Spring is officially here!  The clocks have sprung forward, lockdown is slowly easing, and as we count down the days to our hairdresser’s reopening, we should look to the grooming needs of our faithful companions.  Yes, our dogs and our cats who throughout this challenging year, have been constantly by our side, head on lap (or on laptop!) and now could really do with a bit of sprucing up themselves!

Short Haired Dogs

I will start with our short haired doggies, as there is sometimes a misconception that dogs with short hair do not need grooming…..they do!  We will include all short haired dogs from Labradors and Staffies to Pugs and Frenchies and all the Terrier Breeds, like Jack Russells and Border Terriers in this category.   Now is about the time they will start to shed their thicker Winter coats and have their new Summer coat, come through.  It is a good idea to aid this process through frequent and thorough brushing with a rubber curry brush.  Do it outside!  You will be amazed to see the clouds of hair that leave your dog and trip gaily across the pavement or garden.  He or she will also need a good bath and our PRO Shampoo Fragrance No.2 will be perfect for them.  It is a great de-shedding shampoo and contains Bergamot which will nourish and encourage all that new hair growth as they shed off the old.  Finish the bath off with PRO Conditioner, which will also help to moisturise the skin.  To help with the brushing do use a spritz to spray on the coat and brush through – we have 3 different fragrances, PRO Fragrance No.1 Perfume, Fragrance No.2 Perfume and Fragrance No.3 Perfume and you can either match them with the shampoo or use a different perfume.  Your dog will smell divine and his skin and coat will be nicely conditioned.  You can continue this with our Summer Spray with it long lingering fragrance is great to spray on every day before a walk in the woods or fields or park – we humans, love the smell of it – but certain annoying, bitey Summer ‘visitors’ don’t and they will keep well away!

Double Coated Dogs

These include Rough Collies, Chow Chows, Pomeranians, Spitz, German Shepherds, huskies, as well as the giant breeds like the Bernese and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs and St Bernards and Leonbergers.  If you own one of the latter, I am sure you are already well versed in the grooming thereof!  Actually although they need a lot more attention, their needs are quite similar to those of the Short Haired Dog.  These breeds will moult in Spring, but it will be a more dramatic and intense moulting.  As soon as the weather warms, they will shed an awful lot of hair, very quickly!  They have a mega thick undercoat that they need to get rid of.  This can get very congested and matted, so use our PRO Detangle Spray and lots of what my Mum used to call ‘elbow grease’ and with a long pronged rake, get as much out as you can. Removing all this thick, cloggy undercoat will allow air to get to your dog’s skin and let it breathe again. Then you can give your doggie a well earned bath and again the PRO Fragrance No.2 Shampoo will be great for them as will be our PRO Conditioner, which will moisturise both the skin and coat.  Any of our PRO Fragrance No.1, No.2 and No.3 Perfumes will be a great addition to their brushing routine and don’t forget to use the Summer Spray, before a walk!

Long Haired Dogs

So, I’m talking here mainly about our silky coated doggies.  Our Yorkies, Shih Tzus, Spaniels and Cavaliers to name just a few.  Long haired dogs do require a bit more attention.  Over the Winter months they may have more knots and tangles than usual and a great product to tackle these is our PRO Detangle Spray.  Simply spray generously to really soak the matt, knot or tangle and work in gently with fingers; this will allow the cuticles on the hairs to start to flatten and the hairs to loosen their hold on each other.  Take a comb and gently start to comb out from tip to root until the knot is banished!  Most of our shampoos are suitable for Long haired dogs, but I would really recommend our PRO Hydrating Shampoo to put back moisture and shine.  Follow this with our PRO Conditioner (heavenly fragranced containing Shea Butter and Rose Oil) and leave on for at least 5 minutes.  You can also start combing through the coat now and the Conditioner will help you do this.  Rinse off thoroughly and dry, either gently with a towel or you can use a hair dryer, but on the low setting and at least 12 inches from the dog!  Oh, and please hold down the ear flaps when you dry the head so he doesn’t get a blast of warm air down his ear canal!!  You can of course follow his/her pamper session with one of our gorgeous scents.

