Dog Grooming Hints

As an owner of border collies for over 30 years one of the best characteristics is their ease of care. Unlike a poodle or afghan hound or bichon – all beautiful dogs – the border collie’s grooming needs are minimal. Minimal does not mean non-existant however.

Basic grooming of any dog is needed and the border collie is no different. Learn to keep toenails in proper condition, flea and tick control and an occasional hard “recreational bone” to keep teeth in good condition.

The border collie, due to a working heritage, has several coats available within the breed. A smooth coat is “wash and wear” – sometimes an undercoat will need extra care to pull out when shedding but most of the time this is the easiest of coats to care for. There’s the medium coat or rough coat and beyond that a long coat, with most of these show dogs that sometimes are almost a sheltie coat. These do take extra grooming but most people are not maintaining show dogs.

Regular brushing to keep the coat in condition is all most border collies need. Whether this is weekly, a couple times per month or more often depends on the dog and activity. Many take a dip in a pool or lake and refresh themselves naturally. Regular brushing keeps the coat clear but get your hands on your dog every day. Regularly check his teeth and ears and keep them clean.

This lets you feel and catch problems before they become major issues. This was illustrated last spring when a smooth 3/4 border collie “felt” strange. She acted normal but when petting her it felt like there was “bubble wrap” under her skin, and as a few hours passed she “crinkled” when petted. A trip to the vet first thing in the morning revealed no cuts as ‘normally’ present according to the vet, but what it was diagnosed as was a bacterial infection that could have been life threatening if unchecked. As it was, she was on antibiotics for 10 days tucked in bites of hot dogs and as far as she knew she was just getting extra treats! Hands on is important and this is just one example of it saving in the long run.

This also lets you notice fleas, skin issues and other problems while they are new and easily treated. Because of the ease of care of these dogs regular brushing and trimming nails are the biggest grooming you will have. Do keep a parasite program in place, natural or otherwise and remember border collies can be sensitive to Ivomectin products. If you’ve ever seen a healthy dog drop and go into a seizure you won’t forget it…watch what you treat your border collie with.

The border collie grooming schedule is best done quickly and frequently and doesn’t take a great deal of time but does need done!

My dog Tyke is a Border Collie. Border Collies have a “double coat” consisting of an outer or “guard” coat and an undercoat. Although they should only be given a bath when needed, it’s necessary to have them groomed regularly to keep their coat shiny, smooth and healthy, especially during their winter and summer shedding periods. And yes, as Tyke has two coats, I need two different rakes to groom him!

I like grooming Tyke, not only because spending that extra quality time together strengthens my bond with him, but also because I may discover developing health problems like a tumor sooner rather than later.

Regular grooming is alas often overlooked as an important and necessary aspect of pet ownership that should not be ignored.

You may decide that it’s better to take your pet to a professional who is sure to do it right. A professional groomer will be sensitive to you and your pet’s needs; they are interested in gaining you and your pet’s trust. But because pet grooming is so important, it’s vital that you teach your dog to tolerate it as soon as you take her home so the experience can remain safe and stress free for her.

On the other hand, you may want to start a grooming business yourself. Pet grooming is an alternative pet business opportunity that is widely popular today, as more and more pet owners spend a lot of money to pamper their pets. Dog grooming experience can be gained through apprenticeship, therefore it is wise to spend at least one year gaining experience from a well respected groomer. Anyone interested in becoming a pet groomer should do online research to find out the right steps to take.

Apparently, a new trend that is highly likely to make you successful is opting for door-to-door, mobile pet grooming. Mobile grooming will succeed anywhere pet grooming is needed: you can install all the equipment that you need inside a van, and you simply drive to people’s homes. They don’t need to spend the time or do the effort to drive back and forth, and you don’t need to pay the rent for an office. A perfect win-win situation.

Rewarding though it is, catering to personable, caring people who desire this service, keep in mind that pet grooming is very physical work and requires patience and a strong desire to learn.

Always remember though, running a pet grooming business successfully is about building trust between you and the pet as well as its owner: that can only happen if you care about pets as much as you care about people.

Dog grooming is an important facet of being a pet owner. Proper grooming helps with the prevention of parasites (such as ticks, fleas, etc.), and contributes to the overall comfort of your dog depending on the season and temperature.

Proper dog grooming includes fur brushing, baths, and other items such as tooth brushing or nail clipping. All of these should be done on a regular basis to keep your dog healthy. This article will describe some of the techniques you may use in order to properly groom your dog.

Bathing should be the first step for any pet owner. This should be done before any hair trimming, nail clipping, or other treatment is done, as this will remove many of the parasites that may have found their way onto your dog. This will also get rid of some of the dirt or debris that may have worked its way into your dog’s fur, and will make your job easier when it comes time to actually start brushing or trimming. Also, this softens up the hair, which is to the benefit of you and your dog.

Some dogs don’t like to have their hair trimmed, so it’s important that you leash your dog if you feel as though he won’t like it. For dogs that like to nip (Border Collies are one such breed), it may be a good idea to put on a humane muzzle to keep yourself from getting bitten. Of course, if this is a serious concern with an aggressive dog, your best bet is to leave grooming to a professional! Brushing is important both before and after trimming. This removes clumps of hair and untangles areas that may be difficult to trim. Purchase a good pair of grooming clippers and simply trim down your dog’s hair in areas that may have become overgrown. During the summer months, you may consider trimming to a shorter length than during the winter months.

Your dog’s nails should be clipped at regular intervals, as this will contribute to your dog’s paw health and keep your furniture (and you!) from getting scratched. This should be done starting when they’re puppies to get them accustomed to the procedure. Cut the nails short, but don’t clip too far and into the dog’s “quick.”

Teeth, eyes, and ears are important parts of dog grooming, just as they are for humans. Tooth health can be provided by giving them specially designed chew toys, or using special dog toothbrushes and toothpaste. Eyes should be checked for leakage, and may need to be cleaned on a daily basis to keep from becoming infected. Finally, ears should be checked regularly for parasites and cleared of dirt and other debris.

I hope this article has given you a better understanding of dog grooming techniques.