First, a word of advice when you’re planning on getting a dog. Unlike me, who immediately falls in love with probably every dog I see. If you’re getting a purebred, read about the breed. Do research on personality traits, common illnesses to the breed, compatibility with other pets and children. I speak from experience. More on that later.
Saying that brings me back to grooming Ellie. She’s beautiful, smart and I feel very grateful that I found her. BUT I did not think of her needing constant grooming. It would not have changed my mind about adopting her but some people might not be able to afford it or be able to groom her on their own.
To have her professionally groomed costs upward of $200. By grooming her ourselves, I think it is well worth it. It takes the two of us almost four hours. Ellie needs to be brushed every day. Her fur mats easily and you need a special comb for that. We bathe her monthly. This consists of taking her to the nearest Tractor Supply store, (as previously mentioned).
We need to brush her before her bath. In the tub, we shampoo, rinse, apply conditioner and rinse again. Next step is towel, then blow drying, while continuing the constant brushing.
We have cut her hair twice, (we have a professional grooming kit) With the two of us, this takes about two and a half hours. We watched several U-tube videos and got to work. Ellie is very good, I can tell that she is used to being groomed. She doesn’t like it but nevertheless is very well behaved.
