GROOMING SERVICES-- THE GOLDEN SPA

As a show exhibitor of Golden Retrievers I have learned how to correctly care for and groom the Golden coat.  That beautiful double coat designed for working game in water and on land, and the glorious furnishings that have developed on Goldens bred for the show ring, can present challenges to the pet owner of Golden Retrievers.  After talking to several friends and colleagues who had nightmarish experiences with pet groomers who obviously had little experience in the proper grooming of this breed I began to offer grooming services. I provide full brush-out/bath/blowdry/trim services for Goldens using methods and trims correct for the breed. Spring and fall, a thorough brush-out and bath, followed by drying with a forced air dryer can do much to alleviate the masses of undercoat blown during these shedding periods.  I also offer maintenance thinning of the furnishings, using a stripping tool,  not clippers, to prevent water-related problems for the "cottage Golden."

I DO NOT use trims or techniques inappropriate to Golden Retrievers.  This means that at no time will I use electric clippers on a Golden's coat.  Doing so in effect "breaks" the coat, destroying the resilient guard layer/insulating undercoat design of the coat.  Such trimming allows water to saturate the undercoat, and will often cause the coat to grow back thick and wooly, intensifying the problem.  These "summer" or "cottage" trims also render the dog vulnerable to sunburn.  The coat is designed as warmth retaining insulation in winter, and for heat protection in summer, so why mess with a good thing!? I also use a forced air dryer with a hand held nozzle, rather than a cage dryer with a heating element, to remove the possibility of hyperthermia.  I also use gentle shampoos that will clean but not strip the protective oils from the coat. Your Golden will come back looking like a Golden--not an embarassed Labrador imposter.

519-579-0481 sterregoldens@sympatico.ca Appointments available weekday evenings and occasionally on weekends.

Getting ready for the show ring

RATES(2006): $5o Full groom (Brush-out with undercoat rake, bath, blowdry, neatening trim of ears, feet, and tail, nail trim, and ear cleaning.) **$5 Extra fee for care of matted/burred coats, or uncooperative dogs. $30 Bath and dry only.  No tidy trimming. $25 Maintenence trimming of feet/ears/tail. $15 Foot maintenance $10 Ear maintenance.

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