# Grooming Course Tomorrow!



## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Golly I can't believe the day is about to arrive. I booked into the one day 'Groom your own dog' course at Merrist Wood back in April! We are told to bring whatever we use at home to groom our dogs (just a metal comb for me then! ) and to wear appropriate clothing (wellies if we have a large dog!). I am so looking forward to the day ......but I'm quite nervous too. During the last day course one poor girl got herself into a right state as she managed to take a chunk out of her dog with the clippers!  Brace yourself Rufus!

Colin is also on the course with angel Betty. We'll endeavor to get some before, during and after shots (if we're allowed) and post a full report sometime over the weekend.

Wish us luck!

Karen xx


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Good luck! Can't wait to hear all about it and see the results!


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## EG1 (May 14, 2011)

Yes, best of luck. I did a weekend grooming course a couple of years ago when I got Alfie (bichon) Was exhausted at the end of it - on your feet all day, we didn't even get a proper break and had to sit on the floor as there weren't any chairs. Tutor was great though - I take Alfie to him for tidying up what I've done.  Will be interested to see how you get on.xx


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Good luck Karen and Colin for tomorrow! Can't wait to hear how you get on as I'm booked in to do the course in March.
X


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Karen you can share your secrets with me tomorrow night when you've finished  Izzie is a bloody nightmare to groom! Good luck & enjoy  x


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Have fun Karen and Colin, hope you have a good day..........Betty in the class room, that should definately be caught on camera!!!! Oh to be a fly on the wall
I am looking forward to hearing all about it.
x


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Can't wait to hear how you both get on. Want to hear all the tips.


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Good luck to you both and have lots of fun!!! Looking forward to hearing all about it xxx


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## paul1959 (Aug 3, 2010)

Have a great day, we find doing the job ourselves very rewarding.


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Good luck Karen and Colin, hope the day goes well. Really looking forward to hearing all about it ... I plan to do the same course sometime in the future. Sue x


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

That sounds like a lot of fun and at least you won't be the only cockapoo owner in the class

Good luck!!


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## Julie Clark (Sep 8, 2011)

Looking forward to hearing about how the course went. I have a friend who did the same course some time ago and found it really good.
I'll probably book myself onto it sometime in the future.


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Just getting my 'before' and 'after' photos sorted and then I will reveal all ........unless I have fallen asleep by then! .........zzzzzzzz

Karen xx


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

What a brilliant idea - think of the money you'll save . 

Let's see the piccies then!

Turi x


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Can't wait to see Rufus and Betty ...


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Well Karen and Colin, how did it go? Can't wait to hear all about it and see some pictures! Hope Rufus and Betty behaved themselves?


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

What a full on day! Utterly exhausting but so fantastic. Dinah, the tutor, put us completely at ease and very much encouraged us to .....just have a go and experiment! I wondered at one stage if she was going to be a bit of a 'doodle basher' but I think the point she was trying to make was the fact that there really is no 'blueprint' for grooming the doodles. She did show us a matted fleece from a Labradoodle that had been in a few weeks previous. The breeders had apparently told the new owner that they did not need grooming until they were a year old! 

Rufus was a bit grumbly at times and so had a muzzle put on him for a short time ........however, those grumbles were nothing like the stand he took when I tried to cut his toenails! I had thought that they had not been cut the last time he went to the groomers ......now I think I know why!

Having taken my camera along with me, I am ashamed to say I did not take any photos whilst there. The day was just so full on. Here are the before and after shots of Rufus in my garden.

Before










After










Bother! Just noticed two little sticky up bits on his head! ......must be the breeze ...Lol

Not the biggest difference looks wise as I am maintaining his coat rather than doing something dramatic with it. I do keep Rufus on the shorter side which I find very practical and easy to manage.

Betty was an absolute sweetheart and did amazingly well considering she is still such a pup.

Interestingly two of the guys doing the course had come back for a second time. They had enjoyed it so much last time and felt they still had more to learn. I can see where they are coming from. 

I would recommend the course. Dinah has given us her direct line phone number and has said that she is there for any support post course which I thought was a lovely touch. 

Karen xx


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

WOW Rufus looks gorgeous! He's a very pretty doggy  & Such a lovely colour  but job well done Karen! Izzie is impossible  She is starting to matt & is so difficult to brush to get rid of them :/ Should maybe buy her a muzzle so that she can't bite, but then I couldn't feed her treats to keep her nice haha.


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Well done Karen, you've done a really good job with Rufus ... not too dramatic but now looks lovely and a practical length coat too. I will definitely be doing this course in the future, probably with Bess ... when she is a bit older! Sue x


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Wow what a great job!! He looks amazing! And to think you did that all by yourself. You should be very proud of yourself . Xx


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Wow! Fantastic! I can't believe you did that yourself! I've got my form to book onto the next course - definitely going to do it now!


