Dog Grooming Hints

by heraldpost

As most dog owners or lovers will agree, the hair and coat of any breed of dog is one of their main attractions. What they may overlook is the fact that like humans, dogs need constant grooming to maintain a healthy-looking appearance. They also fail to appreciate that aside from investing in expensive dog grooming shears and tools, the exercise requires a long term commitment of time and effort.

Dog grooming is a very challenging chore, this owes largely to the fact that dogs have the widest range of breeds, and that each breed require a unique form of grooming. As with the human hair from the different races, one grooming technique does not ideally suit all. Apart from keeping the dog in a visually attractive form, regular and proper grooming can help them in a healthy form. Most infections are skin related and proper care of their hair and coats would prevent or make any skin condition visible and subsequently treated. Dog grooming has proven to be one of the most effective ways of developing or strengthening a healthy bond with them.

Whatever the type of breed you own, there are some grooming fundamentals that apply to all dogs, the trick is in knowing how to do it properly and how often.

The hair is one of the biggest grooming challenging for dog owners. Certain dog breeds have continuously growing hair that fall off very frequently and can be as unsightly as it can pose health risks to humans. Due to the variety of dog breeds and their individual uniqueness, it is recommended that their haircuts and nail trimmings should be left to professional groomers; however, owning dog grooming shears is necessary to carry out basic maintenance.

More than often, all that is needed to maintain a healthy hair and coat for dogs is frequent brushing. For most dogs owners, investing in good quality combs and brushes is recommended over dog grooming shears. Haircuts can last for months, while brushing can even be done daily. Regular brushing goes a long way to prevent excessive shedding of the hair. Dogs love to be brushed, as much as it has numerous health benefits, and it can be a good regimen to strengthen your bond with the dog

Related Dog Grooming Articles

by Barboni

You may have not even considered the benefits of taking a dog grooming course, but knowing exactly how to care for your dog’s appearance properly is beneficial to both of you. Your dog will feel loved and healthy and you will appreciate the fact that your dog is clean and groomed.

One really important part of dog care is grooming, not only for health, but it can allow you to keep in close contact with your dog, and to check for any issues that may require veterinary assistance. For example, you are brushing your dog and find a lump on his/her side – you know immediately that you should have it checked out. If you never brush your dog, you would not discover something like this until it was most likely too late.

If you are interested in taking a course on dog grooming, you have a lot of options. Many local pet stores offer courses in their stores. The main advantage to this type of dog grooming course would be that you could bring your dog, and have a hands on training session. You would be able to have any questions answered immediately, and the pet store would most likely recommend certain tools that they carry in their store to assist you in grooming your dog.

Another option for taking a dog grooming course would be a series of DVDs or an online video course. Both of these options would also be very good, because you would be able to complete the course from the comfort of your own home. You could also pause the video or the DVD when you needed to, and then continue at any time.

It may be that these types of videos would cover different aspects of grooming, from nail care to ear care. Another area that could be covered is the proper care of your dog’s anal glands. This is not a subject that many dog owners find particularly exciting, but in certain types of dogs, it is a necessary part of regular care.

The best thing you can do for your dog is spend time with him or her. Part of quality time with your dog includes grooming him and keeping him clean. All dogs enjoy being groomed, when you know how to do all of the necessary steps properly. There is much less chance of your dog becoming stressed if you groomyour petat home, instead of taking him to a groomer’s home or studio.

Grooming your dog is very important for several reasons.

1.) It is a bonding experience between owner and dog. The more you care for your dog the more dependant they become upon you. You will establish the pecking order where you are number one.

2.) Brushing is very good for a dog.(and wonderful for your home, should you have a heavy shedder!) It removes dead hair and distributes natural oils evenly throughout the coat, while applying routine maintenance for mats and tangles.

3.) You can keep an eye out for fleas, ticks and other infestations. The nasty buggers can pop up without a moment’s notice. So daily inspections should be mandatory.

4.)A clean dog is a happy dog. Think of how you would feel if your hair was tangled, you smelled rotten and fleas ran rampant. Not very good, huh? So treat your dog kindly.

5.)A clean dog is a loved dog. And very lovable at that. (although personally I would love a dirty dog as well) But out in public, where a pet should be for prime socialization, your dog will receive praise through petting, scratching and hugging. Strangers judge by appearance. They won’t handle a mangy beast that looks sickly.

