Are you interested in doing fun, exciting stuff with your Poodle?

by | Jul 16, 2019 | Uncategorized

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE OUT THERE THAN CRAZY DOG PARKS TO HAVE FUN WITH FIDO? That’s right! How about organized activities that are safer and run by professionals  for the fun of playing and bonding with your dog?

In the last few years, performance sports have become increasingly popular and a variety of new formats have been added.  Suprisingly there is still a huge disconnect between the pet owner and all these fun activities! Why are the clubs not doing a better job of bringing these sports to the average dog owner? I think a lot is budget strains since most are on very limited funds.  We as breeders could probably do a better job in general with promoting them as well but when is the right time? There is SO much to cover with our clients when they are buying a puppy it can become overload.  BUT, I think if people gave them half a chance, they would be pleasantly surprised.  Hopefully we can help do our part to spread the word as nothing would make us happier than to know this blog inspired people to get out there and have some fun with their dogs! I personally believe if there was a way to get the majority of people interested in any of these events, we would see more dogs staying in homes and less being turned in to shelters as there are SO many benefits to making training fun and interesting as well as an outlet for both owner and dog.

Now before you go thinking these are all about lots of skill and time consuming dedication as well as expenses, think again.  There are many options that are lower on skill levels and high on fun factor as well as very affordable on a budget! I firmly believe there’s a great deal of people out there that if they only knew how to find these options, more would be turning up to go just have some fun bonding play time with Fido! Well, YOU CAN!

Let’s start with the two largest Kennel Clubs in the U.S.  I don’t think it’s a stretch to say most have heard of AKC but are you familiar with UKC or United Kennel Club? I bet not.  And one reason is that both clubs don’t have unlimited amounts of money to spend on advertising and UKC has even less being smaller.  Both offer more than just dogs running in circles around a show ring.  Perhaps some of you have heard of Obedience but there’s so much more on offer out there.  We fully support both kennel clubs but for today’s blog, I am going to emphasize UKC simply because I find they are much easier to navigate and a bit friendlier to novice owners.  There are also smaller entities that offer things like Trick Dog titles – you don’t even have to travel someplace to earn them but can send in videos!

First I will post a link to the main page for United Kennel club here:  https://www.ukcdogs.com/     You can find a lot of good information so we encourage you to explore their website.  You’ll notice they have a tab for Hunting and a tab for Show.  Now I know many of you aren’t going to be into Hunting or Showing dogs.   HOWEVER, Click on Show and you’ll find so much more than conformation events!  There is an option on the main page in the center of it to put a location in and you’ll see all the different things going on around you!  Also, watch for future blogs as I think it would be fun to offer up something on several particular sports options in more detail.

Click on this link here – you owe it to that brilliant puppy to see what is on offer! https://www.ukcdogs.com/show   Lure Coursing, Agility, Dock Diving, Drag Racing, Obedience, Nosework and more! I personally love Lure Coursing – very little skill is needed and Poodles like many dogs have enough prey drive to chase a lure around a course and have a blast doing it.  Does your dog chase squirrels? Give Lure Coursing a try! Is your canine’s nose always working? Click on nosework and give that a try.

And of course here are a few options you can do from your own location.  Simply send in videos of you and your incredibly smart and gorgeous dog having fun doing some fancy tricks because they’ll send you a fancy certificate for it! You might enjoy meeting and networking with others or perhaps organize some meet ups with others in your area and make it a group activity!

Here’s a link to the AKC Trick Dog title.  If you scroll down they give you an option to do online entry! I love the title – DO MORE WITH YOUR DOG!  https://www.domorewithyourdog.com/trickdog/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=286&Itemid=146

A new sport growing in popularity is Dog Parkour and there are probably several options out there but here is a good link to get you familiar with it.  https://www.dogparkour.org

So! Hope we at MnJ Poodles have inspired you to get out there and go have some fun with your Poodle Pooch! Exercise those brainiacs mentally and they will LOVE IT! As always, if there are any questions we can answer or help you find sports in your area, please don’t hesitate to ask us no matter where your canine companion came from – we want all the doggies to have a good time with their people!  Give us a call, email us or you can contact us through our website.  We would LOVE to hear some feedback on this or any of our blogs too!

 

Raising Puppies with Puppy Culture

by | Jun 12, 2019 | Uncategorized

Raising Puppies with Puppy Culture

Why Puppy Culture? What is Puppy Culture? What will Puppy Culture do for me if I purchase a puppy from MnJ? 

These are some of the questions we are getting and I’d like to address them here in a blog for our clients and potential clients.  

