maz

Thanks everyone for your help. But I'm still not sure about whether or not single sourced rendering is ok. I thought rendering was generally not deemed acceptable.

I feel the same way you do, Horsefeathers. I charge what I feel I'm worth, and if someone wants to tip beyond that, that's great, but not expected. I do feel it's nice to tip bathers though. Usually (not always) they have the grungiest work and they're not paid a whole lot.

As a groomer myself, I would say one out of every 3 - 4 or so people tip. It's usually between $2 - $8 or so, higher around Christmas and higher when the owner brings two or more dogs. Often people round out the bill, for example if the bill comes to $ 37 they will give me $ 40 and call it good. I am the owner and sole groomer at my shop, however, so that may make a difference. It was once believed in many professions (not all) that one doesn't tip an owner, just the help. I think that's changing, though. I don't have a tip jar or anything like that and I don't expect tips or view people differently if they don't tip. It's always nice, though! I have had a lot of customers come right out and ask me if they should tip. My stock answer is: it's perfectly ok if you'd like to and perfectly ok if you don't. And I mean that. Not too long ago I saw a magazine article that had advice on tipping and how much, for many different professions. For dog grooming they said, yes, you should tip and it's usually between $ 5 - $ 15 per dog, higher in large cities where grooming is usually more expensive. I like tipping, myself, especially when someone has done a good job. I know how nice it is to add a little something when someone has worked hard.

Ok, here it is, and I'm sorry about the delay. This was posted on a discussion forum by a friend who had written to Diamond asking about their ingredients. This is the letter (or email, I'm not sure) they sent back. ********** Thank you for your e-mail. Diamond Pet Food has never, and will never, knowingly utilizes any rendered protein meals containing the remains of pets. Like all quality, pet food manufacturers, Diamond has strict ingredient specifications which detail the quality required in every delivery of an ingredient. Diamond purchases its meal and fats from only one source no brokers.Although single sourcing rendered meals is more expensive, this practice provides maximum control, removing opportunity for unsupervised material to make its way into the product formulations. Diamond uses single source suppliers for every ingredient. We have contract agreements in place regarding the specifications of every ingredient. Our ingredients come from suppliers to the human food market; this ensures that they are safe and wholesome. If the ingredient doesn't meet our standards, it is rejected. This ensures that our finished products contain the same high quality ingredients every time. Chicken fat is the only fat added to the pet food since it is the most highly digestible animal fat source available. It is 93% digestible, and is the best source of linoleic and arachidonic acids. The shelf life is how long the pet food can sit on the shelf in the store before the nutrients of the pet food decreases. The Diamond Pet Food has a shelf life of 18 months. To ensure freshness during the process of feeding the bag of pet food, it can be stored in an airtight container and placed in the freezer, otherwise, it normally stays fresh while fed as recommended on the bag. If you have further questions, please contact us again. Best Wishes, Pam Libbert Customer Service Diamond Pet Foods ***** It just left me with a couple of questions, namely my earlier one, plus, what is "single source rendering"? And that's why I asked if ANY kind of rendering was ok. I know I can attempt to contact Diamond myself with these questions, however, before I did that I thought I'd throw it out there to consumers who might happen to know the answers. Thanks, all.

I will find it for you, but it will be a little later as I'm in a rush.

(I'm posting this in the general topic, but please move it if you must.) Recently I read a statement from Diamond foods saying that their food, to their knowledge, does not contain the rendered remains of PETS. I haven't tried to dig any deeper, but I wonder why they would say PETS rather than ANIMALS. Does anyone know whether they admit to using rendered animals other than pets? I was under the impression that Diamond was a high quality, premium dog food, and usually these don't use rendering in their processes. Also, about rendering- are there instances where it's ok for it to be put into pet food? Or, is it NEVER good? I mean, is ALL rendering automatically bad for pet consumption?

Generally, you should only pluck the hair that's growing down in the canal, unless your vet has advised otherwise. I agree that you should wait for a demonstration.

We had the same problem until we figured out to keep the litter box turned around backward (we have the kind with a tall cover and a door opening in it) into the corner of the room. There's plenty of room for the cat to get into it, but the dog can't reach it (so far he hasn't figured out to paw it away from the corner.)

Plus, I didn't get the feeling they were intentionally trying to deceive. They say, "I may look like an [Am Staff] but UNDERNEATH (my emphasis) I'm a golden........"

I'm with Matty- I don't think the meant to literally claim the dog is a golden. It's a jab at those who would be prejudiced against owning that dog because of its looks. It's saying, 'ignore my looks; I'm just like a golden.'

You can use something like Mr. Clean- I usually soak mine. I've also used dog shampoo with baking soda mixed in. Soak in soap overnight and rinse very well.

I can understand the reaction to be upset, both as a groomer and as a dog lover. But I guess we don't really know what kind of "advice" this person will be giving. It's possible the extent of the diet and nutrition advice is: feed super premium brands. Ever since I did a little investigating on the topic and switched our dogs to super premiums, yes, if customers ask me about food, I will tell them what I do. You know, saying, "In my opinion the super-premiums are better than Alpo." And maybe the depth of her "advice" on behavior and skin conditions will be the same. Usually if I say anything to my customers on these topics I will follow it up with, "but be sure to consult with your vet." There's a groomer near me who offers "gentle grooming" also and when I first saw it in her advertising it got my hackles up a bit, but I think people are savvy enough these days to figure out that they are reading ADVERTISING and the advertiser has a product or service to sell. The other thought I had on the subject of her advice is that she could get herself into some hot water with it. And I don't mean as in deluged with calls, but rather legally.

I agree, you generally don't want to clip a double-coated dog. If you can afford it, you could consider monthly grooming appointments; at least during shedding season. Be sure to find a groomer who uses a high-velocity dryer and understands that your main goal is to cut down on shedding hair. Many groomers offer regular programs designed to do this. A groomer with a good conditioner and a high-velocity dryer can get as much hair out in minutes as you can in hours, or even days, of brushing at home. Or, if you have decent bathing facilities at home, you could consider buying a professional-quality high-velocity dryer; as well as a few tools like groomers use. You'd have to invest a fair amount of cash but in the long run it would be cheaper than going to the groomer. Otherwise, continue to brush, and buy a shedding blade to add to your home routine. And yes, wet your dog down first and then comb/brush- you will get out much more hair.

Oh dear, I do hope no one will be angry with me for asking this, but sometime I can't help the minute trivia my brain focuses on...... is it Primrose or Primorse? Your signature line says one but your author line says another.

shih_tzu, I'm from New York State, USA.

A schipperke is the rarest I've met. There are tons of lhasas where I am, though.

Cassie's advice was really good. I would just add this to stress the point: when he whines, be sure not to give him any eye contact and if you can, actually turn your back on him quickly as soon as he does it. He is used to seeking your attention by whining and if he gets the opposite result, he will not like it at all. Good luck, and let us know how it goes. He looks like a cutie!

I see this was posted some time ago, but I'm new to the boards. Anyway, yes, I have a rat terrier and would be happy to talk with you about it.

As a fellow rattie owner, I just wanted to say hi. Rats are wonderful dogs, as you are finding out already. Don't have much to add about food, as there is overwhelming information out there. If you're looking for a good premium food, Canidae is the one we've chosen- we feed our RT as well as our other dogs both their canned and dry, and we've been very happy with it. Good luck!