6.)A clean dog is a healthy dog. A matted dog can develop serious wounds, especially in the heat of summer. Moist areas can easily turn into raw spots where fleas will lay their eggs, and in an awful circumstance maggot infestation will develop.

Often grooming is overlooked but it is an important aspect in the healthcare of you dog. It will help you keep an eye on their shedding pattern, dry skin, and other issues, such as fleas and ticks, that might be lurking through a curly coat. So treat your dog with respect, praise often and take the bonding experiences as they come. Your dog will thank you through love and adoration.

I have found that many rescued dogs are a perfect fit to become a therapy dog.

First things first. The dog needs to have that calm, loving personality and loves to please his master. After you have identified these qualities then the training begins.

1. If the dog has not had obedience training enroll in a good school.

2. After training is finished the dog must pass a Canine Good Citizen Test.

(Most obedience training schools give this test).

Below are the tests the dog must pass to get certified by the AKC.

General Rules: You may talk to your dog throughout all of the tests. You cannot use food treats or collar corrections to make your dog mind you. Your dog must be wearing a slip collar or buckle collar and remain on a leash during all of the exercises. Your dog will automatically be dismissed if it eliminates in the building or demonstrates aggressive behavior toward any dog or person on the premises.

Test 1: ACCEPTING A FRIENDLY STRANGER

This test shows that your dog will allow a stranger to approach you, shake your hand, and exchange pleasantries with you. The evaluator will ignore your dog, walk up to you, and shake your hand. Your dog should remain sitting quietly at your side and must not jump on the evaluator. It is also not permitted to show resentment by growling or barking.

Test 2: SITTING POLITELY FOR PETTING

This test shows that your dog will permit a friendly stranger to touch while it is with you, it’s owner and handler. While your dog is sitting at your side, an evaluator will pet your dog on his head and sides. You make talk to your dog during this exercise. Must not jump on evaluator or show shyness or aggression.

Test 3: APPEARANCE AND GROOMING

This test shows that your dog will permit a stranger to touch while it is with you. The evaluator will pet your dog and rub it’s sides while it is in the sitting position. You can talk to your dog during this test. The evaluator will determine how well groomed your dog is at this time. The evaluator will then brush your dog, look in the ears and gently pick up each front paw.

Test 4: OUT FOR A WALK

This test shows that your dog is under control. Your dog may be on either side of you and be watching you for signals. No pulling on the leash, able to change direction and change pace. You can talk to your dog throughout this test.

Test 5: WALKING THROUGH A CROWD

This test shows that your dog can walk politely

If you own a dog with a medium coat, you will want to know how to groom him. Each length of hair needs to be cared for and groomed in a different way. You can not groom your long hair dog in the same manner in which you groom your medium coat dog. If you do choose to groom them in the same way, you may end up with a dog that has a coat that does not look right.

It is important that you learn how to groom your dog properly. The proper grooming can make a huge difference in the appearance of your dog. A dog who is groomed properly looks clean and neat. You will be surprised to see the difference proper grooming can make.

One great thing about medium coat dogs is that most of them do not require you to cut their hair. The hair does not need to be cut because it does not tangle, mat, or hold onto dirt like long hair would. This makes it much easier to care for and you wont have to worry about giving the dog a bath or a haircut everytime they play outside.

The most important thing to remember about keeping your dog groomed is that regular brushing and bathing are necessary. Brushing the hair at least once a week and bathing once a month are good routines to get in. If you can brush your dog every day, that is even better.

The best time to trim your dogs hair, if necessary, is after they have their bath. After bathing your dog, you will want to towel dry them and possibly use a blow dryer with a low heat setting. It is important to make sure your dogs hair is completely dry before attempting to trim it.

After the dog is dry, you should stand back and look at him to see if there are any stray, or long hairs that need to be trimmed. Having a picture of your breed of dog that is a show dog is a good way to know what your dogs coat should look like. Use this picture as a guide, and make sure to only cut a few hairs at a time. After cutting a few hairs you will want to step back and look before cutting any more. If you do not do this there is a very good chance that you will end up cutting too much.

Another area of concern is the dogs paws. You will want to make sure you cut the long hairs between the paw pads. You will also want to make sure you blend the foot and leg hair with the rest of the body. You also want to make sure that the dogs hair all over the body is well blended. This is why only minimal trimming is needed. The purpose in trimming your dog is to get an even look. You are only trimming a little bit to get rid of the stray or long hairs that look out of place.