Puppy Culture was put together by Jane Messineo Lindquist and we think it is brilliantly well done.  Here is a link to their website https://shoppuppyculture.com/ and here is a link to the Facebook discussion group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/383694245140783/  We cannot urge you enough to visit both and see what you think.  We are testing a litter by sending home a voucher for a free copy of the Puppy Culture video and will be looking for feedback from our buyers.  We expect to implement this with every puppy going forward. 

The first point I want to emphasize on why Puppy Culture is that we now have a way to provide something that is so well done making it easy to follow and allows families to be absolutely consistent with how we have already started teaching your puppy.  You will be able to use the exact same techniques we used to teach literally any behavior you want.  Best of all, the training is positive, reward based and very effective – we have been thrilled with the results so far – it’s made us both feel very excited about training more than ever. 

As you watch the video you will follow along with Jane as she shows you how she raises a litter from pregnancy through the first year of life with most of the emphasis on the first CRITICAL 12 WEEKS.  Jane does an excellent job of showing you how she does what she does and is very thorough in explaining how to achieve a CER (Conditioned Emotional Response) with clicker training and treating.  She breaks it down so that the owner understands it and literally anyone can do this! She also covers common pitfalls in training and why they happen as well as how to put training into segments a puppy can understand and do – often we put too many elements into what we think is something simple like walking on a leash for example which is a common cause of failure.

What we also are impressed with is all the other information she packs in that we think many owners will enjoy and benefit from. Training sessions are recommmended to be short and sweet with a thorough explanation of why so if you will carve out 6-7 minutes even every other day to do a little fun training with your dog, you will have a ROCKSTAR.  Who doesn’t envision owning a well behaved, social companion? So many dogs end up in shelters due to behaviors that could have been avoided with good groundwork and training and on the other hand, shelters rarely get in a dog or puppy with excellent manners.  

On a last note  – I think the general public is mostly unaware of just how much there is out there to go do with your dog that doesn’t require great skill but is a LOT OF FUN for both of you.  They think of organized dog events as negative in many aspects but that couldn’t be further from the truth so we ask you to PLEASE take a moment to look into evens like Rally, Obedience, Trick Dog, Barn Hunt, Lure Coursing, Fast Cats, and dock diving – I think there is a lot of people who would enjoy any of these as a fun hobby the whole family can enjoy and both you and your dog will have a great time of it.  The added benefit of these events is getting to meet other dog lovers – we’ve made such great friends who all have common interests.  

 

 

Grooming Blog Post 2 – Our Favorite Products

by | Jun 3, 2019 | Grooming, Uncategorized

Grooming Blog 2 – product talk

Here are just a couple of links on You Tube that are a great place to start for grooming your own Poodle.


Let’s talk products and I will break down tools that the home groomer will use.
We’ll start with shampoos, conditioners etc as this is a popular topic and one of the first questions we get asked about. I will say right now that my personal fave brand is Pure Paws and I have tried many. I love that they use quality, safe ingredients and feel that I get the best results with this brand. Because I have more than a couple of Poodles, I use a number of different shampoos depending on the coat type etc so I would urge you to reach out and call them and let them help guide you or ask for samples of several choices and see what works best for you.  In the interest of being as helpful as possible I want to note here that while some might say human shampoo is bad for dogs and that the PH is different, this is a myth and there is no reason you can’t use human shampoo on dogs or Pure Paws on your own hair for that matter. The biggest advantages to buying a professional product is that they are designed for dog coats and come in concentrated formulas that allow you to mix with water so while they seem pricey up front, it does take a LOT more product to get a dog bathed and clean than your hair. I will include some links for products I love.

For a great all around shampoo from Pure Paws I would choose this one:

I love this spray for a light condition after bath and before or after dry depending on what works best for you.

For a creamier conditioning rinse there is the Reconstructing Conditioner that is also good for many coats.

For a whitening option, Pure Paws makes this shampoo. Wash with regular shampoo, rinse then start with lower legs and work in whitening shampoo and let set for a bit before rinsing.

It’s worth investing in a grooming table and I would also add that a grooming arm and noose will really help a beginner though I wouldn’t recommend using one on a young puppy. In fact, with a new puppy, it is best to start out simply putting them on the table and letting them get accustomed to it before you start doing any grooming. Keep training sessions short and sweet praising and treating for any calm behavior and then you can gradually build up to longer time on and grooming more. This is a back saver big time and much easier to deal with than say a kitchen table or countertop. Use a towel at first so they feel more confident in footing. One other note- keep table size fairly close to what an adult can just stand on comfortably and not overly large or they may tend to walk around more and turn etc making it more difficult to groom. NEVER, EVER, EVER leave a dog unattended on a grooming table and most certainly not while in a grooming noose!! The purpose of the grooming noose is that many dogs tend to move their head around a lot and this makes it harder to groom them BUT if they fell while you were not there to prevent injury, the consequences could be deadly.

