My Doggie Must-Have Wish List:

Now that I’m committed to researching the right products and stopping impulse spending, I’m busy saving for the better products I should have bought in the beginning. Here are the tools and products I am pinching pennies and saving for.

I’m simply dying to purchase the Chris Christensen Kool-Dry dryer (in pink!). This is the crème de la crème of dryers! Known as the professionals’ choice, especially if you have more than one dog to groom, it’s sure to be a favorite once you use it. The Kool Dry features a variable output blower from whisper to blast, and dries quickly without added heat to damage the coat. This dryer is powerful yet quiet, it’s compact and comes with an extra long (nine foot) hose and two styles of nozzles! As you know I gave up professional groomings for Milly last summer and put aside the money saved to make this purchase, the money is ready, but it’s hard to convince myself to fork over $350 for a dog dryer!

I love to bargain on EVERYTHING! I’m planning on seeing if Chris Christensen can throw in a free brush with the dryer purchase whenever I get myself mentally prepared for such a big spend. The brush of choice is the Chris Christensen 20mm Fusion Brass Oval Pin Brush! At $50 normally this is one I’m really hoping to be able to bargain in as the freebie! This is a brush that will last me a lifetime of grooming!

Another Chris Christensen brush I’d love to get is the new wooden pin brush – ¾” pin length, 8 ½” body, in oval. This is great for detangling the coat without damaging it! The Carpino Wood pins work to delicately separate out the area of the tangle from the rest of the hair, then work gently to loosen by drawing individual hairs upward and out to the side yet away from the knot. The wooden pins eliminate painful pulling on individual hair follicles that can possible damage or break the hair under the strain. This will also eliminate tightening any knots which are already present. The wooden pins utilize the natural oils to polish the hair by distributing sebum and/or applied oils. It’s also 100% static free! At a cost of $35 it’s not cheap, but well worth it!

With all these brushes there are also times I need a good comb. Metal combs are optimum, and the best comb available is the Belgian Greyhound metal comb. The prices I’ve seen vary on these, but I’ve found one for $28 (plus shipping) and I’m ready to splurge!

Before I can groom I need to be able to give a great bath, while I’m really hoping to one day have a grooming table and a grooming tub, those are on hold for now – along with the Isle of Dog Royal Jelly Shampoo! For now I'll stick with my Cowboy Magic Rosewater Shampoo (diluted, of course).

I’d like to purchase some shammie towels (the generic ShamWow) which are only a few dollars. I’d also like a good microfiber mitt for Milly’s face (she’s very sensitive and a little head shy), and these work great - you can get them for less than $5 at your local auto parts store and they are soooooo soft!

And of course, I really need a Dremel! This is on the top of the list for ideal nail grinding (this reduces the risk of the nail splitting, and it’s harder to hit the quick if you grind the nail as opposed to clipping them). I'm debating between getting a regular Dremel, or buying the Oster nail grinder (I've heard this is good). If you are thinking about getting a nail grinder I'll warn you to stay away from PediPaws (unless you have a toy breed), as it really is not capable of grinding larger nails. A Dremel would be useful for non-dog projects, but is more expensive than the Oster Nail Grinder. The Oster would save me money, but is really only useful for nail grinding. Oh the choices!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the items I hope to one day purchase! They're very expensive, especially when you add them all up, but a girl has got to dream!

The Muddy Mutt: A Self Serve Grooming Salon

When the day comes that I no longer lease, and I find myself a homeowner, I have plans of transforming my basement into a dog grooming room. I’ve looked into what tubs are the best, saved up for a professional dog dryer, have selected my grooming table of choice, and even drawn out how I want everything laid out!

Until that day comes I am stuck with either bathing Milly in the driveway with a hose and drying her with a hair dryer on the cold setting, spending $65 at the groomer for a bath and brush (I’m particular about where she goes, because she is geriatric and I need to know the groomer will give her breaks throughout the process), clogging my shower drain and struggling to rinse her in my walk-in shower, or going to the do-it yourself dog wash!

