[Delilahs Mommy]

who grooms maltese and very familiar with their coat. She's a little more pricey than the Petsmart folks. But, I think I am going to try her out the next time Delilah needs a booty trim.

 

[CeeCee's Mom]

If you can find a good groomer, they are worth their weight in gold!!! Good luck and let us know............:wub:

 

[bellaratamaltese]

So you don't think you are going to show her? I'll say it again - potential show dogs should not be taken to a groomer. Unless a groomer shows maltese, that is the only way I'd trust that they didn't cut what they aren't supposed to! And i'd esp never take a potential show dog to petsmart!

I think you'll be happier with her just as a pet - trying to preserve a show coat makes it a bit more stressful, esp if they rolling around on carpet or if they get super dirty!!

Glad you found a new groomer though! Hope she does a great job for you.

 

[EmmasMommy]

I would look for a Maltese handler to groom her in your area IF you may show her.

Only dog handlers or breeder/show people know what to cut..............and its NOT MUCH.

The only things that get trimmed are between pawpads and teensy bit near anus- no face and no body trimming !

 

[Delilahs Mommy]

I'm still on the fence with showing. But I do plan on keeping her coat long and try to maintain it myself. Main thing is nail/pad trimming. I'm not to comfortable with it, Delilah is to wiggly! and the booty trim is ever so slight. The tootsie rolls are getting stuck and then fling off when she runs away!

 

[CloudClan]

I have to agree with Stacy. I would not take her to a groomer if you are still considering showing her. If you have decided to keep her just as a pet, a great groomer is a wonderful resource and should be treasured. I have had Maltese for 19 years and have never had that luxury. The few groomers I have loved over the years have not had stayed around.

I'm still on the fence with showing. But I do plan on keeping her coat long and try to maintain it myself. Main thing is nail/pad trimming. I'm not to comfortable with it, Delilah is to wiggly! and the booty trim is ever so slight. The tootsie rolls are getting stuck and then fling off when she runs away!

For the toenail and feet trims I have found that my dogs who I have learned to do this on are usually better at it than the dogs who have gone to groomers. So many groomers are in hurry and can do this effectively without making sure the dogs are comfortable with it, but I work with my dogs to get them to calmly accept the trim. Doing toenails after the bath is the best time, because their little nails are softer then and come off easily. I have trained my dogs to accept this without too much wiggling.

As for the tootsie rolls, they will happen to any dog in long coat, even with the butt trim. If she is able to get it off as she runs away, then she is doing it right. Cadeau is great at running in a circle around his pee pad to get it to come off. But if any ever gets stuck on him he runs right to me to ask me to clean it up. Cadie on the other hand wants to hide her butt from me when she has a sticker and will sit down on it. UGH :w00t:

 

[bellaratamaltese]

I'm still on the fence with showing. But I do plan on keeping her coat long and try to maintain it myself. Main thing is nail/pad trimming. I'm not to comfortable with it, Delilah is to wiggly! and the booty trim is ever so slight. The tootsie rolls are getting stuck and then fling off when she runs away!

The problem with taking her in for 'just' those things is that you can't always trust that a groomer will do 'just' that. Her face hair has been cut already and that will take a while to grow out and if a groomer sees that the face hair has already been cut, chances are they will re cut it, thinking that is what needs to be done since it was cut already. And unless a groomer shows maltese, they don't always know what is required for a show maltese.

Even with perfectly coiffed behind, they will still sometimes get poop stuck to their coat and I prefer if they spin or run to get if off! Like carina, some of mine come to me with the most tragic looks on their face, LOL. Unless you completely shave the entire back skirt, the poop sticking to the coat will always be a possiblity. it's just one of those things you accept when you have a maltese in full coat!

Nationals will be a PERFECT time for you to learn how to do that stuff on your own, so if it were me, I would just wait for Nationals. There will be a lot people (myself included!) who would be more than happy to show you to maintain a show coat. Believe me, i know all about those squirmy puppies!! The good news is, they usually get better about it Even if you are on the fence about showing, you should treat her coat like a show coat because you don't want a grooming nightmare to take the decision out of your hands.

 

[myfairlacy]

A good groomer is definitely worth the money! They are so hard to find.

I didn't know you were thinking about showing! I do agree with everyone above...do not take a show dog to a pet groomer. They will use the wrong products, will probably use a slicker brush, will probaby use force dryers which can tangle and break the coat, and will probably cut something you don't want cut at some point. Pet groomers just have no clue how to maintain most show dogs. It's really easy to learn how to do basic grooming yourself..paw pads, little trims, etc. The only thing I can't do is trim the nails myself..my dogs are bad. I would just have someone show you how to do it and get someone in your family to help hold her. Once you get the hang of it, you will be so glad you learned. It's so much less stressful on the dogs and definitely costs a lot less money to do it yourself..and then you can make sure you only do exactly what you want. Good Luck!

 

[Orla]

I agree with the others - if you plan to show her, stay away from a groomer!

My friend who shows her samoyed brought him to a groomer when he was 5 months old to get his nails and pads tidied up - she told the groomer not to touch his coat - the groomer trimmed his coat and clipped around his bum! Not good!

 

[bellaratamaltese]

I agree with the others - if you plan to show her, stay away from a groomer!

My friend who shows her samoyed brought him to a groomer when he was 5 months old to get his nails and pads tidied up - she told the groomer not to touch his coat - the groomer trimmed his coat and clipped around his bum! Not good!

Oh i know! I've already shared with Laura the story of a friend wanting to show his maltese and he kept taking him to the groomer and I swear, i was a broken record (kind of like how I am now :w00t
"Do not take your show dog to the groomer, do not take your show dog to the groomer"

Well, he didn't listen to me and wound up regretting it when the groomer shaved between the eyes and the top of the muzzle and shaved most of the back skirt off to give the dog a baboon butt. He still tried to show the dog but finally gave up, knowing he needed almost a year repairing the damage by the groomer.

 

[almitra]

Yeah, what is the deal with groomers assuming all dogs need a potty path (aka baboon butt)?? Yikes.

 

[almitra]

Sorry to say I haven't found a single groomer I'd trust for anything......private or at a retail place like petsmart, etc....((sigh))

 

[CloudClan]

Sorry to say I haven't found a single groomer I'd trust for anything......private or at a retail place like petsmart, etc....((sigh))

I really have had so many bad grooming experiences with "professionals".

I know of three professional groomers I would trust with my show dogs. One lives in AL (Deb Ray- Grace Maltese), one lives in KY (Regina Graff- Re-al Maltese) and the last lives in Ontario (Vicky Fierheller- Four Halls Maltese). The reason I would trust them is simple, they show their own Maltese and know what it takes to show. None of those are close enough to home. I would not trust anyone who hasn't shown Maltese him or herself. So it is up to me. :blush: Sigh!