that I wanted to rush her or anything. I just didn't know if I could handle being away from Doris that long.
I took Doris in this morning at the appointed hour, and the groomer asked a few questions, like what kind of flea treatment Doris was on, and whether Doris had "any issues." I'm still not really sure how I should have answered that question. I said that Doris was still young and was sometimes iffy on her commands like "come," "sit," "wait," etc. The groomer took Doris' leash and led her off behind the rail, and then I went home to chew on my fingernails and count the 180 minutes 'til I could pick her up again.
...
...
....
Does the clock seem slow to you? Or is it just me?
...
Et. Cetera.
Finally I went back to get Doris, who was in a crate near the front where she could see me. The groomer had to put a gigantic rottweiler in a crate before she could get Doris out of her crate, so by the time she opened Doris' crate door, my puppy was whining for me and starting to freak out a little.
I finally got my puppy, hugged her, smelled her, said, "Oh, my! You smell good!" I checked her ears and her toenails, and everything seemed cool, so I paid the groomer and tipped her about 14%, and then I brought my darlin' Doris Daylily home where I could better assess the grooming.
And honestly? The most stand-out thing about the experience -- other than the nicely trimmed toenails and a strange triangle of pink and grey camouflage print material around Doris' neck -- is that my dog... doesn't smell like a dog. Nope. Not a dog smell. Not a clean dog, not a dirty dog, not a wet dog. No -- Doris smells like -- well, really, quite a lot like -- scented candles. Yes, I am pretty sure Doris smells like a scented candle. A cherry vanilla scented candle, to be specific.
I am not opposed to going back to the groomer -- and honestly, she told me she could do Doris' toenails for $5, so that's an advantage -- but next time, I think I'll ask if there's a shampoo that smells less.... frilly.
I discombobulated by the strong odor of that stuff.
And the triangle lasted long enough for my husband to see it, and then it came off. All the clean puppies at the groomer's was wearing them, but I'm really not a kerchief kind of person. It just kept rolling up and being in the way.
So what does your dog smell like when it goes to the groomer? Is this normal? What scents are even available? I am unschooled -- teach me!
But I was feeling oodles of guilt about those toenails. Someone needed to trim them! I called the groomer in town, asked how much a good brushing, bathing, and trimming would cost, and I made an appointment.
The most alarming thing about the appointment was that the groomer told me it would be three hours from drop-off to pick up. Not that I wanted to rush her or anything. I just didn't know if I could handle being away from Doris that long.
I took Doris in this morning at the appointed hour, and the groomer asked a few questions, like what kind of flea treatment Doris was on, and whether Doris had "any issues." I'm still not really sure how I should have answered that question. I said that Doris was still young and was sometimes iffy on her commands like "come," "sit," "wait," etc. The groomer took Doris' leash and led her off behind the rail, and then I went home to chew on my fingernails and count the 180 minutes 'til I could pick her up again.
...
...
....
Does the clock seem slow to you? Or is it just me?
...
Et. Cetera.
Finally I went back to get Doris, who was in a crate near the front where she could see me. The groomer had to put a gigantic rottweiler in a crate before she could get Doris out of her crate, so by the time she opened Doris' crate door, my puppy was whining for me and starting to freak out a little.
I finally got my puppy, hugged her, smelled her, said, "Oh, my! You smell good!" I checked her ears and her toenails, and everything seemed cool, so I paid the groomer and tipped her about 14%, and then I brought my darlin' Doris Daylily home where I could better assess the grooming.
And honestly? The most stand-out thing about the experience -- other than the nicely trimmed toenails and a strange triangle of pink and grey camouflage print material around Doris' neck -- is that my dog... doesn't smell like a dog. Nope. Not a dog smell. Not a clean dog, not a dirty dog, not a wet dog. No -- Doris smells like -- well, really, quite a lot like -- scented candles. Yes, I am pretty sure Doris smells like a scented candle. A cherry vanilla scented candle, to be specific.
I am not opposed to going back to the groomer -- and honestly, she told me she could do Doris' toenails for $5, so that's an advantage -- but next time, I think I'll ask if there's a shampoo that smells less.... frilly.
I discombobulated by the strong odor of that stuff.
And the triangle lasted long enough for my husband to see it, and then it came off. All the clean puppies at the groomer's was wearing them, but I'm really not a kerchief kind of person. It just kept rolling up and being in the way.
So what does your dog smell like when it goes to the groomer? Is this normal? What scents are even available? I am unschooled -- teach me!
Comment
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Comment by Debby on October 6, 2009 at 3:32pm
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My Cody comes home really fresh and no scent. When I wash it only lasts a week, when the groomer washes, it lasts forever and he is really white where it counts! They trim his nails for me, which I never have done on any dog. I always have the groomer do them. Cody's back nails tend to grow faster, it seems! He will tolerate the scarf for about an hour. He gets it off somehow. When I took him to the dog park wearing his scarf, he got lots of attention, so that he loves!