Poodles and Poodle Crosses

OK! So these guys require a lot more attention to keep their coats in optimum condition.  The curly coat needs frequent (if not daily brush – and yes, who has the time for that?!) to keep it tangle free, so please be instantly forgiven if, during lockdown, your Cockerpoo, Labradoodle or Cavapoochon, (for the uninitiated, this is a Cavalier/Poodle/Bichon mix) not to say your pure breed Poodle or Bichon has developed a matt or two!  So, similar really to the Long Haired Silky coated canines.  PRO Detangle to start to get rid of matts and knots and then a good bath with, I would suggest one of our PRO Fragrance No.1, Fragrance No.2 or Fragrance No.3 shampoos, all smell amazing (just choose your favourite) and are great shampoos for this type of coat.  Please use our PRO Conditioner to help comb out in the bath, dry gently, give a quick spray with one of our matching PRO Fragrance No.1, Fragrance No.2 or Fragrance No.3 Perfumes and enjoy your magnificent, beautifully smelling, gorgeous Poo!!

Paw Pads

This is an important area which I would like to advise on before I go!  Somehow, since lockdown, we are seeing an awful lot of doggies with really dry, cracked and damaged pads.

I have a couple of theories as to what has caused this.  Firstly, since a lot of us have been working from home most of Winter, we have probably had the central heating cranked up all day, not just set to greet us when we return from work, and also, I think ‘Walking’!

Having to ‘walk the dog’ has been a godsend for many of us.  I know our own teenage children, reluctant dog walkers at best, have been vying for the opportunity to get out of the house (or possibly the home schooling!) for half an hour to walk our dogs!  All this pavement pounding may have taken its toll, but we have the best solution for these poor over-walked pads!  Please apply our Magic Paw Balm and massage in gently – a lovely experience for both dog and owner – and use as often as needed.  Completely lick safe and a great way to restore those dry paws to optimum condition.

Cats!!

So grooming your cat can take a bit of practice, especially if he or she isn’t really used to it!  Start by gently combing several times a day (just for a minute or so) and giving treats as you do this.  Cats’ hair is really fine and silky, so use a fine comb or even, as I do, a fairly substantial flea comb.  Now is moulting season and you will do your kitty a huge favour by daily brushing to get rid of all that loose hair.  If you don’t comb it out, she will ingest it when she grooms herself, which is not so good and can cause hairballs.  You will also find masses of her moulted hair stuck to sofas, bed covers and literally anything you decide to wear, especially if it is black!!

Some cats love a bath, whilst others may take a bit of persuading.  Bathing is really beneficial for a cat, even if it is carried out just a few times per year.  It will get rid of dander and dust and also the remnants of the saliva which cats use to groom themselves and which carries allergens.  When people say they are allergic to cats, it is the dander and saliva that actually cause a reaction!

We have two special shampoos for cats.  In our PRO Range we have our PRO Cat Shampoo which is fragrance free and can be used on cats and kittens from 6 weeks of age.

In our PET Range we have our amazingly popular Purrfect Cat Shampoo which is infused with Catnip and really does seem to chill out your cat during its bathing session. I would also recommend our PET range Conditioner which is safe to use on cats and these really do help to moisturise the skin and coat.

Long Haired Cats may have become matted over the Winter lockdown and we have a great Detangle Spray for Cats which will help with this problem.  If your cat is matted all over you can spray this on copiously and leave overnight and brush out in the morning.  It is safe to lick and several of our long haired cats’ breeders’ clubs swear by this product.  For small or few matts, spray on, work in with fingers and gently comb out. Follow with a bath and blow dry and you will have a beautifully groomed, happy, kitty!