# We got a grooming table!



## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

Well today we finally got a table and it has made a world of difference. Ruby behaved so well on it (as compared to her rolling and biting and not being calm when I try to brush her normally) she stood there nicely the whole time and then posed for a photo. She goes to the groomer this week, I can't wait to get rid of her bracelets and shape up her tail.They look so ratty  don't mind her fuzzy face


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## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

hi
you did the best thing by buying a groom table/arm. you will feel more comfortable maintaining your poodle between grooms. Good luck


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## Manxcat (May 6, 2013)

Excellent! I love mine - it makes me feel more comfortable and much more secure.. as well as stopping the aching back!! 

Great stuff!


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Poodles seem to know that when they are on the table, it's business time.


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## Rhett'smom (Sep 23, 2012)

I am pea green with envy... Waiting for my dryer... 3 poodles it is a must!!! Great job!!!


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## georgiapeach (Oct 9, 2009)

Lucky you! I want one!!


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

LEUllman said:


> Poodles seem to know that when they are on the table, it's business time.



That is so true! When I walk into the groomer and see her on the table and am shocked at how angelic she acts and just figured "she behaves better for the groomer lady than her mom!" Like a little kid! 

But behold.. The table has magic qualities. I was so impressed how beautifully she stayed still and she got lots of treats and praise for it! I learned my lesson and now this is one thing I will never live without for as long as I have a poodle!


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## MollyDog (Jun 29, 2014)

Those of you with spoos (our is about 48 lbs), what's your strategy for getting them up on the grooming table without hurting your back? Those fancy hydraulic lift tables look nice, but they can't be folded up and stored. Plus they cost a ton!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

*Use a chair with the table*

I have 50 lb PWDs. As puppies I train them to get up on the padded seat of a folded metal chair. Then they climb onto the table from the chair. After they are on the table, I sit in the chair to groom them. If I move the chair away from the table, that means they are not to get down.

My oldest dog can no longer jump onto the chair. So I built 2 steps out of leftover wood and now she gets up on the table that way. I trained my 3 yo dog to go up that way also. They also use it to get down.

I did the "chair" method with them as puppies because I knew I could not lift them when they became adults. Now I have more homemade steps by the bed and the couch since my older dog's arthritis prevents her from jumping up on the furniture. It is easy for her to use since she is use to stepping up onto the grooming table.


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## MollyDog (Jun 29, 2014)

These are excellent suggestions! We'll have to see if I can teach my "old dog" (2.5 yrs) yet another "new trick".


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Jazz can jump up on our picnic table with no problem, but the grooming table is just a bit higher, and much smaller, so she won't jump up on it. Blue can't quite jump up, even on the picnic table, but he'll put his front feet up, so that I just have to lift his rear. If we're using the grooming table, though, I have to lift both of them. Fortunately, my husband is usually available to do that for me.


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## Beaches (Jan 25, 2014)

Beautiful, beautiful Molly dog!


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

Kfabulous6, I think the pink of your table is adorable, only to be surpassed by the cuteness of little Ruby. I think it's the happy pink color that makes the whole grooming experience good for both you and your dog. You can't help but smile when you look at them.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

I hope that as I get more comfortable with handling her on the table, maybe I will even learn how to cut her hair as well. It is something I was always longing to learn but never thought I would be able to get my girl to be still long enough to do it!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Jazz leaps up on the table like a flea- so graceful.  Bonnie can, too, but she usually puts her front legs up there and I haul her rear up, but she is much smaller than Jazz. 

Love your new table, but I wanted to mention- it looks like you have the grooming noose only around her neck.  I know a lot of people do that, but it can be really dangerous if she tries to jump off, falls off accidentally or pulls while you groom. 

Instead: Slip it over your dog’s head then run it under one of your dog’s armpits behind the leg and then snug it down. So it’s under the chest then behind the leg. She can't choke that way and if she falls off the table she doesn't hang herself. The best thing is to teach her to stay on the table without using that- and don't leave them unattended.

I love my table! Grooming is so much easier with one.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

Thanks for the tip, Outwest! I did have it tighter when I was brushing her and loosened it when I was finished. That's a good idea to loop it under her leg. She is used to staying still on the table as she does while at the groomer but that's a good precaution to take. Better safe than sorry. I was a little concerned about it being too tight on her neck in the first place!!


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Southwest- That's a great idea- I never thought if doing that, although I don't use the noose with my guys.

Kay fabulous- I love the pink table and your girl is as cute as a button! Having good equipment helps so much.

Mine are good on the table. The only exception is that Lily doesn't like the HV dryer and she is very squirmy for it. She's great for all other aspects of grooming, and i think actually likes some of it, but the dryer is another story. I may try that technique with threading the noose through her legs and see if it helps. Using the noose around her neck when she gets squirmy doesn't help and I worry about safety. She goes over the edge with the dryer, and I'm not sure what to do. 