Here is a reasonbly priced grooming table:

Clippers and trimmers: Two main points I will make here with regard to these. I prefer a cordless trimmer for face, feet and sanitary area but for full body clipping, I prefer a corded type clipper and I will explain pros and cons to both. For trimmer, I have used the Wahl Arco for years and the advantage to these clippers and trimmers is that they are lighter weight, a lot more quiet when running and don’t tend to heat up. The blades are easier to get between foot pads and to use for detailed areas. However, the blades do tend to clog easily and are more sensitive. I recommend that you have at least three blades on hand so that you always have one that is good, sharp and ready to go. For body clipping, I find cordless lack the power and as already mentioned, the blades don’t perform as well for this so I recommend the Andis 2 speed and with that you will have to purchase separately some blades. For the average home groomer, several ten blades will do nicely and can be used by themselves or there are comb attachments you can also purchase if you want to experiment with leaving more coat. Amazon has all of these items but it doesn’t hurt to shop around for the best deal. I am including links below for everything discussed.  NOTE- PLEASE WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON HOW TO SEAT BLADES AND PROPER CARE OF CLIPPERS AND BLADES.  Care of your blades makes all the difference in the world.  There are also many options to mail off blades for sharpening.  They must stay clean and oiled to work properly and should always be used on a clean dog.  Dirt grinds edges down and dulls them plus heats them up faster.  Running the too hot ruins them as well.  Finally, I am also including a link for clipper combs.  These attachments are labeled for the length they cut the coat to and allow you to leave some coat and not clip to the skin.  In order for these to work, the dog must be well dried and thoroughly brushed and combed.

Cordless Wahl Trimmer link :

 

 

 

Blades for Andis clipper

Blades for Acro trimmer

Clipper Combs

Nails: Ok here’s where there can be a lot of cringing and squeamish feelings but it is vitally important that nails are kept as short as possible or you run the risk of damaging your dog’s feet. There are traditional nail clippers and regardless if you also plan to use a grinder, it doesn’t hurt to have a pair of these on hand as well. And then there’s a dremel you can use to grind the nails down. For this option, we actually recommend you try some of the newer, cordless options that have a diamond bit. NOTE: if you allow the nails to grow excessively long, it is best to clip them first and then grind OR you will probably have to grind every other day or so to achieve a shorter length. Holding the grinder on the nail too long can cause friction burn – something plenty of ladies will understand having had this happen getting those acrylic nails done.  NOTE FOR LINK BELOW – BE SURE TO SELECT THE ENHANCED VERSION- this version does not grab coat and tangle – worth every penny! Also, if you contact the seller, I absolutely love the dremel they sell.  It is much more quiet and lights up on the end to help you see the quick more easily.  I find the dremel name brand has more noise than theirs but have a 700 cordless version that will also accept these bits and works well too.

Brushes-a good slicker brush is a must have and this is also another area where you get what you pay for. Here’s the biggest difference and why you would pay $60-80 for either a Les Pooches or Chris Christensen (these are hands down the best two brands) – these slickers have their bristles ground smooth to prevent scraping the skin raw when brushing though you still need to pay some attention to this. However, a good slicker is the best tool for you to keep that coat in good shape and keep the under coat from matting up. The other must have is a good greyhound comb which is the term for the type of comb most often used. I prefer my combs to be on the longer side and you’ll find they come in a vareity of options like Medium/Fine, Coarse/Medium and so on. I have a couple myself and none cost more than $15 EXCEPT – I do have a Chris Christensen with the tines set wider apart that I cannot live without as well. A well brushed coat should be able to have a comb go through the coat on at least a medium comb! The link I am providing for a greyhound comb is a comb I have and really like.  I find the cheapest ones do not last long and the tines fall out or bend easily.

