The Duties Of A Dog Groomer.

On my blog called Fighting Dog Abuse, I had a person, anonymously, asked just what does a dog groomer do. Well, I will tell you, as I was a groomer for over 25 yrs. I am a graduate of Nash Academy of Animal Arts in Lexington, KY, and am certified by National Dog Groomers Association of America, and International Dog Groomers, Inc. This means that I have met the strict standards of the elite certification of both the United States and the United Kingdom. Our duties include: When a dog comes into a grooming salon, I would look at the dog, ask the owner what they would like done.

If the owner says I want my dog to look like it should, i.e. a Scottish Terrier, and the dog is not matted, I would cut that dog in the standard as required in the A.K.C. This means it will look like the picture in the A.K.C. dog book. First, I "rough in" the dog. This means I do a rough cut of the coat, cut the head coat, scissor the eyebrows, clean out the stop (between the eyes), scissor any stray hair at the inside corner of the eyes, shave the private area, scissor around the anal area, clean out the pads of the feet, clean the inside of the ears, and cut the toenails.

Then the dog goes to the bath. The anal glands are expressed in the bath for easier clean up. After the bath, it is blown dry, known as fluff drying. Then the dog comes back to me, and I do what is called "the finish." I go back over the coat with the clippers. (Clippers are used for pet dogs, show dogs are hand stripped) I touch up the eyebrows, and the tuffs on the ears, scissor the skirt for evenness.

If the owner wants the dog stripped down, then I take the clippers and use a 5 F or 7F blade, and go over the entire dog. This is called a Kennel Clip. I clean the pads, shave the belly, scissor the anal area, clean ears and cut the nails. We call this "Pads, ears, nails and belly or PENB. In the bath, the anal glands are expressed, too. Most of your pet dogs are done in the Kennel Clip for easy maintenance at home. On pet Lhasa's and Shih Tzu's, Havenese, or any dog that has a long coat, I try to get the owner to let me do a 1/2" clip for summer, or a 1" clip for winter. This leaves some coat and the dog does not look so skinny and bare.

On smooth coated dogs, they usually just get a bath, nails and ears cleaned. The pads of the feet are cleaned, too. On some long-coated breeds that the owner does not want a cut, we just do a bath and brush out, along with the PENB (Pads, ears, nails and belly, including the anal area.)

The Military Dogs In Iraq. Sniffing Out Danger And Saving Lives.

Whether sniffing out bombs or patrolling bases, military working dogs (MWDs) assist their human counterparts in ways that only a canine can. The military has developed other instruments to detect the presence of dangerous chemicals and bomb making substances, “but nothing that compares to a dog,” says Sergeant John Dornstadter Jr. of the Multi-National Division and a Military Working Dog Assistant Program Manager in Baghdad. “The MWDs are typically more productive at finding hidden things because they use their sense of smell alone without the sense of sight, sound or touch. A soldier has no other means while searching an area other than to physically see or touch,” putting them at risk because they must get much closer to something in order to thoroughly investigate.

The best dogs for the job, says Dornstadter, have an excellent sense of smell, a strong play/prey drive, some aggressiveness and the ability to learn. Most MWDs begin training between one to three years of age and after several months of rigorous schooling are paired up with their handler. For Dornstadter and his dog, Benni, who have been together two years now, it was a fairly easy process; a good grooming and a few days of playing fetch. But some have to work a little harder to form that special bond. “I have also seen handlers who have slept outside of their MWD’s kennel just for the dog to become more comfortable and accustomed to them,” says Dornstadter.

Once out in the field the MWDs are eager to put their new skills to use and earn the reward of a job well done, in Benni’s case a rubber chew toy. Most MWDs are rewarded with a toy or play rather than food, as army veterinarians keep them on a strict diet. But what’s makes Benni and other dogs so uniquely suited for this type of work is not just their sense of smell; it’s their ability to react consistently to a stimulus. While human beings judge and react to a situation based on reasoning, what they think it means, a dog will simply react.

A well-trained dog will respond to a particular stimulus the same way each and every time, allowing the handler to know exactly what it senses. The military dogs’ work is invaluable in helping soldiers quickly assess a situation and determine possible dangers. In the field that time can often equate to safety and lives. When it comes down to it, not even the latest in technology can come close to man’s best friend, “There really is no comparison to the amount of time they save,” says Seargent Dornstadter.

World's Smallest Dog Postponed At Boyd County Public Library.

ASHLAND -- The scheduled visit of Boo Boo, the world's smallest dog, to the Boyd County Public Library has been postponed. Boo Boo and her owner Lana Elswick, of Raceland, Ky., were scheduled to visit Saturday, Jan. 26, but had to rescheduled because of an appearance on today's edition of "The Today Show."

Boo Boo, a four-inch, one-pound and five-ounce Chihuahua, received her "smallest" designation from the Guinness Book of World Records this past fall. The visit to the library will be rescheduled but a date hasn't been set. On a personal note, I saw this little dog in person last summer in KY.

We had stopped at a gas station off the interstate and pulled into the station, stopped at the pumps and shut the vehicle off. I looked over to my right and sitting on the dashboard of this nice Chevy truck, sat this long-haired chihuahua, so darn cute. If it wasn't the world's smallest, it sure came in very, very close second.
source: The Herald-Dispatch.

Deputy, Service Dog Honored During Emotional Memorial Service.

I just felt compelled to cut/paste this story. I am a former member of the Herald Dispatch Editorial Board in Huntington, WV.

Herald-Dispatch.com
PINEVILLE, Ky. — Sean Pursifull had a simple answer when faced with a challenge on the job as a deputy sheriff in rural southeastern Kentucky: “let’s go.” Often, the Bell County deputy Pursifull was joined by his K-9 service dog King. The two became popular figures at local schools, educating students about the dangers of drug use and making 69 arrests during their three years together. On Sunday the two were laid to rest side-by-side at Fuson Family Cemetery following an emotional service at Bell County High, as hundreds of mourners — many of them fellow law enforcement officers — paid their final respects.

Pursifull and King were killed early Thursday morning when their parked cruiser was struck by a car driven by David Poppiti, 17. Poppiti and Eric Gerren, 16, were trying to elude police after a gas station drive-off. They have been charged with murder and assault of a service animal. The teens pleaded not guilty during their closed arraignment in district court Friday according to head public defender for Bell County Linda West.

Over 900 people packed the high school during the service, hundreds of them law enforcement officials from the tri-state area. A sea of uniform hats filled the gymnasium, while the funeral procession was packed with law-enforcement vehicles.