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

He looks great Karen- you have done a really good job and should be proud of yourself


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Great job Karen, Rufus looks smokin'......and don't worry there's always a sticky up bit after a few hours  Grooming is not all about clipping all the coat off....it's about maintaining and caring for the coat, whatever the length you choose. I get the feeling that this course has given you the confidence to get stuck in and with a little knowhow keep your dogs in a beautiful and manageable condition. Brilliant job you have done and I do hope that you will have inspired others to go on similar courses and realise that dog grooming is not rocket science and doing your dog yourself is a real option. Julia xx


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Well done Karen! Rufus looks great. I really need some tips in grooming Daisy as I am struggling at the moment. The course sounds like a brilliant idea.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Karen, Rufus is looking good, well done! I wouldn't have noticed the two bits on his head if you hadn't pointed them out 

Cmon Collin, we want to see Betty too!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Well done Karen .. Rufus looks gorgeous .. such a smooth cut ... brill job


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

I am giggling here .. I cut Honey at home on Friday and well shall we say.. I think I need to do her again    Rufus looks such a smooth finish and my Honey looks a little scrappy ahh love her  

Come on Colin .. lets see Betty .. I know she will look cute before and after ..

I am so pleased the course was good  I think I better go on one now ...


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

I think I need to go on one as well, i'm not experienced & Izzie is a handful!
So i'll have to find one close by & take Izzie for a visit which she will hate! :O


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

I think I love Rufus just that little bit more after those photos... :love-eyes:

Well done, he looks beautiful! 

Turi x


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## Missgvus (Jun 18, 2011)

Well done to you Karen. Rufus looks brilliant xx


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

RubyCockapoo said:


> Wow! Fantastic! I can't believe you did that yourself! I've got my form to book onto the next course - definitely going to do it now!


Yey!! Do it, do it!!! I'm booked to do it in March and it would be great if you were there too. my sister in law was going to do it but I think she's bottled it!!

Karen, I think Rufus looks fantastic! And you've definitely put me at ease about doing it as you've said how good it is, so big thanks!!

Pip X


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Well you've inspired me i'd love to have ago just got to find someone that does it round here,can i ask you how did you wash him was it in a special dog bath?
Last time i bath Buddy in the bath he got mud everywhere in my bathroom!!!!!!!!My only concern is with a dog bath that i could use outside ive only got a cold tap which would not be ideal.


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Gosh, this has to be the most encouraging forum in the world. Thank you so much everyone for your comments, they have brought a smile to my face this morning. 

Julia is right. It is not rocket science. In fact it was far easier than I thought especially with clippers. With a comb on the end of the clippers you really can't go wrong on the body. I used a number 6 comb on Rufus's body and a number 8 down his legs. The clipping is very easy and safe and quite therapeutic! The more skilled job is the scissoring. I shaped Rufus's feet with scissors and cut the fur between his toes and trimmed his tail. The hardest bit was his face and head. Thank god for a beard is all I can say! (Rufus ....not me!). As Julia showed in her grooming video, it's a great hand hold - even with Rufus's fairly short one......definitely the last place to trim!

The course gives you confidence as there is someone there to show you exactly *how* to do what *you* want to do with your dog. I may well save up and do the course again at some point - with Basil, who has a slightly different coat type. You work at your own pace and ask for guidance as you go along. 

With two Cockapoos now the grooming fees were going to be somewhat prohibitive for us, especially during those more lean times. My clippers were a Birthday present and I am going to use my dog walking and minding money to get the rest of the equipment I need. It's quite an outlay initially but by my reckoning I start to save after about 6 months (of having 2 poos groomed). Groomers actually have a shop in Newbury so I am going to go along with Rufus to chat to them about size of table etc. My advice would be to get the best clippers you can afford ........they're going to be used for many years 

It's just a thought, but I wonder if Dinah would be prepared to put on an extra day course for our forum? Just Cockapoos. The course costs £80 and is 10am - 4pm on a Saturday near Guildford Surrey. We would need to gather 8 owners with their Cockapoos to make it viable. What do you think?

Karen xx


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

That's a great idea Karen.
I'm already booked in but maybe they'd change my date if there were enough of us interested.
I think Sue (Greenleys19) might be up for it- I'll text her and ask her in case she doesn't see this thread.
It would be such a giggle with a whole bunch of Cockapoo craziness!!!

Would you be able to use your contact with her to see if she'd do it?

Pip X


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

DONNA said:


> Well you've inspired me i'd love to have ago just got to find someone that does it round here,can i ask you how did you wash him was it in a special dog bath?
> Last time i bath Buddy in the bath he got mud everywhere in my bathroom!!!!!!!!My only concern is with a dog bath that i could use outside ive only got a cold tap which would not be ideal.


