# Is this the SECRET?



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

EQyess Grooming Products!

I am always wanting to try something new with Dexter when it comes to grooming. Today was bath day for Dexter. 

I tried the Premier Natural Botanical Shampoo, Premier Natural Botanical Pet Rehydrant Spray, and the Survivor Super Detangler Shine.

Yup, I am one of those Mom's that probably have more than 6 different shampoos and conditioners. I have one dog and enough shampoo to last probably more than 5 years! I think I need some more Havs so I can use up all the shampoos! 

Love the products! I think I could survive Dexter with long hair with this stuff. 

I brushed and combed Dexter out the day before bath. 

I used the shampoo diluted as directed.......Rinsed very well. Took a towel and got off as much moisture as I could, then I sprayed on the Rehydrant Spray, then wrapped Dexter in a towel and held him. Today for some reason, he was shivering after the bath, so I held Dexter in the towel until the shivering stopped. 

Dried with hair dryer until about 90% dried. 

Brush/combed once dried. I use a little more of the rehydrant spray when I brush/comb Dexter.

Dexter is soft as usual, but the hair is laying a little flatter on the head instead of a poof! And, Dexter is in a puppy cut! Oh! Still no blowing of the coat that I can see on Dexter. Dexter will be a year old next week.

As for the Survivor Super Detangler Shine....I use very little in the palm of my hand (about the size of a dime), the product is oily. I actually took some of the Survivor Shine and put a little of the "Bark Basics" Fresh Groom Honey & Almond Cologne and mixed together, then applied the product in my hand, rubbed together and rubbed the mixture onto Dexter coat and tail. I love cologne smells after bathing. No....it does not make the coat look oily.

Like I said......I love the products! Dexter's hair looks healthier and the top of the head does not look like a poof after his bath today. I just may grow out Dexter's hair now. Geeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz.....What am I saying?

I will keep this thread updated to see how the next 3 months progress with the Eqyess products.

I also want to try the Isle of Dogs stuff too!


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## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

Hey Linda . . .sorry for pulling this thread out of mothballs . . .but I ordered the IOD Evening Primrose shampoo and conditioner for Isabella last week and received in Friday. Her new dryer is suppose to be here this next week so am waiting for it before giving her a good bath. Until now, I've used Baby Shampoo and Bed Head Conditioner LOL. 

So, after trying all those products, which one did you finally stick to? Think it might be better and alot less expensive to find out from experienced Hav owners what they like best, rather than spend a small fortune and much trial and error on my own


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Ok....This is the one I am currently using. Ziggy Pro Shampoo Brightening, and Ziggy Pro Conditioning. I love the smell. And it really brightens Jack's color after baths. Shampoo and Conditioner lasts a long......time! I use full strength. Jack has been getting "Butt Baths" lately.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ClaireVoyant said:


> Hey Linda . . .sorry for pulling this thread out of mothballs . . .but I ordered the IOD Evening Primrose shampoo and conditioner for Isabella last week and received in Friday. Her new dryer is suppose to be here this next week so am waiting for it before giving her a good bath. Until now, I've used Baby Shampoo and Bed Head Conditioner LOL.
> 
> So, after trying all those products, which one did you finally stick to? Think it might be better and alot less expensive to find out from experienced Hav owners what they like best, rather than spend a small fortune and much trial and error on my own


The trouble is, it seems that what works best on one Hav coat doesn't work best on another. So, unfortunately, you will still probably go through some trial and error. Also, what works on a puppy coat may be VERY different from what works while blowing coat or with the adult coat on the same dog.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> The trouble is, it seems that what works best on one Hav coat doesn't work best on another. So, unfortunately, you will still probably go through some trial and error. Also, what works on a puppy coat may be VERY different from what works while blowing coat or with the adult coat on the same dog.


