Bathing Sophie is a necessity, not really a joy for either of us. Maybe you feel the same way. She shakes; I’m stressed. I worry about getting soap in her eyes and that she’s stressed. But, I’ve found a fantastic tool in my dog grooming arsenal in celebrity groomer, Jorge Bendersky’s new book, DIY Dog Grooming: Everything You Need To Know, Step by Step. This book, unlike many you might find on the shelves, is made for us, the dog owner. Maybe taking our baby to a professional groomer is too expensive on a regular basis or at all. For me, I think Sophie, as a skittish dog to begin with, would get too stressed at the groomer. Maybe we want to increase the bond we have with our dog by grooming them ourselves. Whatever the reason, this book has taught me how to do it all in my own home. The language is clear; it’s easy to follow each step and there are pictures! I’m such a fan, that I want to share some of what I’ve learned here. I hope you’ll be able to relate these tips to your own experience. I encourage anyone interested in learning how to properly groom their own dogs to get a copy.
Who is Jorge Bendersky?
As a young boy growing up in Argentina, Jorge Bendersky never dreamt of being a firefighter, a baseball player, or a superhero. He always wanted to work with animals. Luckily for him, his aunt worked as a dog groomer and began giving him lessons when he was only 11 years old. Soon Bendersky had his own kennel, and, at 17, he became the youngest person in Argentina to judge a national dog show.
Not long after, he left Argentina and headed for New York City to make a career in grooming. In 2008, Bendersky gained the attention of high-profile names when he took home third place on Animal Planet’s reality series, Groomer Has It. Today P. Diddy, Ralph Lauren, Gisele Bündchen, and other animal-loving celebrities call him at all hours of the day or night to make sure their dogs shine with the “in crowd.”
Here’s a video from Jorge’s recent book launch event at the New York Dog Spa & Hotel in New York City.
Why is grooming your dog regularly so important?
We all know we don’t want our dogs to smell. But what health problems can be created or exacerbated by no or poor grooming was news to me. A poorly groomed dog has dirty skin and, possibly, blocked pores. This can become a breeding ground for bacteria, leading to skin irritations or infections. It is also, more than likely, true that a poorly groomed dog is not getting the “once over” by his or her owner regularly, to check for fleas, ticks, irritations, cuts and bruises, lumps and bumps and the like. This can lead, undetected, to a whole host of problems which can compromise our dog’s health and wellbeing, and sometimes turn into a very costly trip to the vet.
As important, Jorge likens grooming our dogs to dancing the tango, and for good reason. When you dance the tango with a partner, to do it well you have to have a leader and a follower who move in complete sync. There is this palpable bond between them. When we groom our dogs, according to Jorge, it is like a dance that creates a kind of “sparkle,” as he puts it, increasing the bond we already have with our pets. “When we are grooming our dogs, I always say you start by putting your hands on the dog’s sides; you have to sync your heart with the dog’s,” he emphasizes. “When you feel their heartbeat, they feel yours. It’s a very organic thing.”
Jorge grooming Tito the Pom at Global Pet Expo press conference
What are some of the topics covered in the book?
What kind of coat does your dog have? Jorge really covers everything relating to the topic. He taught me how to identify Sophie’s (she’s a medium haired, single coated, wiry haired dog). Each category requires its own method and frequency of grooming. For example, the length of a dog’s coat is not the only determining factor in how high maintenance their grooming requirements will be. Also considering whether they shed, do they have an undercoat or are they single coated…these are all important indicators.
Uh oh…nails, ears & paws. I used to be terrified of cutting my previous dog, India’s, nails. She was a gorgeous 95 lb German Shepherd with black nails, so I couldn’t see where the quick began. And, we had some accidents. Luckily, Sophie’s nails are pink. Her one black nail I make the same length as the pink one next to it. Jorge taught me how to determine where to cut down to on a dog with black nails. Never knew. He also shows us the anatomy of the nail, so we understand where everything is.
How to determine the health of our dog’s ears and how best to clean them, as well as caring for their paws is also covered in detail. Personally, I use and love Dog Fashion Spa‘s Paw and Nose Moisturizer. It’s non-greasy and made with essential oils, so good for maintaining soft, healthy paw pads. According to Bendersky, a dog’s paw pads are “like cushions and reduce the impact on the bones, have a texture that keeps dogs from slipping, and protects them against extreme temperatures.” Dry, cracked pads are a health hazard to our pups.
Grooming Tools – Who knew there were so many? Jorge explains what brushes, rakes, scissors and clippers are available, what circumstance each is used for and how to use them properly and safely. This was a big chapter for me, as I’d just finished giving Sophie a full body trim. After reading this book, I saw what I did right and wrong, and how to do it better in the future.
