Best Paws In Town, LLC

03/04/2025

Research your breeds to make educated choices

Thinking about getting a Doodle, Cockapoo or any Poodle mix? Have you been told they "don't need grooming until 1yrs old" or "coat maintenance is easy"?

*PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING piece written by a groomer..in the pic that's known as a pelted coat /Pelting. A dog’s fur gets so matted & tangled it will come off in one piece. It's outs tension on the skin, can damage the skin causing horrible infections and sometimes renders the dog helpless,unable to move and it can then cause fatality
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Poodle crosses (cockapoos, doodles, maltipoos etc.) are not "easy breeds" to maintain. The photo attached (shared from another groomer) shows how matting forms at the skin. By looking at this dog's top coat, you may not see the knots and you may not feel them as you would a knot on the ends of the fur but under that fluffy top layer this is going on. Once it starts its very difficult/ impossible to brush out... and even if you could it would be cruel to put the dog through it. Maintenance at home has to be more than a quick once over for these dogs if you want to keep them in that fluffy coat which was probably one of the reasons you chose a poodle cross in the first place. You really need to sit down with a brush and then a metal comb and make sure you can get it through the entire body at least 2 to 3 times a week.

I often feel like owners don't believe groomers when they say their dog has to be clipped very short. I always hear "I know he/she is matted, but leave as much as you can". You cannot clip through matting, you can only clip under it. As this photo shows, clipping under the matting means taking the coat back to the skin.
I promise you, your groomer really doesn't want to do this but they won't hurt your dog by putting it through dematting, they also don't want to hurt their reputation when the clients go around complaining about how the last groomer "scalped" their dog but there really is not any alternative. Instead of being angry with your groomer if they clip your dog very short please respect their commitment to do what is in your dog's best interest, accept responsibility for not having brushed your dog properly at home, and work with your groomer because, together, you can prevent this happening again. All groomers will be very happy to demonstrate a technique called line brushing which will help make your grooming at home more effective. Just ask! We all want owners to know how to do this

Poodle crosses are easily one of the highest maintenance dogs in reference to their coats. The combination of the soft coat they are mixing poodles with these days is a coat that is extremely prone to matting.

If you like a fluffy pup, you probably need to consider no more than 3-5 week intervals between grooming and set aside time for regular brushing AND combing at home.

Please know, if you bathe your poodle cross you really need to blow dry and brush out right after. Moisture, be it a bath, rain, swimming, snow etc are all going to make matting worse. If you know your dog is already matted-- bathing is only going to make it worse! Brush out before the bath.

Lastly "breeders" who say these dogs can't or shouldnt be clipped and not to give them a hair cut until they are one year old are misleading potential owners in order to sell$$$$ puppies and setting them up for a sad day when they finally take their pup to the groomer!!!

If this hasn't put you off buying one please schedule your puppy's first groom immediately after they've had their vaccinations and then be prepared to do the maintenance at home between regular professional grooms.

02/23/2025

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Our first cart event of 2025 🍦 Celebrating the cutest 3 year old 🧁
Our cart is here for you for birthdays, corporate events, weddings, grad parties… you name it ice cream goes with all celebrations.

To get a quote for our cart, you can go to our website and fill out a form. 😉

02/21/2025

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09/09/2024

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Dog licks are often thought of as doggy kisses. But, it’s actually something to take a step back and notice. And could sometimes be considered a, “Kiss to Dismiss” (more on that below). These licks do trigger some questions that may seem a bit silly to ask in response. Something like, “Describe the licks for me. Fast, slow, and then does the dog move away?”
“Is it a full tongue or a little bit?”
“Full tongue lick or quick flick?”
“Is the child sitting and the dog approaches or vice versa, what level of mobility does the child have, is food present or remnant?

There’s many questions! But, these questions help us gather valuable information to help us understand what the dog may be communicating. At Family Paws Parent Education, we want to help parents consider and recognize that dog licks may not always be what we think they are, “affectionate kisses”, or indications of “love,” but could have other meanings. We refer to this as “Kiss to Dismiss”. If you are curious of these doggy “kisses” and if they are a “Kiss to Dismiss”, ask yourself,
🐶 Is your dog in need of space? (what just happened? Did your baby crawl closer to your dog?)
🐶 Is your dog in need of space and there is a reason they may choose not to move? (example: comfy spot, resource, pain)
🐶 Does this licking deter closeness or lead to an increase in space?

Thank you, Steve Bishop of Bishops Gate Dog Training for this graphic! Steve is also a Family Paws Parent Educator.
We do not recommend baby and dogs interact as shown in these illustrations. Never allow your baby to crawl up to or freely explore your dog in this way.

You can also find him on Instagram at

09/09/2024

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Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

06/20/2024

06/17/2024

A picture is worth a thousand words...image credit International Canine Behaviorists

04/10/2024

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