Comb – the first is a larger 10″ for Standards and then I will also include a link for a 7″ for smaller Poodles:

7″ and I love the rounded edge on this one:

Slicker Brush – Miller’s Forge is a great brush with a budget friendly price and also very popular with groomers – link below and do note these also come in different sizes

Another absolute must have is a force dryer and the Poodle coat should always be dried when thoroughly wetted. This is one area where the average pet owner doesn’t need the more expensive options but there are a few tricks to note before buying. One of the biggest factors in price is how much horse power the dryer has and anything much less than 4 horsepower is a time waster. Anything much over that though and you run the risk of blowing the circuits on your breaker panel. Once again, I recommend shopping Amazon and because the brands change often, I won’t be able to say one or the other but generally I suspect there are a few manufacturers making virtually the same dryer under multiple names so instead, here are the featuers I recommend. Look for one that has a heat setting and a dial to turn up or down the air flow and again, stick as close to that 4hp as you can. The heat setting and ability to turn it down are great for younger puppies as it makes the dryer more quiet to begin with and you can slowly work them up to full speed this way. There are several options at any given time that are under $100 and the amount of time and effort saved vs using a human blow dryer make these worth every penny spent!

Finally, some of you will style and trim your own top knots and tails and for this, a decent pair of grooming scissors is a must have. If you plan to do this yourself, I recommend again that you not go too cheap and for home use, several brands have some solid workhorse shears that will last you for years with care. Kenchii, Freebirds and Geib. Both offer different price levels so it pays to talk to someone before you purchase. For most since the array of options can be overwhelming I would recommend you start with an 8″ straight and then decide which shank and grip works best for your hand. Ideally, you can pick up and hold some different ones to see which feels most comfortable and the best way to do this is find a shop, go to dog shows since they almost always have shear vendors at the bigger AKC dog shows, or grooming expos. Freebirds has a location in Euless, Texas and there is a general grooming supply in the same shopping strip that has other brands.

Grooming Blog 1 – Bringing Puppy Home

by | May 30, 2019 | Grooming

Grooming Poodles is one of the most common topics we get questions on with our clients – because it’s a big topic, we will cover it in segments.  I will also make a list of links to the most common tools and products I recommend with links to purchase them.  

First- let’s talk about bringing a puppy home.  When you purchase a puppy from MnJ, we can assure you we have started your puppy on grooming as early and as many times as possible.  It is vitally important that you continue this process and that you do so at a minimum of once a week for the next several weeks.  Puppies have a special window of opportunity to acclimate them to life with confidence and the first 12 weeks that is prime time.  If you continue to groom them in some way fairly often during this time period, it will pay huge dividends for life.  If you plan to groom yourself or use a groomer it is still critical to continue training- your groomer will not appreciate wrestling a 6 month old puppy that is terrified! Many groomers are experienced with younger puppies, can protect them during vaccination period and help you train puppy- reach out and see who might offer a training package and then be sure you follow through.

Want to groom at home for now? Sure there’s plenty you can do to keep training going.  Bathing and even just a human blow dryer are still VERY useful and helpful.   Put them up on a table or counter when doing so- saves your back and accustoms them to the grooming table.  Be sure to put them on a towel or something so they have good, secure footing as this helps boost confidence. ALWAYS use something drying in the ears after puppy gets wet be it bath or swim or whatever the situation might be.  If you don’t have a grooming dryer, use a human one but you really need to reinforce the sound and experience of drying because as coat matures, it will matt if left to air dry. Brush thorougly when dried.   Most of all, be patient- they may regress a bit in training with a new human, home and everything else that is bewildering at this time but with time and patience, they will learn to enjoy grooming.  Have treats on the ready for them, ignore the unwanted behavior and reward good behavior.

Nails! When nails are allowed to grow too long, they can remodel the feet.t It is critical that they be done regularly- I do mine weekly but at a minimum it is best to do nails and clean ears every two weeks.  If toenail clippers make you cringe, I prefer nail grinder that is a dremel style myelf.  One note of caution- if you allow the nail to get long- you must clip some off first – holding the grinder on there for too long allows all that friction to get hot and it will burn.  Ladies who have had this happen at the nail salon will know what I mean! The other option is to do a little every day until they are short again and then keep up with them. At a minimum they shouldn’t click on the floor when walking but shorter is always better.

Sanitary area! If you don’t keep their bottom trimmed, poop can cling to hair and cause a blockage! It can seriously injur your pet by not keeping this area neat and tidy with minimal hair.  It is also critical that you watch some how to videos using clippers here as you can also hurt your pet and this is a very sensitive area to trim. 

Note: Not everyone likes creative grooming and that’s ok but we assure you we would never allow anything harmful to be done to our Poodles and were happy to volunteer Trauma Drama this one time.   We think it was fun! She LOVED the attention and boy did she stop traffic! What I hope will be seen is her stance on the grooming table- she is tail up and confident– that is what a confident stance looks like.  That is what we want for our puppies when being groomed. For those who might want to have a bit of fun, there are safe, non toxic products just for dogs- go for it!