I agree with Karen. Pretty much anything worked on Augie's puppy coat. I had to to do some searching to find something that worked well once his big boy hair came in. Finn's hair is totally different and we are still searching, mostly for the conditioner. My favorite shampoo, so far, on both of them, is the Pure Paws Ultra Reconstructive Shampoo. It is mellow in fragrance and feels really nice when I am shampooing them. The conditioner I use on Augie (human) works somewhat on Finn but not great. I will no doubt be adding to my collection, which is rather sizable at this point, in the search for the perfect one. :frusty: I wonder if the Humane Society could use the ones I have bought and ruled out, but I hate to just throw away?

I might have to order these Ziggy products up to give them a try. I have read of several who have tried them and liked them. I have not tried IOD. They did use them on Augie once after boarding. He smelled so strong for days that I did not care for that. Although he did feel good and was very easy to comb out for quite some time. After the initial strong smell faded, it wasn't bad, but for a couple of days, I wasn't sure how he could stand being around himself!


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## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

I gave IOD a whirl on Monday . . .really liked both the shampoo and conditioner. I didn't think the Evening Primrose smelled too strong at all. I wonder if Augie was sprayed with doggy cologne too? Or a different IOD poo/conditioner?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ClaireVoyant said:


> I gave IOD a whirl on Monday . . .really liked both the shampoo and conditioner. I didn't think the Evening Primrose smelled too strong at all. I wonder if Augie was sprayed with doggy cologne too? Or a different IOD poo/conditioner?


Fragrance is another place where personal preference plays into it a LOT. I use Biogroom products pretty regularly, and find the fragrance pleasant and not to heavy. Another forum member thinks Biogroom products smell "medicine-y"!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

ClaireVoyant said:


> I gave IOD a whirl on Monday . . .really liked both the shampoo and conditioner. I didn't think the Evening Primrose smelled too strong at all. I wonder if Augie was sprayed with doggy cologne too? Or a different IOD poo/conditioner?


I wasn't able to get an answer to what they used on him. The gal who groomed him wasn't there when I went back in. We opened all kinds of products - sniffing  - as they sell IOD there. His coat did feel good and was easy to comb for quite a number of days afterward. But that fragrance was so strong for about two days that I didn't want to be putting something so strong on him that he couldn't get away from. It did mellow out so that it was tolerable. I may have to do another sniff test - of the Evening Primrose. Which conditioner did you use. Aren't the conditioners numbered? Or were they both called Evening Primrose.?



krandall said:


> Fragrance is another place where personal preference plays into it a LOT. I use Biogroom products pretty regularly, and find the fragrance pleasant and not to heavy. Another forum member thinks Biogroom products smell "medicine-y"!


I agree - fragrance is very much a personal preference. I had a friend years ago who loved perfumes and had one that I finally asked her not to wear when she knew I was going to be where she was. It gave me a severe headache and made me feel absolutely ill. Now, I would gladly suffer the headache if I could see her again - she passed away suddenly 11 years ago in Jan.


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## unjugetito (Jan 2, 2011)

motherslittlehelper said:


> I agree with Karen. Pretty much anything worked on Augie's puppy coat. I had to to do some searching to find something that worked well once his big boy hair came in. Finn's hair is totally different and we are still searching, mostly for the conditioner. My favorite shampoo, so far, on both of them, is the Pure Paws Ultra Reconstructive Shampoo. It is mellow in fragrance and feels really nice when I am shampooing them. The conditioner I use on Augie (human) works somewhat on Finn but not great. I will no doubt be adding to my collection, which is rather sizable at this point, in the search for the perfect one. :frusty: I wonder if the Humane Society could use the ones I have bought and ruled out, but I hate to just throw away?


I'm pretty sure the Humane Society would love to have any leftover shampo/conditioner. They are no where near as picky as we are LOL It's usually where i take the bags of food that weren't approved by Her Highness :frusty:
The woman who works i front laughs everytime I come by now but is always happy to take in any donation.


