Dog Grooming Hints

by Barboni

Whether your dog has a short coat (Boxer, Basset Hound, Labrador Retriever), long coat (Lhasa Apso, German Long-haired Pointer, Samoyed) or one that falls somewhere in between, he’ll need to be groomed on a regularly.

All dogs need to get used to being groomed, and starting as early in its life as possible. Good pet grooming habits will prevent future grooming problems from happening later on in their adult lives.

One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes To Dogs

There are a variety of coats require different grooming steps, but basic grooming care such as bathing, brushing, ear and teeth cleaning, and nail trimming is needed for all pets. If you own a long-haired dog, grooming will have to be practiced more often and may be a little more challenging. So, it is imperative to introduce your dog to grooming early on in her life. Life will be more pleasant for both you and your dog if she learns to enjoy this experience while he’s still young.

Good Grooming Habits: Groom Your Dog Everyday

To ensure that your dog creates a positive experience with grooming, you must introduce her to the process slowly and often. Get your dog familiar with each piece of equipment by introducing it to her one at a time. Show your dog the brush, let her sniff it for a few seconds and then give her a small treat.

The next step is to gently touch her with the brush and the treat. Once your dog has fully accepted the object, gently brush one stroke and follow with a treat. Do this process about three more times until your dog realizes that being brushed is a great feeling. Break down this method into small steps as this will give your dog the chance to create a positive experience within each step of the way.

Take your dog to the grooming station and let her get to know the area before you begin the grooming process. A few days prior giving your dog a bath, put her in the bathtub while it’s dry and let her play with a toy and throw in a favorite treat. Repeat this technique the next day, adding some water and a sponge. See, it’s not as difficult as you probable thought it would be.

Warning: Don’t allow your dog to simply jump into a tub filled with water out of the blue, allow your dog get used to the water before filling the tub. Dogs are just like children, they have to be handled with care as well. So, before your dog gets in, you may want to dip your elbow into the tub to make sure that it isn’t to cold or hot.

Lastly, repeat this same procedure goes for the nail clipper, toothbrush, and other grooming tools. Take your time when introducing them to your dog and she will enjoy grooming for the rest of your pet’s life.

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One of the best things about Basset Hounds is that you don’t have to spend a fortune at professional dog groomers to get your hound looking his or her best. You can do the grooming yourself. Grooming is a great way to spend quality time with your Basset Hound, check his or her health and incorporate training. But you do need to pay attention to some aspects of Basset Hound grooming in order to do the best job you can for your dog.

The Ears

Floppy Basset Hound ears are glorious, but they don’t get the circulation that dog ears need in order to stay healthy. The ears need to air out every now and then. If your Basset Hound sleeps so that the ear canals are exposed to the air, then you don’t have to worry so much. If not, you need to gently flip the ear back so the ear canal gets some air.

Since Basset Hounds can be prone to ear infections, be sure to check the ears every day. Healthy ears should smell sweet. You also want to check for any heavy discharge. You can clean out any extra wax or grunge on the outer ears with an ear wipe made for dogs. Never poke anything inside the ear canal.

The Wrinkles

The slight wrinkling of a Basset makes their expression priceless. But dirt and grime can get caught in those characteristic wrinkles. The face is a hard place for a dog to groom. You should check the wrinkles and wipe them out every day, perhaps after your Bassett’s walk. This is also can help any extra dirt from getting into your carpet or fabrics.

Not So White

Ever wonder how the Basset Hounds in magazines and dog shows manage to have the white parts of their coats stay so white? Their groomers use a whitener. But it is normal for a Basset Hound’s white parts to look a bit stained or dingy. Unless your Hound is scratching, chewing and has inflamed skin, there’s no need to worry about not so white whites.

Shedding

Short haired dogs like Basset Hounds shed a lot, but especially around spring. Living in air conditioning and central heating can confuse the dog’s body, making it confused as to when to be growing a winter coat and when to be shedding. If you want to live with a Basset, get used to shedding. What are a few million hairs between friends?

