File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Dear /an/,

My dad has been taking care of the family dog since my mother passed away, but the problem is he hasn't really been taking care of the dog at all. It's got fleas and his hair is really matted.

I've decided I'm going to start taking care of it. I'm going to take him to get his hair cut and whatnot (even though I'll be throughly embarrassed).

He's a miniature poodle and I have no idea how to care for animals. Dog food and water, sure, but he's hardly potty trained and I don't know how to keep his hair from matting. I need all your advice and help!

tl;dr - How do I taked care of dog?
>> Anonymous
Because it's a poodle, keep taking him to the groomer or learn how to clip him yourself. The groomer can also trim his nails if you don't want to bother with that.

Definitely work on potty training immediately and think about your work schedule. He'll need to be taken for walks every day, so be sure you plan ahead for that. Other than that, hopefully some experienced dog owners can get more detailed advice.
>> Anonymous
I'm really sorry about your mother.
Never had a dog with hair that requires brushing, but I bought and occasionally use two types of brushes to remove dead hair: The first is a two-sided brush that has wires on one side and bristles on the other.
www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/146738_front200.jpg
The other is not necessary but good to have anyway. It’s a cotton glove with a rubber surface stitched on with raised dimples that also remove dead hair and keep it neat. I recommend that once a pro clipped and washed him, you gently brush him all over once to twice a week with the wire side of the brush and use the glove to keep him tidy in-between. Fleas can be extremely hard to get rid of, search the net for more info. As for potty training – make sure he has his own clean bed and corner of the house which will help give him confidence and his own area to call home. This is important, because a dog that does not feel secure is far more likely to have poor toilet habits. Take him out on a leash at least 10 times a day (at first) and let him sniff the area, especially after a meal. This should help him get into the habit of “going” outside, however it is better if you read through the articles I will link here for more info.
There is a lot of information you will need to get through – I wish you good luck!
http://dogs.about.com/
http://dogs.about.com/od/dogcarebasics/General_Dog_Care_For_Everyday.htm
http://www.i-love-dogs.com/
>> Anonymous
Poodles need to be taken to a groomers regularly and have all their hair clipped. When you take the dog to the groomer, ask them about maintenence and things like that, it would probably be more helpful to talk to a pro about it then to talk to /an/
>> Anonymous
>>87265

Poodles are good dogs; they're smart, loyal, and they don't shed. Very easy on people with allergies, too. Their hair will eventually form filthy dreadlocks, which sounds cool but is anything but. I was raised in a home with no fewer than two dogs at all times, one of which was always a poodle, so I've got some experience. Every other month, give or take a few weeks, take 'er to the poodle parlor (er-groomer..) and have the hair cut short, excepting a small afro and some fluff to pad the ears and possibly tail. Foodwise, I suggest dry food and table scraps. Be careful about candy bar wrappers and anything else w chocolate, as poodles are insane (moreso than any other dog I've had) for chocolate, which will kill them of course. Feed it spaghetti (w sauce) and enjoy it's fine red mustache for days.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>87278
Brushes like that won't help with poodle hair, you're going to need a slicker brush and a greyhound comb. Ask your groomers to show you what they are. =)
>> Anonymous
Step 1.

Make appointment for a Vet to get flea medication like Advantage, and flea control for your house. Also get one of those fine toothed flea-combs to use after you have taken him to a groomer, ask them to shave him down good for now.

When you fleacomb him you can do this by a sink filled with extremely hot water with a detergent or small amount of bleach, dunk the comb into the water to get the fleas off each stroke

Step 2. Wash any clothing, fabrics, bedding he's come in contact to try and remove all possible flea eggs and poop. you're gonna want to vacuum every single day.

Step 3. Check out dog care books from your local library, there's some good up to date ones and easy to follow- Like those Dogs for Dummies. Also look through book stores, petstores, ask the clerk for help on this first time.
>> Anonymous
>>87427

Brushes work fine, provided they're steel-toothed. Jesus, people, this is a dog, not rockey science.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>87470
Rockey science? Listen to this man, guys.

I'm a professional groomer, so I think I would know if it works or not. Pin brushes will not work out matted hair, and will not work with a line brushing technique. I don't know of any groomers that have used or owned pin brushes.
>> Anonymous
>>87486

You're right, the thing to comb out matted hair certainly wouldn't be a brush with short steel bristles. No, no, it's impossible, 'tis plain to see. Can't be done by the hand of mortal man! CAN NOT BE DONE.

The ironic thing is that you actually do 'rockey science', provided the dog is named rockey.
>> Anonymous
sheesh, you all make this sound so complicated... just take your dog to the groomer's, buy a good brush, brush its hair every other day to avoid matting, give it a bath every other week, be sure to keep its eyes and ears clean, trim its claws, and play with it often. Poodles are exceptionaly smart, mine just kinda learned one day that by standing in front of the door and barking she would be let out. Just take the necessary steps to teaching yours that peeing/pooping outside = win and luvs.
>> Anonymous
Wow, never in a million years did I expect this to still be up. I was running around today and thought "oh shit, I bet my threads gone and I never got to check up on it" and lo and behold, it's on the front page.