I’ve found a fabulous dog wash in Shirlington (a part of Arlington, VA) called The Muddy Mutt. For $17 (you get your 6^th wash free) you are provided with a professional grooming tub that is off the wall so you can scrub from both sides, professional all-natural and organic shampoos (mixed on site for your dog’s particular needs), a professional AirForce brand dryer, all the brushes and combs you could need, an unlimited supply of treats, an unlimited supply of ShamWow’s (they’re great, but the generic sold at AutoZone work even better, incase you were wondering), and the softest wash cloths I’ve ever felt. The Muddy Mutt backs up to the Shirlington Dog Park, talk about prime location, and is owned by the sweetest lady who will help you through the entire process and answer all of your questions. They even have a small retail section, and provide you with aprons so you can leave just as clean as you entered! The Muddy Mutt supports pet adoptions by offering one free wash to any dog adopted from a reputable within the last three months.

A dog waits to be bathed in the grooming area

For senior dogs and dogs with limited mobility they offer ramps!

They have all sorts of fun dog accessories, toys and leashes in their growing retail section!

While I have the money saved up for the Chris Christensen Kool Dry Dryer I’ve been coveting, I’m a bit hesitant to make the purchase in the winter. It truly is back breaking work to bathe Milly in the driveway, and it’s way too cold this time of year, and it is just a big mess to do her in my shower (the drain clogs just from my hair so think of what Golden Retriever fur does to it!). I never thought it could be so painful to be bent over for so long, but after grooming her at home my back usually hurts for two days. So, until I can groom her in the driveway with the hose again, I’m happily spending my money at The Muddy Mutt.

If you’ve never used a grooming tub and professional dryer you don’t know what you’re missing! I can get Milly 90% dry with a professional dryer in under 5 minutes! With a regular hair dryer on the cold setting we’re looking at over an hour of coat damaging work. A professional dryer works by blowing the water off the coat, and then you can adjust the settings for detail work. The lack of heat makes this a pet-safe tool that can be used weekly (or more) with out causing skin and coat irritations. If you are spending a fortune or hurting yourself grooming at home you should check if there is a self-service grooming salon/dog wash in your area – it’s totally worth the money!

The Muddy Mutt is conveniently located (walking distance!) from my very dog friendly office. I can take Milly to work in the morning, let her play and get really filthy for a few minutes at the park, and simply put her in a tub and scrub, scrub, scrub.

This is one business I happily frequent every other week - and where I'll be spending my lunch break today! Miss Muddy Paws gives The Muddy Mutt FOUR PERFECT PAWS!

$ave Pennies by Diluting Your Dog Shampoo

When it comes to bathing I never thought to dilute the shampoo or conditioner, especially because the directions on the type I most frequently use (Cowboy Magic) does not say to dilute, but I’ve recently learned this is the grooming secret most pet owners don’t know. Grooming salons dilute, breeders dilute, show handlers dilute – pretty much across the board shampoos and conditioners are diluted before being applied, even those that do not specify you should dilute are diluted by the professionals in the dog world. So why don’t pet owners know this? Well, first, not many basic books geared at your average pet owner discuss this. Second, have you ever taken a course on grooming? Probably not, but kudos if you have! Third, and probably the most obvious, you buy more products if you are using more of them.

I’ve started diluting 2-to-1 – two parts water for every one part shampoo. I’ve found it makes it much easier to evenly apply the shampoo or conditioner, and I can now get a nice thick lather all over. It is easier to rinse, because you are using less shampoo, and the shampoo is evenly dispersed. I like to keep my shampoo in an easy to dispense bottle, and a ketchup bottle is perfect! You can either buy the plastic kind seen at hot dog stands (that you fill yourself), or recycle an empty bottle around the house. I prefer the kind from hot dog stands, because it’s easier to squirt from. Simply fill the bottle with 1 part shampoo, and then two parts water, and shake before use. You’ll want to have a very gentle water stream as you fill the bottle to prevent lots of bubbles, and so you can actually fill the bottle with water. I’ve marked my ketchup bottle with lines so I know where to fill to with shampoo and water. I’ve found one bottle of diluted shampoo is 3-4 baths, and it is less than the amount of shampoo I was using on one bath before I began diluting.

