Continued... Bathing One of the biggest mistakes in shampooing is rubbing the coat in circles. With the products today, the dirt is lifted off. There is no reason to scrub back and forth. Make sure the coat is entirely wet, apply your shampoo, and distribute it by running your fingers though the coat. It's important to rinse and rinse and rinse. Shampoo left in a coat can do more damage to the coat and skin than anything else. Follow with a light Conditioner per instructions, or use a Mist Bottle with a light Conditioner during the drying process. I say a light conditioner because a very fine silky coat will get weighed down easily and appear dirty. Also if you are brushing the coat during the week, you'll want to Mist it lightly. Do not brush a dry coat, nor one that is getting dirty. You are much better off rebathing quickly if you are trying to grow coat. Drying After the bathing is done, wrap the dog in a towel. Again, do not rub the coat. If you hold him for just a couple of minutes wrapped it will cut down on drying time. If you are trying to grow coat, let him just stand in front of the dryer until the coat is damp before you start to brush. Otherwise you can begin to brush starting at the ends, not the base of the coat next to the skin. Brush it in sections as you go along, it's much easier than to skip around. Don't forget the belly area, under the legs, and behind the ears. Trimming By now you are seeing the results of your work, and your dog has been patient with you. All you need to do now is trim around the feet and anal area. The Anal area should be only slightly trimmed using scissors, do not use clippers for this area. Usually about 1/2 inch around is enough. The feet should be rounded following the outline of the foot itself. You'll first brush the coat down straight around the foot, stand your dog holding the leg hair up and out of the way. Then trim the excess coat off around the foot that hits the table you're grooming on. It isn't easy to obtain a neat rounded foot at first, but each time you groom you'll improve getting that rounded look. Just take your time. Finishing Touch Now that the Grooming is done, you can finish off by putting in the Top Knot with your favorite Bow. Collect the hair starting at the outer corner of the eye, going back at an angle toward the center of head, then back down to the outer corner of other eye. Brush this hair up and place a latex band, finish by adding your Bow. You may even have a favorite dog cologne, but don't forget the "Hug"! He deserves it.     Background Courtesy of Absolute Background Textures