BATHING
Bathing can be a HUGE chore, but it doesn't have to be! There are self serve dog washes all over the city where you can bring your dog and get a big tub that has both side exposed. You get lots of shampoo, conditioner, brushes and towels. Your pooch even gets a doggy facial. All of this plus NOT cleaning up when you're done costs about $18! Not bad! One of my favorite places to go to is Soggy Paws.
EAR CLEANING
Fun stuff, hahaha! This great ear wash recipe is courtesy of a member of BigPawsOnly.
Blue Magic Ear Wash
> 16 drops of Gentian Blue Solution, (also known as Gentian Violet) found at any local drug store in dropper bottles
> 2. 4 Tablespoons of Boric Acid Powder, (also found at a pharmacy)
> 16 ounces of Isopropyl Alcohol
Mix all the above ingredients well...shaking it works well...pour into a large squirt bottle, (like a large water bottle with the pop-up squirt top, try to get a bottle that will hold the entire amount you have made). And this is very important: SHAKE IT WELL before every use, so the boric acid powder is distributed in the solution before you squirt it out. I squirt a very generous amount onto a sterile gauze pad, I put enough on the cotton to make a big circle and it is sopping wet with the blue solution...then I wipe the outer ear flap first, until the dog gets used to the coolness of the solution, and then proceed to working deeper and deeper into the ear canal, gently swabbing it out, and removing the brown build-up...I never squirt this solution straight into their ears...if you have the cotton soggy enough with this solution, it will be enough to coat the inside of the ears just fine...do not wipe it out, leave it dry in their ears.
This can be done every couple of days for a week or so, then once a week, then once every two weeks, until you only need to do it once a month until you see no build up any more (this may take several months if there is a really bad ear infection), but eventually you will only have to wipe their ears with this every 3-6 mos...it seems to put a very nice balance back into their ears...and over cleansing for too long, can actually cause some problems.... so once the dog has clear ears, I back off and let their body take care of itself...there should be a little waxy build up which is normal and healthy and protects the ear canal...(of course I don't mean the gross black/brown fudgey stuff, that isn't normal in large amounts). OK, I hope this works for you, as well as it has for me! I love it!
(Another tip: I typed the recipe on a piece of paper and taped it to the bottle it's in, so I have the recipe right in front of me the next time I need to make it, but it lasts forever, so you don't have to make it often...and it's sooooo inexpensive! Also, place a big "SHAKE WELL" tag on your bottle too...you must shake it well before each use, even between squirts!)
NAILS
I am a HUGE fan of Dremeling. A Dremel is a hand held tool that you can put multiple bits onto for whatever project you're working on. They are great to have around the house! Your chances of hitting the quick are so small that once you get used to it you'll never go back to clipping nails. There is also a long attachment (below) you can use so the sound that the tool iteself makes is further away from your dog, therefore making him or her less wary of it.
When we do it, I have Aaron (my boyfriend) feed the boys treats, talk to them and pet them while I work at the nails. It's a perfect arrangement! Here's a site that I recommend for learning how to Dremel!Good luck! This is a terrific bonding experience for you and your pup!
