Category: dog nails

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It’s nearly April mother puppers!

So at Hair of the Dog we have been getting our Spring clean on. Rest assured that we use dog friendly products to disinfect the salon and keep our clipper blades and brushes squeaky clean. Whilst I wouldn’t suggest eating your dinner from anyone’s floor, I’m pretty confident that the filtered water in the dog’s bowls is clean as a whistle.

We have a new security fence as well as the internal gate to keep your pooches safe and relaxed whilst in our care and look forward to planting dog friendly flowers in our garden area.

So what’s new for Spring?

Well having had a love affair with Red+Ginger products for sometime, we have become proud stockists of the canine fashion designer’s stylish unique pieces, so much so that they have designed a Spring Collection just for us. Ideal for dog Mums, human Mums on Mother’s Day and for dandy dog owners who do their darnest to keep on trend. Zero waste products lovingly made into harnesses leads and collars and we said YES to small, medium and large sizes. Fashion in the dog park just got fierce. Bring your doggo in  for a collar lead or harness fitting.

 

We also have some beautiful Harris Tweed items by Herbert&Maisie as well a some unusual and funky fully machine washable bed mats and memory foam beds. 

Appointments: We’re getting busy. It’s Spring and it’s shedding season. Call 07539605752 on the hot- doggy- hotline to book a Spring makeover or just a bath and blow dry to keep your pooch pristine between cuts.

 

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Veganuary: Transatlantic Eco Dog Fashion.

Being a dog owner can feel as if you are slinging money into a bottomless pit. Pet insurance, specialised dog food, smart feeders, memory beds and pet trackers and late night online cheer up shopping. After Christmas the clothes still fit my dogs, me not so much.

I’m an online shopper most of the time. My working day is spent grooming the dogs of Braintree Chelmsford Witham and Coggeshall. My free time is spent training and walking my dogs. I don’t spend my outdoor time shopping for my pooches. I’m on doggy play dates and trying to get my dog out to as any different experiences as possible. Note to self drive- through coffee shops are a terrible idea, with a large  lively barking dog in the car. Having a German Shepherd stuffing a curious nose up the window of Starbucks and barking a hello, made the member of staff jump backwards. Not good.

Online shopping however from major retailers seems to bring with it a tidal wave of plastic waste and huge unecessary boxes. I love walking on the beach, so I’m not comfortable with adding to it’s pollution through cheap manufacturing  and unecessary plastic. I don’t turn up to lunch parties with a spare tree for a spot of post- bite guerilla gardening wearing a Save the Whale T shirt and a pair of recyclabe crocs- but I still like to feel that if I am not saving the planet, I am at least not contributing too much to killing it.  Least of all for my dog, an animal that I love.

So that brings us nicely into the world of eco-pet shopping. Yes it is a thing.No you do not have to be vegan to buy eco friendly products. So who are the retailers and what are they doing?

Eco Pup are fab when it comes to funky functional dog wear. Made in Canada ( and let’s face it they deal with a lot colder than last year’s ‘Beast from the East”) This eco savvy company have dog and cat wear made from recycled fleece and use organic printed fabric trim. They sell breathable bamboo hoodies for the pug thug in your life. I love them and at coats from 28 dollars, they are affordable. https://www.ecopupdogclothing.com/ They aren’t just cute designs at a decent price they are doing the following:

  • we reuse packing boxes for large orders
  • reuse plastic and cellophane bags for packaging
  • all cardboard, paper and plastic packaging that cannot be reused is recycled
  • orders are taken electronically
  • we try to use email and the phone as much as possible instead of printing paper
  • any bottles and cans we use are recycled
  • all of our printer ink cartridges are mailed back to the manufacturer to be recycled
  • all of our business cards and catalogs are printed on eco-friendly recycled paper
  • Our hang tags are printed on eco-friendly cardstock with vegetable based soy inks. They withstand shipments and shelf life.
  • our products are 100% eco-friendly by using certified organic, reclaimed and recycled fabrics
  • we take public transit and carpool whenever possible
  • we use biodegradable poop bags to clean up after our dogs

So for a clean conscience they rank pretty highly as far as mindful shopping goes.