To help the shedding on a little, you can get what’s called a shedding blade from your pet store or your veterinarian. When you use a shedding blade, you want to use long motions as if you are peeling the skin off of a carrot. It will make a soft noise. Your dog might make a bigger noise, but used properly, a shedding blade can’t hurt your dog.

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• Dogs that dont shed – Part 3
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I have had a larger dog and five small dogs in my life. When I was a young child we had a dachshund. As far as I can remember he was a great dog. He was extremely tolerant of my little brother pulling on his tail and all of his antics. It was a shame though that we lived near a highway and he had a habit of roaming. Roaming and highways don’t mix.

The second smaller dog that we had was a basset hound. My mother loved her. I did too. She was so sweet and loved to curl up with us on the sofa. Her gentle nature and good disposition made her a wonderful family dog. There was only one problem with her in that whenever she had an accident or decided to eat anything besides her food it was always in my room or something of mine. Drove me crazy but she was so sweet you had to get over it. She was never aggressive with us and was always a great companion dog.

When I started dating my ex-husband he had a lab. When we split he left me and the lab. I loved and adored Maggie and it still breaks my heart to think about her. She lived to be 14 years old and was a true woman’s best friend. I would come home from work and she would talk to me and tell me about her day. As I lived alone after we split she would sleep across my bedroom door to protect me.

While we were married we added a second dog to our family. We got a Scottie, my first of three generations. Scotties are wonderful family dogs too if they are raised correctly. They can be aggressive and assertive if they are not bred well or handled properly. I raised her from the time she was 9 weeks old and she was a great dog. I got her from a very good breeder who had a good reputation in the local Scottie club. She was gorgeous too – black with a white streak on her chest and in her breed. When she was groomed she would prance around like she knew she looked good. Best of all was when she had a litter and I would be taking pictures of her puppies and she went over and sat behind them with her head up in the air – so proud. She was independent and would let you love on her but she didn’t have to be under foot every minute.

My next two small dogs are the second and third generation of my first Scottie. I have raised both of them from a few minutes after they were born. I have found that handling them a good bit when they are young really helps them be more compatible to people. I have also made sure to expose them to children in the neighborhood so that they are not scared of children. They have been wonderful around my God child and know not to be aggressive with her. My friends also can bring over their children and they are careful and respectful around them too.

The thing I like best though about a Scottie is that they are a big dog in a small dog body. They are not scared of much. They are loyal. They can be hard headed at times – my current dog would turn her back on me and hold her head up in the air when she had had enough training when she was little. What a bugger. They do have to be groomed though and that can add up. I have a good groomer and a visit every 6 weeks is $60. Scotties also live to be between 10-12 years old with 10 being the average age overall. My dog is 9 on Feb 14th and I hope I have her a lot longer as my other half says this is my last dog. NO!

Any of the dogs I have mentioned are wonderful family dogs. They all have their benefits and and issues too but overall they are 100% great. To my liking though I will stick to Scotties.

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The ancestral lines of the Basset Hound originated in France but this hound’s elongated body, short legs, long ears and irresistible wrinkles make this breed loved by hound owners around the world. The Basset has a tough yet smooth coat, long ears and droopy eyes. All of these characteristics require special attention when grooming the Basset Hound.

The Basset Hound can be bathed as often as needed. The amount of baths your dog gets will depend upon his lifestyle. Like with any dog, frequent bathing can reduce the natural oils in the dog’s skin so bathing should be done only when needed. Before bathing, thoroughly give the Basset a good brushing to remove dead hair and any mats.

Wet the Basset avoiding the eyes and especially the ears. Using dog shampoo, wash the Basset from rear to head with either your hands, sponge or a wash mitt. If needed, place cotton balls in the ears to avoid water running into the ear canals. Clean in all of the many folds that are on the Basset’s body. Rinse thoroughly, again avoiding the eyes and ears. Dry the Bassett with a heavy towel and/or blow-dry if you prefer.