Once I’ve applied my diluted shampoo mixture I like to use my hands to really massage the coat, but if you are bathing very frequently, you will want to massage a little less to make sure you aren’t over doing the bathing and damaging the coat.

Want to know another way companies are getting your pennies? One of the most expensive words ever created for consumers was “Repeat”. Ever read the instructions that say, Wash… Rinse… Repeat? If you are giving a good bath, and really massaging the coat and evenly applying the shampoo you won’t need to repeat. Rumor has it, this step was added to shampoo instructions decades ago when a shampoo company was trying to figure out how to improve profits without raising the price. This could be an old wives tail, but it makes sense. There really is no reason you would need to repeat a bath, but yet this instruction step remains on dog and human shampoos alike.

For detail work, or to keep your dog’s coat fresh between baths, you might be familiar with the no-rinse waterless sprays on the market. I dilute these A LOT. I put just a few capfuls of the product (yup, none of the ones I own say to dilute) in a spray bottle, and add water. Shake before using. I find when diluted the spray nozzle is less likely to become clogged, and the product works just as well diluted.

Want to save even more money? You could make a dog shampoo with products found around your house. I’ve never tried this recipe, but I’ve heard great things about it:

1 part Soft Soap (antibacterial handsoap, the clear kind, generic works fine)
1 part white vinegar
1 part water

Put all products in a bottle, and shake before use. The vinegar does a great job of cleaning the coat without damaging it and removing product build up, and the Soft Soap actually cleans and conditions.

Happy bathing!

Update: I also wanted to let everyone know that Rachel's families dogs have been found, and despite a small scrape on one's nose they are in great shape, and happy to be home!

Summer Bathing and A Great Product!

With spring in full swing and summer just around the corner many dog owners are spending more and more time outdoors with their pets. If you live in a relatively urban area, and enjoy taking your dog for a swim in rivers, creeks or bays it is probably a good idea to at the very least rinse your pet off with fresh, clean water post swim. For those Chesapeake Bay area readers, last summer I read in a local Annapolis publication dogs should always be rinsed or bathed after swimming in the bay.

A good rinsing is important, but sometimes you need to do a thorough bathing, and with so many wonderful and exciting outdoor pet-friendly activities I find myself having to up the bathing during the summer months.

When it comes to grooming products there are countless options, but I’ve been using Cowboy Magic for over a decade and LOVE their products. I began using their products only on horses, but must admit the Rosewater Shampoo and Rosewater Conditioners smell so good I’ve used them on my own hair a handful of times. About a year ago I learned these products are appropriate for use on dogs too, and promptly started using them on Milly. I love them, because not only do they smell heavenly, but they also leave the coat shiny and smooth. Did I mention these products won’t break the bank either? I’ve seen a bottle of the shampoo for as low as $5.50! The shampoo is so moisturizing that you can get by without using the conditioner, but I find the combination of shampoo followed by conditioner really leaves the coat much softer. The shampoo lathers very nicely and is a high quality shampoo, so remember to rinse your dog very thoroughly.

In the summer I like to towel Milly off and then sit with her in the sun for a little natural drying, I then finish up the drying with a blow dryer on the cool setting. If your dog is prone to hotspots make sure you thoroughly dry your dog after each bathing session, because wet hair can lead to hot spots.

Overall, I give Cowboy Magic 4-Paws and 5-Stars!!

Don’t forget there is still time to enter the Bully Stick GIVEAWAY!