 

Next up Funny Fur. Funny Fur have a lot more variety but a lot less to say about how they contribute to eco-economy.They do however raise money for animal resuce and shelters and have an eco friendly pet apparel section.

https://www.funnyfur.com/eco-friendly-pet/eco-friendly-apparel/

They have everything from cable knit sweaters to polka dot dog scarves. They have party dresses for Yorkshire terriers and are everything you might expect from an American Designer. Their clothes however are eco friendly and this business is based in Houston and proves that everything does indeed seem to be bigger in Texas. Away from the Stars and Stripes tank tops for dogs, they have some effortlessly stylish nautical designs that make me wish I had a Basset Hound called Claude. I am astounded by the choice at this store and what it has to offer. They even have dog strollers ( prams!!!)  for dogs who for whatever reason can’t get around in the tradtional way. This is like the Willy Wonka’s of Dog Fashion. Everything you can imagine is sold at this store which feels like a Vegas Wedding and a beauty pageant went on a three day bender together. It is both sightly car crashy and terribly compelling.  It’s not all bamboo hoodies and herbal ( silent H)  chai, but it is a great balance of eco concious and  outrageous.

Tomorrow we will look at some of the trail blazers in British Dog Fashion and how the eco mindful dog owner spends their hard earned wages.

 

 

 

 

 

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Veganuary for discerning dogs @hairofthedogcoggeshall

Hair of the Dog, Cherry Lane Garden Centre Grooming and Training Braintree Essex.

We are checking out cute canine  coats, Winter knits and vegan cosmetic dog products.  Vegan coats available online or for keen knitters we are going to take a peek at Winter woolies that will be sure to get you reaching for the needles. ( You don’t need a dog to knit, you could start knitting for shelter dogs. ) For those of us who are more Crufts than Crafts we will explore the latest in high end sustainable dog accessories. 

 

We believe fully in a species appropriate diet for dogs, my dogs eat a complete  raw meat diet and thrive on it, from Bella& Duke www.bellaandduke.com.

However if you are weighed down by last year’s consumption and excesses we are going to look at the best sustainable canine clothes, how to be waste savvy when shopping for your pooch. Zap your dogs mind  with  brain stimulating games that can be set- up or upcycled at home.

We know our dogs are washed with organic dog products at the salon, but can we find luxe vegan dog shampoos and conditioners that work well between trips to the groomer?  ( We all have days when we have dunk and dry our dogs at home, even if it does block drain!)

 

We will look at which clothing item look best on different dogs in our section- Does my mutt look big in this?

Buying sustainable, ethically-sourced accessories that contain no animal products and produce minimum waste. The gauntlet has been thrown down.

Veganuary: Hair of the Dog, Style.

Facebook :Hair of the Dog Cherry Lane Garden Centre Braintree

 

 

 

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We’ve got claws nailed.

Hair of the Dog Salon in Braintree pride themselves in turning out dogs with well clipped nails. Nails should not touch the floor or make noise when your best friend is walking inside or outside.

Dog Groomer versus the Vets

Why should I have my dogs nails done at the groomers? Well firstly, Hair of the Dog groomers have more time than the vets. A bad experience with nail clipping can result in a dog that is frightened of the vet or the salon. Both smell pretty similar if they have been cleaned properly. Having a frightened dog at either can result in accidental injury and distress.

The facts, nailed.
A lot of vets will cut the nails short in one go, this causes pain by cutting through the quick of the nail. It does produce fast results but is painful for your canine companion. If you have ever ripped your nails half way down then you’ll know how it feels. The quick of the nail recedes each time is is cut. So regualr nail clipping is essential to avoid cutting through the quick. Little and often is best. Your dog groomer would be nicking a little off the ends. With dark nails it is more difficult to see the quick. Your groomer can however get the ends of the nails cut. At Hair of the Dog, we encourage shy dogs to come in just for a pat and a treat between treatments so they have positive associations with the salon.

Train
All dog groomers would love it if your dog stood patiently waiting for his hair cut or nails and there are positive reinforcement ways of training your dog to do this.

Reassure and Support
We know however that sometimes a dog is a jack in the box on the table. So we work slowly to reassure your dog that there is no threat. At Hair of the Dog, Cherry Lane Garden Centre in Braintree we have time to lavish on your dog. We will get there in the dogs time. We are not into jerking dogs around or pulling their joints. Dogs must feel supported physically and emotionally.

Homework for ticklish dogs

At home when your dog is snoozing in front of you, gently take his paw in your hand and get him or her used to being handled, treat him after he allows you to touch his paw and make sure you touch the inside of his pads and nails.
This will help him be more relaxed when handled by your vet or dog groomer. Call 07539605752 to book your dog in for regular nail, clipping. We keep nail clipping deliberately affordable, so that your dog can benefit from regular trims.