Donna the smaller dogs used a standard high top bath on a platform and the smaller dogs used a walk in shower ...... that's why we needed to bring wellies!!

I'm lucky as I have a downstairs wet room which I will use (thank you Tristan!). If you let Buddy dry off after a muddy walk and then brush him out before you bath, you will get rid of a lot of the dirt before you bath him. It's just one of those messy jobs when they shake I guess. Advice we were given is to wash their head last as it is a wet head and ears that makes them want to shake most! However, rinsing needs to be done head first for obvious reasons.

Karen xx


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

PipE said:


> That's a great idea Karen.
> I'm already booked in but maybe they'd change my date if there were enough of us interested.
> I think Sue (Greenleys19) might be up for it- I'll text her and ask her in case she doesn't see this thread.
> It would be such a giggle with a whole bunch of Cockapoo craziness!!!
> ...


Ooh just read that back, I mean- your contact with the grooming lady, not Sue!!!

X


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

PipE said:


> That's a great idea Karen.
> I'm already booked in but maybe they'd change my date if there were enough of us interested.
> I think Sue (Greenleys19) might be up for it- I'll text her and ask her in case she doesn't see this thread.
> It would be such a giggle with a whole bunch of Cockapoo craziness!!!
> ...


Yes I could Pippa, but I'd like to gauge interest first. Another forum is trying I know (big doodles!) but they have only got 6 potentials so far so not enough to run the course. 

Karen xx


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## PipE (Aug 4, 2011)

Cockapoodledoo said:


> Yes I could Pippa, but I'd like to gauge interest first. Another forum is trying I know (big doodles!) but they have only got 6 potentials so far so not enough to run the course.
> 
> Karen xx


Karen,
Would it be worth starting a new thread about it? Just in case people are missing it?
X


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## dave the dog (Jun 4, 2011)

Hi Karen
It sounds like a fantastic day and you've done a great job on Rufus! I would be very interested in doing this course. I sent an enquiry to Guildford yesterday, but an all cockerpoo day would be great. Benji's still very young, so I guess it would be more appropriate for us in a few months.
Meg x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

I agree with all Karen has already said. The day was really full on and quite tiring but really informative and good fun..the time just whizzed by. In fact one of the chaps that Karen said had done the course twice is going back for a third go just because he enjoys the day so much...
Betty behaved better than I thought she would but it WAS very difficult to to
trim something that keeps on wriggling ( as my pictures will testify).
Betty only had a light trim as I like the shaggy look- although in some places
(like on top of her head) her fur actually looks longer as it's taken the weight out and the curls have bounced back up!! - i just need to try to get it all a bit more even next time. Would definitely recommend to anyone thinking of doing the course. I would be interested in doing the cockapoo day if it could be organized as I think you could get a lot out of a second visit...

PS: = these are both AFTER pictures.. I think most of you know what she looked like before!!


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## Jukee Doodles (Apr 5, 2011)

Both Rufus and Betty look stunning after their grooming day..........the result you have acheived is a million times better than when groomed by professionals who do not have a love or appreciation for Cockapoos, and that's just after the first attempt. J xx


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Excellent job Colin & Karen xxx

Great models Rufus and Betty xxx


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Cockapoodledoo said:


> Yes I could Pippa, but I'd like to gauge interest first. Another forum is trying I know (big doodles!) but they have only got 6 potentials so far so not enough to run the course.
> 
> Karen xx


Hi Karen and Pippa - yes I would definitely be interested in joining you on a 1 day grooming course. I'd prefer to take Bess so if it were a few months in the future that would be good as she's still quite young. Sue


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Rufus and Betty both look amazing. Interesting that they are both cockapoos but look so different. By self grooming you can get exactly the look you want and that suits your dog and lifestyle. Well done both of you.


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

Well done both of you, Rufus and Betty look lovely 
I'd love to do a course, there isn't anywhere near me, I'll have to set up a grooming station next to my PC and do it along with Julia's video 
Or, I could invite myself to my Cousin's in Camberley....


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

ali-s.j. said:


> Well done both of you, Rufus and Betty look lovely
> I'd love to do a course, there isn't anywhere near me, I'll have to set up a grooming station next to my PC and do it along with Julia's video
> Or, I could invite myself to my Cousin's in Camberley....


Ahhhhhhh, now there's a thought! .......

Karen xx


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Hi Karen, I'd love to do a 'doodle' specific course if there's enough people!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

That's great Helen! Had a mad week last week so didn't get the opportunity to ask Dinah at Merrist Wood. I may have to wait until after half term now. 

Karen xx


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## Dexter1011 (Aug 28, 2011)

Hi, I would love to go on the one day grooming course if you have space.
Thanks
Alison


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