A slicker brush or grooming mitt works well for grooming the Basset’s coat. A thorough brushing should be done at least weekly and after each bathing. If the Basset does not need a bath, brushing and cleaning of the eyes, ears and trimming of the toenails need to be done a regular basis.

Dog breeds such as the Basset Hound that have long ears are unable to get circulation into the ears. These breeds of dogs with elongated ears are prone to ear infections and ear odors. A cotton ball or tissue that has been dampened with water works well but there are also ear cleaning products available on the market. Q-tips are not recommended and always avoid going into the ear canal during cleaning. A cotton ball or tissue can also be used to wipe around the eyes.

The Basset Hound will need its nails trimmed routinely. Long nails for the Basset can become uncomfortable when it walks and even painful. Nail trimming for the Basset should be done every two weeks at minimum. If attempting this process yourself, be aware that the toenail has a “quick” and can hurt the dog or even bleed if cut into. If your dog has light colored nails, the quick is visible through the nail and easier to trim. Cut the toenail within 2 millimeters of the quick. For dark colored nails, trim the nails in small cuts to minimize the chance of cutting into the quick. New equipment for dog nail trimming have become available including nail grinders which file down the nails slowly rather than cutting. These new items may work better for the novice groomer.

During a grooming session, brush the teeth to remove any build-up and schedule regular check-ups with a veterinarian to assure that all of the Basset’s needs are being covered. Even though the Basset Hound has a short coat that doesn’t tend to mat, regular grooming especially of the folds of the skin, ears and nails should become part of a weekly routine.

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Whether your dog has a short coat (Boxer, Basset Hound, Labrador Retriever), long coat (Lhasa Apso, German Long-haired Pointer, Samoyed) or one that falls somewhere in between, hell need to be groomed on a regularly.

All dogs need to get used to being groomed, and starting as early in its life as possible. Good pet grooming habits will prevent future grooming problems from happening later on in their adult lives.

One Size Does Not Fit All When It Comes To Dogs

There are a variety of coats require different grooming steps, but basic grooming care such as bathing, brushing, ear and teeth cleaning, and nail trimming is needed for all pets. If you own a long-haired dog, grooming will have to be practiced more often and may be a little more challenging. So, it is imperative to introduce your dog to grooming early on in her life. Life will be more pleasant for both you and your dog if she learns to enjoy this experience while hes still young.

Good Grooming Habits: Groom Your Dog Everyday

To ensure that your dog creates a positive experience with grooming, you must introduce her to the process slowly and often. Get your dog familiar with each piece of equipment by introducing it to her one at a time. Show your dog the brush, let her sniff it for a few seconds and then give her a small treat.

The next step is to gently touch her with the brush and the treat. Once your dog has fully accepted the object, gently brush one stroke and follow with a treat. Do this process about three more times until your dog realizes that being brushed is a great feeling. Break down this method into small steps as this will give your dog the chance to create a positive experience within each step of the way.

Take your dog to the grooming station and let her get to know the area before you begin the grooming process. A few days prior giving your dog a bath, put her in the bathtub while its dry and let her play with a toy and throw in a favorite treat. Repeat this technique the next day, adding some water and a sponge. See, its not as difficult as you probable thought it would be.

Warning: Dont allow your dog to simply jump into a tub filled with water out of the blue, allow your dog get used to the water before filling the tub. Dogs are just like children, they have to be handled with care as well. So, before your dog gets in, you may want to dip your elbow into the tub to make sure that it isnt to cold or hot.

Lastly, repeat this same procedure goes for the nail clipper, toothbrush, and other grooming tools. Take your time when introducing them to your dog and she will enjoy grooming for the rest of your pets life.

Related Posts:

• Dog Grooming – How to Get Your Dog to Totally Love Baths, Clippings,
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