Yea Billy! Billy Earns Another Prestigious Certification

We are proud and pleased to announce that Happy Dog Land's own Billy Rafferty earned his Master Pet Stylist (MPS) certification from the prestigious International Society of Canine Cosmetologists. The ISCC offers continuing education and strives to advance the pet stylist profession by developing and promoting recognizable standards of pet styling excellence. The ISCC also has a code of ethics for it's members and certified pet stylists.

To attain the MPS certification, Billy attended numerous seminars and passed a variety of comprehensive written and practical skills examinations. The rigorous course of study includes, "educational and validation programs encompassing understanding and overall knowledge of breed standards, basic and advanced clipper techniques, scissor and hand-stripping techniques as well as rules of perception, locomotion and geometrics as applied to the ideal sculpting and design of canine coats." For all you regular dog lovers, this means that Billy knows virtually everything there is to know about styling a pet safely, properly and artistically! Few groomers have successfully earned this certification due to the exceptionally challenging course content.

Congratulations Billy! In addition to his Master Pet Stylist (MPS) certification, Billy is a Certified Master Groomer (CMG), DermaTech Specialist (DTS) and Companion Animal Hygienist (CAH). Billy, we are proud of you and applaud your efforts to continue your education.

Why Groom: Before and After Photos

As part of our continuing effort to improve your dog's body, mind and spirit, we wanted to show you some real-life examples of how grooming can change a dog's life.

A few years ago, Jill was searching Petfinder to find a new dog to adopt. She came across this dog, a Miniature Poodle named Shadow, at Small Dog Adoption in Plantation, FL a small rescue run by a loving and dedicated couple Barbara and Bob Malina. Like any shelter/rescue dog, Shadow desperately needed a hair cut and some grooming TLC. As you can imagine, most shelters and rescues have little money to allocate to grooming, and instead rely on volunteers.

Luckily for Jill and Shadow, Billy had already taught her that all a shelter/rescue dog usually needs is one grooming session to bring out the true essence of that pooch. With this is mind, Jill fell in love and brought Shadow home, scraggly coat at all. (Shadow's foster mom had brushed him regularly so he had no mats, which is unusual for a rescued pooch). The photo on the top shows Shadow on his first day with Jill's family. After a day of pampering at Uncle Billy's salon, Shadow looked mah-velous. (See photo on the bottom).

In our book, Happy Dog: Caring for your Dog's Body Mind and Spirit (coming 9/1/09), we teach you how to groom and care for your pooch. Once you learn how, we are counting on our readers to visit local shelters and spiff up the dogs there too. After all, a dog that looks like a pet instead of a stray is more likely to be adopted.

Today, Billy along with his able-bodied assistant Jill, friend Sue Naiden, grooming students including Jus Erickson and some of the wonderful volunteers from Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control spent the afternoon at Chicago Animal Care and Control to groom the shelter's dogs. We hope we made the dogs feel better and more adoptable, since they'll be beautiful and smell nice. Sheri Berliner of Petraits, an extremely talented pet photographer and friend of the shelter, was on hand photographing the dogs, so we'll post many before and after pictures. Maybe you'll fall in love and adopt one of the dogs! At the very least, we hope you'll be inspired to spend some time helping dogs in need.

Ask Billy: When should I begin grooming my new puppy?

Last week, this adorable Bearded Collie named Sookie came to Doggy Dooz, Billy's salon, for her very first professional grooming. Like all good groomers, Billy requires his clients to be fully vaccinated before their first appointment. Most puppies receive their final puppy shots at around four months old. Talk to your veterinarian about the best vaccination schedule for your puppy.

Puppies have immature immune systems, which makes them susceptible to infectious disease, many of which can be serious or deadly. Until your pup is fully vaccinated and your vet gives you the green light, try to keep her away from areas frequented by other dogs, such as parks and busy sidewalks. Unfortunately, some owners refuse to clean up after their dogs. The abandoned piles of festering poop can sometime transmit viruses, worms or other horrible parasites, so steer clear. As tempting as it may be to take your new puppy to visit a friend's dog, resist! Your friend's dog may be perfectly healthy, but still have been in contact with a sick dog. When visiting the vet, carry your puppy and avoid the dogs in the waiting room. Likewise, leave your pup at home when you shop for dog supplies.