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## ClaireVoyant (Jan 26, 2012)

unjugetito said:


> It's usually where i take the bags of food that weren't approved by Her Highness :frusty:


LOL, couldn't help laughing out loud . . .i can SOOOOO relate. Isabella is BY FAR the pickiest eater I've ever come across. Even my own kids could be trained to learn if you don't like it, you skip the meal. Not Isabella . . .she'll starve first, REALLY LOL


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

I'm interested in IOD as Eli is itchy. He has a super thick and soft coat. I can't get my fingers down to the skin and his hair is only about 2 inches long. There's IOD #10 and #12. 12 is the "Vet Grade". Also, would you recommend the #51 heavy management conditioner for such a thick coat?

Besides making the coat look great, has anyone noticed marked improvement from the itchiness?


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I have never had problems with the boys having itchy skin. I always.....always recommend rinsing very well after bathing. If you think you have rinsed enough, then rinse again and again and again. If the boys ever start scratching their ears, I always look at the ears to see if there is a hair tickling the skin inside the ear.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I have used about 5 different products and so far I like the Bio Groom Protein Lanolin Moisture shampoo and I love the smell. Zoey is a very hard coat to groom she has a wavy curly coat that is harder to comb. I experimented on a bath a few weeks ago and just let her dry with out combing out. Her hair was such a tight wave I just know it would cord. I have to wait for her hair to be almost dry to even attempt brushing because it tangles if I do it wet. I can spend hours trying to make it strait and silky and never really achieve that look. It all seems like a bunch of work especially when the next day its back to the waves.
The last show I went to I tried to find the Ziggy products but no one had them. Another booth took a look at Zoeys coat and highly recommended Coat Handlers H2O shampoo and conditioner. She was sold out of it or I would have bought it. I wish I could afford to try both Ziggy and the Coat Handlers. Has anyone tried the Coat Handlers H2O line?


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Ellie NY said:


> I'm interested in IOD as Eli is itchy. He has a super thick and soft coat. I can't get my fingers down to the skin and his hair is only about 2 inches long. There's IOD #10 and #12. 12 is the "Vet Grade". Also, would you recommend the #51 heavy management conditioner for such a thick coat?
> 
> Besides making the coat look great, has anyone noticed marked improvement from the itchiness?


 Maddie had really bad itching for about the first few mo I got her. Sometimes I wounder if I may have had the water too hot. Our vet gave us special shampoo called Virbac Epi Soothe . I also really rinse a lot. And I only use at the most a warm to cool air with the dryer. Read up on apple cider vinegar I think it helps itchy skin along with conditioning.


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Suzi said:


> I have used about 5 different products and so far I like the Bio Groom Protein Lanolin Moisture shampoo and I love the smell. Zoey is a very hard coat to groom she has a wavy curly coat that is harder to comb. I experimented on a bath a few weeks ago and just let her dry with out combing out. Her hair was such a tight wave I just know it would cord. I have to wait for her hair to be almost dry to even attempt brushing because it tangles if I do it wet. I can spend hours trying to make it strait and silky and never really achieve that look. It all seems like a bunch of work especially when the next day its back to the waves.
> The last show I went to I tried to find the Ziggy products but no one had them. Another booth took a look at Zoeys coat and highly recommended Coat Handlers H2O shampoo and conditioner. She was sold out of it or I would have bought it. I wish I could afford to try both Ziggy and the Coat Handlers. Has anyone tried the Coat Handlers H2O line?


Suzi, was it Coat Handlers or Pure Paws. I did not see an H20 line for Coat Handlers but Pure Paws has one. Reason I ask, is because I thought you had mentioned Pure Paws H20 in the past. That is one I want to try on Finn since I like the Pure Paws Reconstructing Shampoo so much. I have never bought their conditioners.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Suzi said:


> Has anyone tried the Coat Handlers H2O line?[/SIZE][/COLOR]


I've used the conditioner, but not the shampoo. The conditioner was OK... I thought it did as good a job as BioGroom Silk, but it didn't smell as nice. So when I ran out, I didn't replace it.


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

I've been looking at prices online for the brands mentioned in this thread and just had a reality check - I don't spend nearly this much money on my own shampoo and conditioner. What the heck is wrong with this picture?! I wonder if there are any fabulous products that aren't nearly so expensive.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Biogroom products aren't expensive, and you can buy them by the gallon, which costs even less. A gallon of BioGroom Super White is less than $25, and lasts me well over a year. Same is true of their conditioner that I use, BioGroom Silk.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Eqyss products are okay, I've found that many shampoos and conditioners are great the FIRST time, but if you keep using them, they lose their flare, I guess you could say. I suppose there is some truth to same product build up and changing products from time to time. 

