1. Exercise Pens! Raining cats and dogs?? Set up an ex-pen in your garage and avoid getting yourself and your dog soaked! Want to take the dog on the family picnic in the park or the club meeting at someone's home? Take along the ex-pen and set it up so you can keep an eye on him. No fenced in yard and no time to walk the dog before you leave for work? Set up an ex-pen in the yard, on your deck or patio!
Ex-pens are sold in many different sizes to accommodate different size dogs. The pens fold up into compact 2'x2' squares that are about 2"tall when laid flat. The 24" size works well for me because my dogs are not jumpers and because I can easily lean over and pick the dog up out . Most of the taller pens have a door panel , which may be helpful for a larger dog or a jumper.
At shows the ex-pens can be set up outside with a plastic mat under them that allows urine to flow through and protects the dog's coat from whatever surface is under the mat --- rough concrete, bare ground, or just a slippery or not so clean floor. In hotel rooms, when the weather is rainy, windy, or snowy and I don't want to get show coats (or myself) all wet or messy, I set up the ex-pen with a flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth under it, flannel side up. I generally put in some newspapers or piddle pads too. The flannel fabric absorbs the urine and the vinyl protects the hotel's floor. The pen can also be used as a barrier if the room is cramped and you want to allow your dog to use the hotel bathroom (cover the floor with a flannel backed table cloth, newspaper, or piddle pads to protect it). Put the partially opened ex-pen in front of the bathroom door so you can keep an eye on the dog.
Puppies are paper trained in an x-pen and have no problem understanding at shows what the pen is used for!
The mats can easily be washed with soapy water and a hose, as can the tablecloths.Tablecloths can also go in the washer on delicate, then be hung to dry. Watch for seasonal tablecloths on clearance and you can often get a great deal ! :
2. Piddle pads. Need I say more??
? and/or newspapers -- however if you have a white dog, newsprint may discolor it's feet. We have been fortunate to get large quantities of expired newspapers and remnant rolls of paper that is not printed on yet at our local newspaper office. My grandkids love coloring on the rolls of paper too!
3. Wire-bottomed 3' x 3' puppy play pens- not an absolute necessity, but definitely a plus! We use these for whelping pens and continue to keep the puppies in them after they are weaned until they are old enough to begin house-training.
4.Scissors- a smaller curved blade one works well for trimming around feet. I also like a long , straight bladed one and a small straight bladed on hand. Some breeds will require thinning shears or stripping tools. This is one item where "sticker shock" can really hit a person new to grooming -- but splurging on quality blades will save you a lot of heartache in the long run!
5. Face combs- About 4 inches long. Great for mustaches! Great for training puppies to let you comb their faces and not nearly as threatening for them as a full sized come. A full length comb and pinbrush are absolute necessities!
6. Latex bands-for topknots, pony tails, braids etc. Different sizes are available, choose the one that you like. The latex bands are stronger than the elastic bands you can get on the cheap for people. Some people have used orthodontic bands,they are thicker and stiffer to work with than I prefer. Barrettes, or fuzzy pony holders are ok for puppies or temporary use.
7. "Dry"Pet Shampoo- . Rinse-less shampoos are timesavers both at home and at shows. They are not used for general bathing but just for emergency use on a soiled face, butt, or feet. The cavaliers benefit from a drying jacket to keep their coat smooth.
8. A hair iron- Excellent product for sealing the hair cuticle, adding shine to the dogs' hair, and giving the coats a lovely finished look!
9. Water bottle adapters. These are drip-less, easy to transport, and so very handy since they keep dogs from plunging their faces into water bowls and thus keep faces dry.
1o. Crate Dolly- the wheeled cart we stack all the show equipment on to take into the grooming building to our grooming spot. The exercise pens, the grooming tables, the ringside tables, wire crates, plastic storage tubs, tack boxes, etc., etc. It all goes on "the wheels" and is taken to the set up. Without them, showing dogs would be a lot heavier work and a lot more complicated. Bungee cords are also a "must" for use with wheels.
Don't forget : YOUR DOG AND HIS CRATE :) , food dishes, food, at least a gallon of water (comes in handy for a grooming emergency or to drink for people or dogs!), bait/treat/toys to keep things fun , your leashes , a small cooler (snacks and beverages can be quite pricey at show sites and you will be much more tired and likely to have a headache if you get dehydrated!) a grooming smock can be handy, a couple of towels and a roll of paper towels, a long extension cord, a couple of small trash bags,a hair dryer, a clean and empty spray bottle, and grooming products your breed requires, folding chairs, the grooming table, also a ringside table is handy for small dogs,--- and if you are anything like me, bring your own pillow and a light weight sweater or jacket and an extra pair of nylons! It is very handy to either keep these items packed away in a rubber tote and tack box, or at least have a checklist to help you keep from forgetting something! You want the day at the show to go as smoothly as possible for both you and your dogs !
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