Help my dog not to feel embarrassed anymore!

[lovingisliving76]

Hi! I have a problem and was wondering if anyone on PT might have some advice. I have an Australian Shepherd mix with a German Shepherd. Prodominantly Aussie. The only thing about him close to looking like the german shep in him would be some of the pattern markings on his back. And the fact he has a longer snout. Also he has a full length tail. Other than that he resembles the aussie in coat etc. In his whole life I have never taken him to be groomed i.e trimmed up. I've been good about keeping him as matt-free as possible and shampooed, nails clipped and his feet trimmed up. But he has loooooong/fluffy cotten hair on his rump area. From the base of his tail all the way to his "ankles." I have no clue as how to cut it shorter so it won't get wet outside when the ground is damp. I've always tried for years to thin and shorten it. But he always ends up looking "chopped up" in the back. I can't really take him to be groomed... because I live in Germany and don't know where to look for one. Nor do I speak enough German to talk to the groomer if I found one.

I want it to look natural like this first picture. (Which isn't him)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid146/p784c24afdc9638f7343e2d1fa4f7fcb4/f650c1aa.jpg

This next picture is the best angle picture I can find that I have of what he looks like before I get scissor happy and massacre all of his beauty. :(

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid146/p7743d6e1d2f33c1b67c91ec70e0615d4/f650c1ac.jpg

If anyone knows how to do this or has any advice...PLEASE let me know. I am tried of gapping up his coat when it's time for a trim. And I know he is tired of it too! :D Thanks you guys!

Michele

[caseysmom]

I think she is beautiful just the way she is!

[lovingisliving76]

Thank you! I agree. :D But I need his hair farther up from the ground and thinner to prevent as much matting as I can and for sanitation reasons. Hopefully I'll learn something here today that will help. :)

[LorraineO]

Are you living on a large base? I ask because I lived on a base while in Germany and there was a goomer there...

[lovingisliving76]

No not really. I live in Schweinfurt, Germany. They have numbers posted in our vet clinic for groomers. But many people I know have gone to those posted and their dogs came back looking like they did the grooming at home. I can gap my dogs hair up for free in the comfort of my own home. hehe I wish I could find one. Would be nice for him to look nice n neat for once. Thanks for your response! :-)

[LorraineO]

Well if youre ANY WHERES near a Canadian base or American,,, call and find out!!! there has to be someone there who can do it for you AND speak English!!

[lovingisliving76]

I'm close to an american base...but the problem with the groomers that I know of in my area is they don't do a good job. I only know of the one's I've seen posted in our vet clinic or heard about thru people I work with or hangout with. There may be more reputable one's here that I don't yet know of. I've even seen a few med/long hair dogs myself that were done thru a couple different groomers here and I agreed with the owners that they just didn't look right. That's why I'm here as a last resort. Word of mouth can be a wonderful thing. ;) If nothing else, who knows, I may get EXTREMELY lucky & stumble across someone else like you who has been here...maybe even in my area that knows of a good place or how I can find one. Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. I'll be back in the good ol' USA in 3-6mnths after a long yet fun 3 1/2 yrs here. Can't wait till I can appreciate once again, the convience of the US. :D

[RottiMommy49]

Well there are 2 ways I can think of. The first would be using thinning shears if you can find them there. You would cut vertically with them. You can also do this with regular scissors. You take the fur from the top and angle it so it will go from shorter at the top to a bit longer at the bottom. Hope i'm making sense. This stops the chunking or chpped look. I did this with my cocker spaniel and shitzus. If you have clippers you can take the fir again vertically and hold it with a comb while you run the clippers along the outside edge of the comb. It's easy to do...just not easy to explain. It's kind of like doing a shag hair cut. If you want you can email me and i will draw it out, scan it and send it to you.:)
He's so cute:D
Doggy hugs
Deb, Monty and Kikihttp://ibelieveinangels.mypicgallery.com/rottiangels/debrotts_large.jpg

Thanks Kay for my siggy.:)