Right now I'm alternating between Isle of dogs, Ziggys and Pantene, and the IOD seems to be better than the other two for her coat, still love Pantene though!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

krandall said:


> Biogroom products aren't expensive, and you can buy them by the gallon, which costs even less. A gallon of BioGroom Super White is less than $25, and lasts me well over a year. Same is true of their conditioner that I use, BioGroom Silk.


This is what is so frustrating about these Havs' coats and the shampoos. What someone loves, just may not work on others. The BioGroom Silk is one that has been rejected here because it did nothing for my guys' coats.

I think it was Pantene, at Walgreen's where I looked, where there were so many choices I had no clue which one. I do have some Coat Handlers here that I need to try on Finn. I don't care for it on Augie. My human ISO conditioner is $10 for a 1 Liter bottle and it works the best on Augie. Nothing else I have tried has worked nearly as well on him. It works much better than some I have tried on Finn, but not nearly as well as it does on Augie.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yeah, you can tell just looking at photos, though, that Kodi has a much different coat than either of your guys. His is very light, and a heavy conditioner just weighs it down and makes him look greasy. I think both your guys have heavier coats. (at least a lot MORE hair than Kodi has!)

I got confused with all the different Pantene versions too. I tried it, but I'm not sure I picked the right one. It was very thick, and kind of hard to rinse out. I thought it might work well as a periodic treatment, but not for every week.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I have used coat handler conditioner for years. Although I got samples if Ziggy's last year and I really like it! I too have about 6 different shampoos. I use Blonde Expressions on Lily and she comes out snowy white! I tend to use different shampoos and conditioners on all 4 as each one has a different type of hair.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Thumper said:


> Eqyss products are okay, I've found that many shampoos and conditioners are great the FIRST time, but if you keep using them, they lose their flare, I guess you could say. I suppose there is some truth to same product build up and changing products from time to time.
> 
> Right now I'm alternating between Isle of dogs, Ziggys and Pantene, and the IOD seems to be better than the other two for her coat, still love Pantene though!


I have noticed this also! Do we need to use a clarifying shampoo once in awhile?

Oh! Yea, I have spent more money on these boys hair than I do my own!


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## GrannyMouse (Sep 3, 2010)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Suzi, was it Coat Handlers or Pure Paws. I did not see an H20 line for Coat Handlers but Pure Paws has one. Reason I ask, is because I thought you had mentioned Pure Paws H20 in the past. That is one I want to try on Finn since I like the Pure Paws Reconstructing Shampoo so much. I have never bought their conditioners.


Although I haven't tried the Pure Paws H20 products yet, I've heard wonderful things about them. I plan to order some soon. Also Pure Paws has a coupon code out until the 15th for a discount on some of their original products. It's something like CLASSIC14. You can probably Google it to confirm.


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

For those following the shampoo and conditioner portion of this thread, I broke down last week and purchased Isle of Dog #16 shampoo for white coats and #51 heavy management conditioner. I'd postponed his bath because the groomer was coming today and I wanted her opinion. She thought the product was excellent. 

He's pretty white to begin with except for a little cream on his ears. After his bath he appears super white (the cream looks to have lightened somewhat too). He feels super soft and that's saying something because his hair is soft to begin with. The fragrance is very light and clean. The only thing is he began scratching his face immediately after. I reminded the groomer to use luke warm water but I think the hair dryer was probably too hot. Once his hair grows out I'll have a better sense of the effectiveness of IOD. At the moment I think it's awesome. Below are before (yesterday) and after (today) pics.

I much prefer his scruffier look but it's a matter of economics. I can't groom him more than every 6-8 weeks and in two weeks time he'll be back to his messy looking self.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

wow, he is WHITE!! gorgeous boy!
I took over all of Tillie's grooming about a year ago and LOVE all the $$ I am saving!!
That is pretty awesome that a groomer comes to your house! what a great idea!


