A Guide to Grooming your dog
No matter what your mother told you, it's not just what's on the inside that counts - not at least when it comes to canine care. Your dog's health and happiness also depend on a well-cared-for exterior: coat, ears, mouth and nails. Show dogs and those with special grooming problems need the attention of a professional groomer. But you can easily give your doggie routine care at home.
Brushing
Regular brushing elminates tangles and mats and helps get your dog accustomed to being handled more. It's also a good time to check for fleas and ticks, lesions, lumps and changes in skin and coat. It's best to start with your dog lying down.
- Slicker brushes have a bed of fine, closely spaced wires that usually are hooked or bent; they're good all-purpose brushes for removing mats, loose hair, and debris from long coated dogs.
- Pin brushes have a bed of widely spaced tines that look like straight pins. The tines sometimes are tipped with plastic. Pin brushes are also good for removing tangles and work well on extremely longhaired dogs.
- Bristle brushes and metal combs are used for longhaired dogs, leaving heir hair sleek, smooth and shiny. A bristle brush may be the only brush you'll need for a shorthaired dog.
- For tough tangle, apply a little conditioner and gently comb or brush small sections at a time, giving yourself and your dog a break every few minutes. Be careful not to tug at or tear the hair.
Shampooing
Bath time is much easier after a thorough brushing.
- Place your dog in a tub or basin with a non-skid surface. Hold dog's collar firmly, then slowly pour several pitchers of lukewarm water over his body, being careful to leave his head dry. Then soap his body - massage the soap into a lather, talking to him and praising him as you work. Gradually move to his head, being careful to keep shampoo out of his eyes.
- Rinse and dry your dog's head, then rinse his body. When water runs clear, rinse one more time.
- Thoroughly dry your dog with towels. If your dog has healthy skin, you can dry him further with a hair dryer set on low. Watch him carefully, though, once you're done or he may go roll in dirt or debris to cover his new, clean scent.
Paw primps
Proper foot care will keep your pooch dancing and help prevent unnecessary pain and infection later on. Most dogs don't like to have their feet handled, so go slowly, one paw at a time. If you handle your dogs feet routinely, he'll get used to it and it'll be easier later on. Remove mats of hair from between toes and pads. Regular exercise on a hard surface may keep his nail's worn down, but most dogs will need to have their nails clipped every few weeks. Make sure if your dog has dew claws (the smaller claw on the back of each leg, higher than the paws) that you clip those too. If left to grow too long, they may curl inward toward the skin and cause a painful incision.
Great Grooming Tips
Introduce a puppy to a grooming routine as early as 7 weeks. Begin by simply handling and touching the puppy, gently brushing and combing him and clipping his nails.
- To remove large mats from a dog's coat, break them up with a pin brush, then gently pull them out with a metal comb. Slicker brushes easily pull smaller mats from a pet's hair as you brush.
- A metal comb with long, narrow prongs, such as a steel Greyhound comb, will reach down to the skin of a longhaired dog without making him uncomfortable.
- When bathing your dog, place drops of mineral oil around his eyes for protection from the shampoo, and put cotton balls just inside his ears to keep water out.
- Plier type toenail clipper seem to be more comfortable for dogs than the guillotine type, which puts more pressure on the nails.
- When cleaning your dog's ears, watch for redness, swelling, black or yellow wax or a putrid odor. These are signs of infection. Take your dog to the vet right away if you detect any of them.
- Weekly toothbrushing helps eliminate mouth odor and expensive dental treatment.