Thanks for all the tips guys, I really appreciate it. I plan on taking him to stay with me in my apartment in July (I'll be too busy to take care of him until then).

I just gave him a bath yesterday, but I was rubbing him today and he still smells a little funky, I think I forgot to wash his chest and front feet as he's still a little dirty there. Is it okay to bathe him again so soon?

He has a few places he seems to always be. His bed is in the space under the big computer desk in the living room that's never used, but lately his new spot is the clean socks hamper.

But anyways, about potty training... My grandpa tells me that I need to get a small kennel for him to stay in when I'm not around because dogs wont go to the bathroom in such a confined space. My grandpa was the one who originally gave him to us, he got the little guy from some people out in the woods, they were keeping him in a pen outside with like 6 other dogs. He's really smart but he doesn't know how/like to play at all. He basically lies around all day like a bum. The only time I ever see him run around excited is after a bath or when my mom would come home. Is it normal for a dog to never want to play?

Sorry for the long posts of my dog's life story, just want to do the best I can. I'll check out all those links.
>> Kami 3179 2609 9972
>>87724
Go ahead and wash him again if you feel like it. But don't make a habit of it. You need to be careful of washing him too much, otherwise you'll dry out his skin.
>> Anon
I agree with
>>87838
though if he doesn't smell too bad or have grime there I probably wouldn't.

Kennels are great for housebreaking. Keep him in when you're not home. Come home, take him out immediately. Praise him when he relieves himself. If he doesn't do it right then, put him back in for 10 minutes, rinse and repeat.
>> Anonymous
>>87278Here.
When you give your dog a bath, make sure you use dog shampoo and rinse it extremely well. Don't be too shy (like many people) to wash his privates. If shampoo or old (and now moist) dirt that has collected there stays anywhere on his skin, it can cause skin problems. It's okay to wash him again if you use dog shampoo, as it does not strip the oils from the skin and fur as much as human shampoo.

I still think he should have his own corner of the house with his own bed. He will still sleep anywhere he wishes though.

Yes, it’s normal for a dog not to want to play. Some dogs just don’t have a playful personality, others never really learned human games and sometimes they just don’t like the type of play you are offering them.

I don’t have any experience with keeping dogs in an apartment since I live in the country. You should still take him out frequently, and make a special area for him to “go” inside. It should probably be a few feet from his special sleeping corner that you set up. Set his toilet space up by giving him a large kitty litter box or by setting up some kind of border (3-5 inches) around this area that he can easily climb over, so he knows the boundaries of his toilet space. Whenever he poops where he’s not supposed to, pick it up and put it into his toilet space. When you bring him into your apartment for the first time, put some poo inside his toilet space that you saved from earlier. If he pees in the wrong place, blot it up thoroughly with paper towels (then put mild cleaning solution on stained area) and just throw them into his toilet space. He should get the message eventually.
You should never expect a dog to hold it in for more than 3-4 hours and less if the dog is getting old. I know dogs can hold it in much longer, but you should not expect so much from a dog if possible. Good luck with everything.
>> Anon
Cont bc I'm paranoid..deleted my post
How old is the dog?
If he's an older animal he may be slower down.
How long has he been in your family?
That could determine how comfortable he is with you and people in general.
And..it may just be his temperament. My mom's Yorkie doesn't play. He just tries to rip your ankles apart.

How socialized is he?
You mentioned he was kept in a kennel. So socialization might be the problem.
My pom was kept in a kennel for his first 9wks. We had housebreaking, submissive urinating, skittishness..whole nine yards. He didn't play either.
Since I'm gathering this is a toy poodle...sit or lay down. Call the dog to you and just pet or groom it. Once he's calm, take a toy and play with it. Balls and tugropes are good. Roll the ball or offer him a piece of the toy for a game of tug.
He may not be game to it at first, but if he's one to play he'll come around. Worked for Chibs.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>87637
Did you see what brush he recommended? Do you even know what a slicker brush IS? A slicker brush IS a short steel-pinned brush, but a slicker brush > pin brush due to design. A pin brush is good for long, sleek untangled hair (think Afghan), a slicker is needed for dematting and general brushing on curly coated or undercoated dogs.

=/
>> Anonymous
>>87852
He's about 2 1/2 years old, we've had him for about a year and a half.
We haven't kept him in a kennel, but we want to get one to house break him. He's pretty social I suppose, he loves to be rubbed by anybody.

Anyhow, I guess that's all the questions I have for now, doesn't seem too much for me to handle at all. Thanks again for all the help and such.
>> Anonymous
dogs make for greatt fertilizer