Nathan washed Socks (not one of ours) from start to finish. I was there giving him direction but he did all the work other than cleaning up the bum area and the pads in 45 minutes and that included my end. A short coat is easier but a long coat that is taken care of can be easy too. I can do Fiona or a number of the others in 45 minutes too.
I took a comb and went over him and I did find a few knots but it gave me an opportunity to show him where they usually are and how to find them. This is normal.
I remember when I did Val's TT eons ago having her go over his coat line by line and finding one knot and I was miffed. How the hey did she find THAT! But she added you did a really good job. I also did a bichon for her and she didn't find a single knot and I hated that coat as it was so thick and tight. I was shocked and she had no clue how much anxiety I had over her criticizing my handiwork. So, with that in mind this wasn't meant as a 'find the mistakes' expedition with Nathan. It's simply a learning experience as it was for me hopefully without the anxiety.
I washed Logan and then Panda and Roxie. When I first started doing Logan he would mat very easily. We have since gone to a once a week bathing with him and it seems to be helping a great deal. His hair is getting longer and it appears easier!. It may be the once a week bathing and the products combined.
All I know is now Logan gives me kisses while I groom him and before he used to try to stop me with his mouth. I didn't blame him and worked hard trying to make it a good experience and part of that was coming up with this new plan that thankfully seems to be working better. Getting kisses is the best especially during a time that they do not like.'
I tell you this as patience is important and making it fun is important. A good experience will help you in the long run and worth the effort. If you take them to a groomer make sure they also have that mindset.
SiblingsI would rather have the dog enjoy the experience or at least not hate it than to have it be a quick job. It takes me 45 minutes to do Roxie or Panda but at least twice that long with Logan and I can do Katsura in a little over an hour. Risa, if I line comb her, and I do, each wash takes about the same time as Logan. She has thick full body hair and the longest part is parting and going through the coat line by line to find the knots.
I am a picky nut though and just like someone who takes a rag over to see if you dusted right (that's not important to me) I tend to use a comb to find those missed knots. If you do you can actually go much longer in-between with brushing.
I am also a freak about eyes and ears. I will find an ear ache faster than anyone else as I have a golden and know ear aches and just how those things smell when they begin.
People come visit with their dogs and I clean around the eyes taking those eye boogers away. I have a friend that laughs at me as she knows when I come in I am going to clean around her dog's eyes. I can't help myself.
The last thing I do every night before bed is spray their mouths with Leba II, clean around their eyes and look at their ears.
Why am I talking about this? To each of us we have important things and things that aren't. Some of us may like a long coat and others like a short shaggy puppy cut. Some may prefer to take their dogs to a groomer once a week and get it brushed out and others prefer to brush while they are watching tv daily and take their dog to a groomer only when they need a haircut.
The bath may seem rather scary at first. Lord knows Nathan fought me long enough about doing one and then he did and it was easier than he thought. Of course the coat was short but still it was puppy coat length and much thicker. With the right set of tools and being thorough you actually make your work easier.
So when you are bathing buy a tether and do it in the laundry room sink. Tethers usually come with ridiculous plastic nooses that can't be shortened. You want that rubber part that goes against your sink but you will find more ease with a woven noose that can be tied in knots to shorten it if necessary.
I just bought another from K9grooming supplies here. If you have a grooming table it can be used there as well but just as the replacement for what they give you on a bathing tether is worth every penny. To be able to wash your dog hands free makes the experience much nicer and it was one of the things I was pleasantly surprised with when someone way back when told me that I should get this combo. It works and even buying the replacement as an add on cost still makes it cheap and worth every penny. It is something you can use even when they are an adult.
Really its not hard bathing and grooming with the right tools. But it is you that has to decide what you want to do.