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Comment by Alice on October 6, 2009 at 2:08pm
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The shampoo we use at home is Earthbath. It's a natural, ph balanced line. We have the gentle puppy one right now which is a cherry scent. It smells really good and is not strong.
http://www.theultimategreenstore.com/p-154-all-natural-earthbath-gentle-sweet-cherry-puppy-shampoo.aspx
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We took Finnigan to the groomer for the first time about a month ago. Up until then we bathed him at home. The main reason we decided to go to a groomer is because his nails were getting long and when he was little I could trim them with dog nail clippers but now that he's a big boy his nails have become too thick for the clippers. They cause the nail to split and it makes me nervous. So, that and the fact that he was shedding so badly, we decided it was worth paying a groomer to take care of him. We chose a little privately owned groomer that had great reviews online. We took him in the morning and they told us we could pick him up 4 hours later. I too was shocked at how long he’d have to stay there and couldn’t help but wonder if they would take him out to go potty because especially with the anxiety of being there, I knew he’d have to go. We came back 4 hours later and he was in a kennel with a cool air dryer hanging on it (we warned them that he was afraid of the sound of a blow dryer so this must have been the alternative). He still was not ready to go. They got him out, brushed him and dremeled his nails and finally about 20 minutes later he was finished. He was so shiny and clean. He was still a tiny bit damp but I know how hard it is to get him dry with all that fur so it was no big deal. He smelled good. There was no hint of wet dog which is usually what I get when I wash him at home. The scent was not overpowering either. It was a light sort of clean/cherry smell. The best part was that it lasted for almost 2 weeks and he didn’t shed at all for about that long! Finn was a little nervous about the whole experience but I would take him back because he turned out so well. Later on I did notice two little scabs on his body and wondered if it could have been from the groomer brushing him or maybe the special conditioner they used to loosen the hair but it could have been from something totally unrelated so I will not write them off yet. The whole thing cost about $35 (including tip) and they even brushed his teeth. I thought that was a reasonable price. It’s hard for me to trust anyone with my dog. I worry that he will be picked up wrong or allowed to do something that may hurt his legs or back, but I felt pretty comfortable with how they interacted with him and that’s important.
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Comment by Jane Christensen on October 6, 2009 at 12:33pm
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I have used an oatmeal shampoo from my vet...don't remember the brand or scent but it wasn't strong. I also like the idea of a shampoo from the healthfood section as they tend to be much less toxic.This does not mean "natural" but the real organic/non toxic kind. Dr Bronners has a couple that are people body wash they work and I believe are mint!
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I have used an oatmeal shampoo from my vet...don't remember the brand or scent but it wasn't strong. I also like the idea of a shampoo from the healthfood section as they tend to be much less toxic.This does not mean "natural" but the real organic/non toxic kind. Dr Bronners has a couple that are people body wash they work and I believe are mint!
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Comment by Edward and Gemima on October 6, 2009 at 11:42am
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I just really enjoy Edward and Gem's Corgi smell too much to cover it up and the three hour time frame would drive them and me nuts!!!! We do give em a good bath, mostly when they've been romping around at the Lake, rolling in dead fish and seaweed, but I just use a gentle puppy shampoo with an almond?? fragrance. They still smell of Corgi tho even when we're done and I couldn't be happier about that!!! Did you ever see our thread about the smell of Corgi feet??? Now that was funny!!!!!!
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Comment by Bev Levy on October 6, 2009 at 9:24am
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We had a standard poodle for 18 years and spent a small fortune on grooming so I love the wash'n wear corgis. They come in the shower with me for a scrub down and roll and race around the house to dry. The vet does the nails because I am a wimp! I do the comb outs and then clean up the mountains of hair. Sometimes I spray them with a body wash I bought at the health food store that is mint&lavender but that just makes Sparty roll and rub against everything! I don't really mind doggy smell but I also love the smell of horses too so most people think I am a little off......
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Comment by Amanda on October 6, 2009 at 8:01am
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I take Dax to the groomer every now and then when I just don't have time to do everything myself. The one I go to does a bath, nails and ears for like $27, so for me it's worth it. I used to get his teeth cleaned, also, but then he bit one of them, so I don't ask them to do it anymore. :( Anyway I love it. They do a great job on his nails, and he usually smells awesome when he comes out. It's usually a frilly kind of smell, but I'm a girl, so I like it. And it's better than a dog smell. One time when I went and got him he smelled a little weird. They had put some type of cologne on him, I guess because he's a boy. I didn't like that smell too much, but last time I went they actually asked me if he could have "perfume"(their words), and I said I didn't want that cologne-ish smell, so they sprayed a "fresh scent" on him, which smelled really good.
I do worry that it bothers him, because I know the smell is amplified to him, but it usually fades within a few hours. You can still kind of smell it if you get right up to him, but it's not nearly as strong. Overall they do a really good job, especially with his nails. I have a Peticure, but its so hard to get him to sit still (he's a big baby about his nails being trimmed, even though no one has ever hurt him doing it), and if his nails are long, it takes forever.
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Comment by John Wolff on October 6, 2009 at 12:18am
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I wish I were in your shoes. I'd go back and say, "I loved that scented-candles perfume last time, but Doris ia a dog and really prefers the aroma of something that came out of a possum and was well-dead long before it got into the possum in the first place. Do you have an Eau of Dead Fish or Old Dog Poop?"
I mean, nobody's asking the dogs about this stuff.
I suggest trimming the claws yourself. It's a pretty quick job once you get it down, and you can trim more frequently, and hence cut less each time. I still need help with Al: Lori distracts him while I trim the claws, else he carries on like I'm amputating his legs. It's easy with Gwynn. Just be careful; once you hurt them, it's hard to regain trust.
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Comment by Nicole, Stanley and STELLA! on October 6, 2009 at 12:14am
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So far, I've just bathed Stella myself, and I've been using an all natural puppy shampoo called "Tropiclean." It has a vaguely coconutty Coppertone type smell, but isn't really that strong. I know what you mean about the candle smell, though! I went with my friend and her dog to petsmart, and all they did was clip the dog's toenails, but they put "Sugar Cookie" scent on her! It was like a candle shop/Bath and Body Works nightmare!!!! Those type of smells give ME a headache, so I couldn't imagine how a dog's super sense of smell reacts to them!? Wouldn't that really bother them? I think that a good thing about corgis is that they aren't a breed that HAS to go to a groomer's for a special style or cut. My mom takes her dogs to get groomed (Shi Tzu and Bichon) and they always come back smelling crazy AND with painted toenails!
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