The Groom Room : News December 2008

DOG OF THE MONTH at The Groom Room

This is a beautiful cocker spaniel, he comes to The Groom Room every eight weeks. His mum likes him to have a short, neat clip because he spends half his life in mud and water enjoying himself! So it's a practical style for him, and he looks and feels great too!

Cocker Spaniel : Before Cocker Spaniel : After

Brushing can be therapeutic

Now it is cold, many of you are asking me to leave longer hair on your dog for warmth. It's a good idea and of course I am happy to do it, but please remember that with longer hair comes the need to brush your dog to stop nasty knots developing!

Instead of treating brushing as a chore and a challenge, think of it as something that bonds you and your dog. You can do it in front of the TV, gently and kindly so your dog relaxes while he is brushed. When you have finished, give him a treat. There... that wasn't so bad was it?!

Do you find your young dog a handful?

Does this sound familiar?

barking at dogs and people
going mad when the door bell rings
over excitable jumping up when your dog greets you
guards his food and toys

When you bring a new dog into the family, initially he doesn't know where he stands, but very quickly he will learn what he can and can't do. Very often though, we don't let him know that there are some rules and boundaries, so the message he gets from us is that he is in charge of the household, and his job is to protect you and keep you in check!

If you would like some help and guidance, Rachel is very experienced in dog behaviour, and will be happy to give you a few tips.

You may also be interested to know that Sharon Bolt at www.good-dogs.co.uk is a talented dog trainer and behaviourist, and you can receive very helpful emails from her free of charge, giving you help with all kinds of problems that you might experience with your dog.