KTM Dog Boarding LLC

08/26/2024

Spent a relaxing day with this little lady.

08/05/2024

Having a dog with aggressive behavior is frustrating and scary.

Can't walk your dog without her lunging, barking, growling?
Can't have people over to your house for fear your dog will bite them?
Can't take away your sock from Fido because she snarls & growls?
Can't have your dogs together because they keep attacking one another?

You feel blamed and shamed by everyone.

You love your dog.
You'd do anything to help him.
You feel like a failure like you've done something wrong.

You’ve spent thousands of dollars,
Read all the books
Hired so many trainers
Watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos.

But, if you ONLY focus on the behavior that is MOST embarrassing to you, MOST frustrating, and MOST worrisome you are missing the proverbial boat on how to REALLY help your dog and, ultimately, how to stop the embarrassing growling, lunging, barking, temper tantrum your dog is having.

Your dog’s behavior is a SYMPTOM of how he or she is feeling.

Let’s say your toddler was hangry. Your yelling, & punishing will NOT help him. None of those things would address the issue that he's HUNGREY!

Food will help your toddler’s internal state, AND it will stop the temper tantrum while making your toddler FEEL BETTER!!

The same thing is happening to your dog. You may feel embarrassed & frustrated with their aggression, but that is NOT the problem.

You must start asking WHY is my dog behaving this way?
What happened to her?

Looking at your Whole Dog is the only way to stop their aggressive behavior.

Comment “Calm” to get on the priority list for our next Free Webinar, Dog Aggression Fact vs Fiction: Learn Why Everything You've Been Told to Do Isn't Working.

07/30/2024

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 puts 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.

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 it’s 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.

07/27/2024

Golden retriever-inspired bed design 🐶

07/25/2024

Enjoyed a delightful week in the company of this handsome guy.

07/20/2024

Credit
"off the mark" comic by Mark Parisi

07/16/2024

Spent the day with this handsome guy

07/10/2024

07/07/2024

Spent the day with this guy🐾🐾💕

07/02/2024

PET SAFETY REMINDER: Remember that asphalt (and concrete) gets HOT during the summer and can cause burns to pets’ feet. On a 77-degree day asphalt temps have measured as high as 125 degrees – and on an 87-degree day as high as 143 degrees (it’s already 88 today in central Iowa and temps are climbing, so even more dangerous)! Skin destruction can occur in as little as 1 minute on a 125-degree surface. To keep your pet safe, press the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt (or concrete) for 7 seconds before walking your dog on it. If it’s not comfortable for you, it could potentially harm your pup. Even better, walk your dog in the grass to not even risk paw damage.

For more summer pet safety tips, head to https://ow.ly/383N50SpjSB.

07/01/2024

06/27/2024

Enjoyed a fabulous couple of days with this amazing young man.

06/21/2024

Spent some time with this little sweetie.

06/15/2024

Had a delightful time with this charming young lady.