Even though your puppy must wait before she can go to the salon, begin introducing her to grooming at home right away -- well, it's okay to give her a few days to get used to you first. The manner in which you introduce dog care determines your pup's lifelong attitude toward grooming or any other activity for that matter. If her early experiences are scary, stressful, and painful, your pup will quickly learn to hate and fear grooming. If, however, she associates grooming with pleasure, treats and your positive attention, she’ll flourish and enjoy a lifetime of grooming. In other words, don't toss her in the bath the first day!

Soon after your puppy arrives, begin petting and touching her all over: handle her paws, gently rub her ears, run your fingers in and around her mouth and rub her belly and undercarriage. The idea is to get her comfortable with the manhandling that is part and parcel of good grooming, whether by you or a professional. Your puppy doesn't need to know there's a method to your madness, she just needs to learn how much fun it is to be rubbed, petted and cared for by her new best friend. Be sure to share the petting and handling duties with others, whether family members or friends. Socializing your pup to accept other people in close proximity is good for you, the groomer, the veterinarian and anyone who comes near your precious pooch.

Ask Billy: How often should my dog go to a professional groomer?

Jenny from Indiana writes: "I have my dogs groomed every four weeks, is this too often?"

Well, Jenny your Shih-tzus certainly look cute and well cared for. As long as you have chosen a groomer who is contentious, patient and knowledgeable, you can groom your cuties as often as you'd like (and your pocketbook allows).

Whether your pooch enjoys a weekly, monthly or annual (gasp) appointment with a pro, YOU must brush, clean and care for your pooch as well. I'll teach you everything you need to know about this in Happy Dog: Caring For Your Dog's Body Mind and Spirit. Here's some advice to tide you over until the book's release in September.

I've broken dogs into categories that are easy to understand without an advanced degree in animal cosmetology: Hair, Multi-Length Fur, Uniform Fur and Hairless. While technically, anything growing out of a follicle is "hair," I believe that my categories will allow you to care for your dog properly and interpret what you see growing all over your pooch.

Shih-tzus, Poodles and some Doodles, Maltese, Lhasa Apsos, Cocker Spaniels and other dogs with hair-like coats (Hair Dogs) should be professionally groomed at least every 4-6 weeks. Hair dogs tend the become matted rather quickly, so frequent professional grooming in addition to brushing regularly at home will help keep a Hair Dog pretty, comfortable and healthy. (If you've eaten recently, you don't even want to think about what I've found caught in the mats of dogs...well if you do, check out the 1/15/09 The Inspection Connection entry). In addition, a Hair Dog's coat grows until it is cut so she requires an appointment with professional who can wield scissors in a skilled and safe manner. (This does not mean you wielding a pair of professional clippers.)

Dogs with coats of mixed length are what I call Multi-Length Fur Dogs. These dogs often appear to be wearing fur pants around their back ends and legs (notice I did not say blue jeans, sweat pants or any other mini-human clothing). Some also have longer fur on their tail, undercarriage or beard. Golden Retrievers, Collies, Pomeranians and many mixed breeds also fall into this category. The dead, shorter fur from these dogs usually ends up your floors, clothing and furniture. The dead, longer fur requires trimming and, if not properly brushed out of the coat by you at home, will form mats. A professional grooming every 6-12 weeks helps your Multi-Length pooch's coat stay manageable, comfortable and clean.

Just because you're a short-haired pooch, doesn't mean that you should miss out on all the fun and pampering that happens at a good grooming salon. Moreover, if you've been reading our blog, you already know that short-haired dogs require more than semi-annual grooming. (If you haven't been reading our blog, shame on you! Now is a fine time to begin -- we'll wait while you catch up.)

Dogs with fur of the same length (Uniform Fur Dogs) should visit a professional groomer every 12-16 weeks. If you have a Uniform Fur Dog, such as a Bulldog, Bully breed, Dalmatian, Pug or Beagle, you should also be brushing your pooch at least a few times a week to help remove his dead fur before it falls off the dog and all over your house. A professional grooming removes excess dead fur and pampers your Uniform Fur Dog with a deep cleaning.

Hairless dogs need professional care too. If you have a Hairless breed, such as the Chinese Crested, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Hairless Khala and Mexican Hairless, take your non-furry friend to the groomer about every 4-8 weeks. A Hairless dog requires bathing, exfoliating and a bit of moisturizer. Some Hairless dogs do have a dash of hair and that hair needs regular brushing with a small, extra gentle slicker brush. Having an experienced professional groomer care for your Hairless pooch helps you monitor his sensitive skin, which is prone to rashes and pimples.