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

TilliesMom said:


> wow, he is WHITE!! gorgeous boy!
> I took over all of Tillie's grooming about a year ago and LOVE all the $$ I am saving!!
> That is pretty awesome that a groomer comes to your house! what a great idea!


I adore my groomer. She's a lovely person and her fee is very reasonable. She is very thorough. It normally takes her about two hours and she thoroughly "details" him...plucks ear hair, expresses glands, etc... LOL And, she even cleans up afterwards! I personally love that I don't have to drive him anywhere and he doesn't need to be crated. For that reason I never immunized him with bordetella.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

that is awesome! I wish there were more groomers like yours!!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Ellie, I think that is a great set-up, to have the groomer come to your home. Some questions:
Do you provide the grooming products normally?
Do you have a grooming station set up in your home somewhere? Or does she bring in a table, dryer, etc.
Where does she bathe him?

There was a mobile grooming unit set up so prospective clients could get a look-see at a dog event here last fall. I did walk through it. If I remember correctly, they had some kind of high force dryer that would blow most of the soap out of their coat so they don't have to use so much water for rinsing. I remember wondering whether they could get all the soap thoroughly rinsed out. I am sure I use gallons upon gallons of water. I have a portable laundry tub set up in a bathtub and when I bring Augie home from Rally class where there is a sand floor in a barn. I put a 5 gallon bucket under the tub to rinse his feet so the sand doesn't go down the drain and I fill it up just rinsing his feet!

I like the idea, should the time ever come I would need it, to have the groomer do the bathing in your home so they could have all the water necessary to thoroughly rinse them.

How rude of me, not to even mention Eli! He looks so handsome! Actually, he looks beautiful, but didn't want to offend the boy!


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

motherslittlehelper said:


> Ellie, I think that is a great set-up, to have the groomer come to your home. Some questions:
> Do you provide the grooming products normally?
> Do you have a grooming station set up in your home somewhere? Or does she bring in a table, dryer, etc.
> Where does she bathe him?


To answer your questions:

The groomer will provide product but I prefer to use my own shampoo and conditioner. There are a few products that she brings and uses, like boric acid. She shakes a tiny bit into his ears when she's done with everything. She also offers different fragrances but I don't like them.

She brings a suitcase with all sorts of stuff that allows her to make almost any surface a grooming station. However, given my kitchen configuration, we use the kitchen counter near the sink. She places a non-skid mat on the countertop and adjusts the collar to the kitchen knobs. She NEVER leaves him unattended. She has all sorts of tools... buzzers, different blades, scissors, brushes, regular hair dryer, etc... The kitchen sink is just deep enough and he is just small enough that this set-up works.

Hope this helps.


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## Graciep0o (Apr 23, 2010)

Ellie - I'm interested in hearing more about your groomer. We live in Brooklyn too and currently bring our Oliver to a groomer in Park Slope. She charges around $75-80 each time for wash and cut, but I feel like she isn't as thorough as she should be. For example, after the last grooming session, I looked at Oliver's ears and noticed that she didn't pluck any of the hairs and there was brown gunk still in one of his ears. The only problem is that she would need to give him his bath in the tub because our sink isn't big enough (or maybe Oliver is just too big for the sink). Maybe you can share her contact info or website (if she has one) with me.


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

Graciep0o said:


> Ellie - I'm interested in hearing more about your groomer. We live in Brooklyn too and currently bring our Oliver to a groomer in Park Slope. She charges around $75-80 each time for wash and cut, but I feel like she isn't as thorough as she should be. For example, after the last grooming session, I looked at Oliver's ears and noticed that she didn't pluck any of the hairs and there was brown gunk still in one of his ears. The only problem is that she would need to give him his bath in the tub because our sink isn't big enough (or maybe Oliver is just too big for the sink). Maybe you can share her contact info or website (if she has one) with me.


Just send you a PM. Let me know if you have any questions.
h


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