I've read through threads here about problems with dryers, and I've tried desensitizing her without success, although it might be a little better. She will take treats so I keep doing that as I dry her, but quite honestly, with three dogs to groom, sometimes we just have to get through the process and I probably am not working with her as much as I could due to time constraints. So a good part of this is probably me not following through as much as I could. 

She'll tolerate her body being done, but anything close to her head is another story. I switch to the lower speed and make sure not to direct it toward her eyes, inside ears, etc, but she really does get quite panicky. She doesn't do great with a regular dryer either. 

So- I will dry her topknot and she'll put her muzzle in the crook of my arm for that, and it helps, as I think it make her feel safe. I'll do some of her ears, but they're very thick hair so I usually let them air dry because it just bothers her too much. 

But this is how things go in our house- it's always Lily! Max and Misty go with the flow, and Lily always has to rock the boat. But I do love that girl's spunkiness! She is so funny and does the craziest things - Her antics are over the top! She's due for a grooming today though...and I will not be singing her praises in a couple hours when she's acting like a little hummingbird with the dryer once again:act-up:


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Carolinek, have you tried putting cotton in her ears? There is also something called "Happy Hoodie" looks like a tube top that goes over their head to soften dryer sounds and it absorbs some moisture. A Standard would need the large size.

Always start drying at the rear working your way forward. For the head I will hold the muzzle and direct the dryer down from the top towards their nose; sides of head I direct it down from below the eyes. Ears are dried down, neck under the ears down from below the ear. Don't dry directly towards the face or into the ears. And for those that really dislike getting face dried I will hold the dryer up above them from about 2 feet away and with free hand run it through the hair on their head, sides of neck, ears as the air is blowing through it. Then dryer off, brush through coat and repeat. Low speed also helps as does taking off the smaller nozzle so you don't have such a strong stream of air. Or I pull out my Christenson Pup Dryer, dial it down, and finish up. You could also get head area partly dry, start grooming on the rear for a while, then go back to some drying, etc.

Some dogs never like it, barely tolerate face drying and others learn to live with it. If they could just understand that the more cooperative they are, the sooner we will be done.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

These are great tips thank you everyone for collaborating to give the grooming newbies this useful information!!  poodle people rock!


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## MollyDog (Jun 29, 2014)

It's funny you should mention the Happy Hoodie. We deployed ours for the first time just last night. I've been working up to using a Bear Power II dryer on Molly, though she's still having none of it. She'll take treats off the nozzle while it's turned on, so we're making progress. At first she refused to be in the same room with it, even turned off! I think if I had her up on a grooming table we'd be almost there.

My Happy Hoodie came in a 2-pack. Carolinek, I can send you our spare if you're able to pay the postage. The 2-pack was only about $10, iirc. It's white and it really is like a stretchy terry-cloth tube top :act-up:. Molly didn't seem to mind wearing it (it looks hilarious!), but it didn't make her totally amenable to the dryer either.


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## PammiPoodle (Jul 16, 2011)

I got the same table for my mobile grooming! But mine is boring black instead of pretty pink. They didn't make it in colors back when I bought mine, or I definitely would have gotten something more stylish like yours! It's lasted me years, and that included countless times of folding it up and lugging it in and out of the car and being set up in other people's homes. In fact, the table outlasted me as I don't even do mobile anymore because it's too labor intensive. Now the table and I both have the cushy life working in the shop in my home. : ) 

It's hard to tell from your photos, but I think the clamp for the grooming arm may be on upside down. I can't see what it looks like under the table, but with every clamp I've ever used the part that screws goes underneath the table and the other side is typically smoother and mostly flat for the top of the table. Much safer for the dog to step on and generally easier to clean and work around. But maybe your clamp is different!

And I also just bought several Happy Hoodies after putting it off for years. I think most of the groom dogs appreciate them. : ) However, for small-scale purposes of grooming your own little girl, you could probably use a slice from an old sweater or hoodie sleeve, or maybe even a large men's sock. Here is Lumi testing out the new Happy Hoodies when they arrived. Obviously, this was a small!


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

I will have to check on the clamp, now that you mention it I see that it looks sort of odd. I can already tell this little table was a good investment though  I'm excited for all the possibilities. I'm itching to start looking at a set of my own clippers. oh and a dryer.. And some scissors.. oh my goodness somebody stop me


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Great tips here!

Out west- I did try the noose under the chest for Lily the other day when I groomed her and I think it helped some. I was able to stabilize her at least by holding it.

Loves- The idea of cotton balls or the Happy Hoodie makes a lot of sense, as it probably is the noise that bothers her. Definitely add that next time. Maybe even use both? The funny thing is I shave the inside of her ears and she is fine with that. And your explanation of the direction for drying is fabulous. I really would love to fluff her ears, as they are so nice and thick, but she just won't tolerate it now. I wonder if you can like slip one ear out of a Happy Hoodie and still keep most of the sound deafening effect? 

Molly Dog- thanks so much for the offer of your second Happy Hoodie, although Lily is only 12 lbs, so she must wear a different size! That will be in my next Amazon order though- I saw they have a pink one too

Thanks all for the great tips- I learn so much on this forum.


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