Matting – For those who have dogs with an undercoat, matting can especially be an issue. Jorge teaches us how to safely get mats out and how to prevent them in the future. Daily brushing is the main thing. Practically, it provides us with visual contact of every inch of our dog’s body, making it easier to identify those scratches, bumps, skin reactions, ear problems, parasites, etc. I mentioned above. Emotionally, Jorge says brushing is very similar to petting. “In the wild, grooming is one of the actions that will establish social status and one of the main bonding experiences,” he explains. “By brushing your dog, you are establishing who is in charge, and you will send a message of love, caring, and protection, making the relationship with your dog much deeper and gaining the dog’s respect and trust.”
Jorge working on a dog
A couple of tips to address matting: protecting the dog’s skin from getting scratched or cut by the de-matting tools is the main thing, so always hold the mat by the root near the skin with a gentle but firm grip, to buffer any pulling. This has to be done on every mat, one at a time. Using a light, leave in conditioner can make the job easier. With hard mats, like dreadlocks that can’t be loosened with your fingers, they must be cut with scissors parallel to the skin, so as to break the seal. Then you can start detangling it with the proper comb or de-matting tool.
It’s Bath Time! What kind of shampoo should I use? How do I set up my bathing area? What is the proper process to bath my dog? What do I check for during a bath and afterwards? All of this is covered. Re: shampoo and conditioner, there are so many on the market, it’s mind-boggling. For Sophie, I always opt for something as natural as I can get. You already know I’m a big Dog Fashion Spa fan. I admit I love their All Natural Shampoo and Conditioner. I also love Pure Pet Pure Care Shampoo and Pure Clover Conditioner. Using conditioner on your dog’s coat is very important. But thoroughly rinsing all product out of their hair is equally important, because residue could irritate their skin, causing them to scratch and lick, leading to other problems.
Getting Ready for your Close Up – I love when a dog looks fresh with a crisp cut. With Sophie, she’s a scruff ball, so crisp isn’t in the cards. But after her trim, her coat does have a line that it follows, and Jorge shows us how to achieve this with different breeds’ cuts. He teaches us how to break down the areas of a dog’s head and body into sections that we eventually connect together in the trimming process. He covers various grooming cuts, like the clip down (sometimes necessary as a response to severe skin or matting issues), a bearded face and mohawk (think Schnauzer, Wheaton or Brussels Griffon), a Topknot (think Yorkie, Shih Tzu), a utility cut (can be done during warmer months for a thick and long coated dog) and a scissor cut (the most labor-intensive, but most creative type of grooming). He also covers such styles as the puppy cut, the Teddy Bear cut, the Poodle cut and hand stripping, for breeds like West Highland White Terriers and Scottish Terriers, as examples.
Jorge’s Solutions to Common Problems – Grease, gum, dirt & mud…Paint, wax, superglue…all of this, including skunks, has a practical solution and, lucky for us, Jorge knows what that is. Super handy for those
A glitter rose temp tattoo applied by Jorge
unexpected super messes our dogs can occasionally get into. He also covers how to properly remove fleas and ticks and how to handle some common first aid issues, like burns, clipping/shaving injuries.
The Super Fly Fido – For those of us who want a little glitz, glamour or rocker chic, Jorge takes us through the safe way to choose and apply hair color, nail polish and temp tattoos.
Aromatherapy and Essential Oils – I am a big believer in the power of herbs, but I learned some new tricks in this chapter. Jorge delves into some essential oils you can keep in your pantry that handle a myriad of issues, from anti-fungal, anti-germicide, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant and calming herbs. There one for car sickness, in case traveling with your dog is an adventure of not if, but when he’ll upchuck in the car. There a natural insect repellent you can make and one that help dogs with skin problems. Very cool and they smell great!
Stay tuned on Bark and Swagger for a story on a favorite herbal remedy company of mine, founded by a real master herbalist for people!
Summary
Tito the Pom
looking dapper
All in all, I found this book to be a must-have for anyone who grooms their own dogs or wants to. We don’t have to be talking about major grooming sessions, either. Simple necessities like bathing and brushing, knowing how to care for ears, nails and paws…these are the basics and help make the quality of our dog’s lives better, and us better dog parents. And who doesn’t want to be that.
Where to buy: Amazon
Price: $19.23
Until next time…
(Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Amazon and Dog Fashion Spa, so when you choose to purchase something I recommend from them via a link on my site, I will get a small commission that goes towards keeping Bark and Swagger running, and towards the animal shelters and advocacy orgs I regularly support. Thanks for helping!)
