Dog Grooming Hints

by Barboni

The coat of the Irish Red and White Setter is beautiful with it’s long and luxurious fur. However, it does take some maintenance and regular care to keep their coat in excellent condition. Although the breed is an average shedder, the medium length white hair left around on the carpet and furniture often appears to be more than it actually is.

Like most dogs, they do have a heavy, twice a year, seasonal shed. Daily brushing for about a half hour will remove quite a bit of hair. Invest in a good quality dog brush and always brush in the direction of the fur. Your dog will love the attention and you will appreciate a cleaner house.

As the fur is long around the tail and stomach it is prone to collecting twigs and small burrs when they are outside. This is especially true if you take your Setter hunting. Work the burrs out with your fingers as soon as they come in the house, doing so will keep them from becoming embedded in the hair. Should you find that debris is tangled, use blunt tip dog grooming scissors to cut it out being careful not to nick the skin.

Typically, this breed does not require regular clipping of their fur. If you have your dog professionally groomed make sure to tell them only trim around the paws and ears. Once you start clipping the rest of the body, it will change the texture of the fur from soft to coarse.

Since the Setter is bred to be a hunter, spending time outdoors trudging through the woods and lakes, their fur has developed natural oils for protection. Therefore, bathe your Setter as little as possible to retain the natural oils. When you do give your dog a bath, be sure to use only pet specific dog shampoo and conditioner. Human products contain different ingredients that will cause skin irritation on your dogs’ skin. There is some dog shampoos sensitive enough to use more often if would like to bathe your Setter every couple of months.

Once the bath is over it’s time for a full dog grooming session, that is brushing, towel drying, brushing their teeth, and the dreaded nail trimming. If you are like most dog owners this can be a lesson in taxing your patience especially for puppies that just want play and wiggle around or older dogs that prefer to just lie down.

The easiest way around this is to invest in a dog grooming table. Although this may sound extravagant for the home groomer, their ease of use and the quality results from your grooming session more than make up for it. There are new hydraulic dog grooming tables on the market that are easy on the budget, simple and convenient to use, and offer a safe and frustration free grooming session.

These new dog grooming tables work just like the salon chair from your local hair stylist with a foot pedal to raise the table to your perfect height. They can hold up to 150 pounds, have a skid free tabletop, and rounded corners. They also come with an adjustable grooming arm and grooming loop to hold your dog in place and standing upright. Imagine being able to use dog nail clippers and brush his/her teeth without them running away or wiggling around.

Grooming Your Irish Setter should be fun for you and give your dog that “Oh…Ya, that feels great!” moment. Using quality dog grooming supplies will keep the process aggravation free for you and safe for your dog. Dog grooming tables work wonderfully and because of their adjustability will accommodate all your dogs. There is a reason professional dog groomers use a table, the results are amazing. You too can now have the same results without breaking the bank.

Toy poodle grooming options are endless, as the fur can be cut into several different styles including the teddy bear cut, the lamb cut and the continental or show cut. Learn to groom a toy poodle properly with help from a professional dog groomer in this free video on pet care. Expert: Sammi Bio: Sammi is a dog groomer at the Animal Care Center in West Bountiful, Utah. Filmmaker: Michael Burton
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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by Dog Groom UK

The term thinning’ in the world of hair styling and maintenance is to thin the appearance of hair without altering the initial hairstyle. This term is also applicable to dogs, as some tend to have thick or bushy hair which can be thinned. In order to do this, you will need to use a pair of dog grooming thinning shears, one that looks like a pair of scissors with blades that look like metal combs. Nevertheless, it would require frequent sharpening to keep it sharp.

What you will need to sharpen your thinning shears is a sharpening device, a wand sharpener, honing oil, and a rag.

To sharpen, you will need to lay your shear’s flat blade into the scissors slot, and adjust the slot to clamp onto the blade firmly. Next, turn on the grinding wheel and put it to the sharpening and deburring setting. Allow the device to run, and then turn off when it is completed. After that, you will need to sharpen each comb blade of the dog grooming thinning shears using a wand sharpener, which looks like a long, narrow stick that would fit between each tooth. Using the wand sharpener, slide it between each tooth by sliding it in and out of the slots. This needs to be done for about four to six times for each blade to be able to remove all the burrs and get it well sharpened.

Consecutively, have the shears rinsed with cold water. Make sure it is dried well before applying a thin layer of honing oil onto the blades. Then, use a rag to wipe off any debris as a result of the sharpening process. Last but not least, keep your shears well lubricated, especially after each use. Do pay attention to not only the blades, but the center screw as well so that you will not have much difficulty parting the blades.

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When you see a dog on the street, the first thing you notice is how healthy it looks. Before you can even tell what the demeanor of the dog is like, it’s their coat that gets your attention first and foremost. And while it might seem like a superficial detail, the health of the coat of your dog can tell a lot about their overall physical condition. To make sure you’re keeping your dog and their coat healthy, here are some things to keep in mind.

Why It’s Important

It’s very important to keep the coat of your dog in good health for a number of reasons – some obvious, some not. Here are the ones that you need to keep in mind:

• Cleaning the coat will eliminate problems like fleas and ticks – When you take the time to clean the coat of your dog, you will notice when there are fleas or ticks that have taken hold. This will help prevent the diseases that these pests can create in your dog.
• Cleaning the coat will minimize the dirt and bacteria that your dog may get into – If you have a dog that likes to get into everything, taking the time to clean the coat will help prevent dirt and germ buildup that can lead to health problems.
• Cleaning the coat can help to remove painful burrs that may have gotten in the hairs
• Cleaning your dog will help to keep the coat full of shine and free of snarls and knotting

The more time you take to ensure that you are cleaning the coat of your dog, the more likely you are to be able to keep it healthy, rather than to have to deal with larger problems.

What You Need to Do to Prevent Problems

Depending on the coat your dog has, you might need to do a lot of maintenance for the coat or very little. Dogs with shorter coats don’t require a lot of brushing or cleansing, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do anything at all.

Here are several things that every dog owner can do to help create a healthy and shiny coat:

• Regular brushing – With a coarse brush, you will want to brush your dog’s coat at least once a week, more if they have longer hair. This will pull out any debris or tangles, making washing all the easier.
• Regular bathing – While most breeds do a good job of keeping themselves clean, others will require that you clean them on a more frequent basis. If your dog likes to get dirty in the mud, you will want to make sure you are using a good quality shampoo (as recommended by you vet) whenever the dog is dirty.
• Dry bathing – There are also ways to dry bathe your dog if that’s an easier option for you and for the breed of your dog. Again, talk with your vet first to see what they recommend for you.
• Flea baths and tick treatments – If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, you will want to make sure they are getting preventative treatments via these kinds of medicated baths. Since they only have to be done occasionally, they are often a good investment of your time for the problems they will prevent.
• Grooming – You might want to take a longer haired dog to a professional groomer to help you with your dog’s coat. They can often trim and groom it to be in accordance with your desires in the look of the dog or in order to suit the breed’s needs in terms of coat management.

When to See the Vet

The coat of your dog can be a great indicator in terms of the overall health of your dog. Because you now know how to take care of it, you can begin to look for problems as you go through the various steps. Things like ticks and fleas can become major medical problems, so if you spot either on your dog, you should call your vet to see if there’s anything special you need to do. If you find a tick, for example, and there is a red ringed rash in the area, you might want to bring your dog in immediately to make sure there isn’t any sign of further infection.

You may also want to bring your dog into the vet if you have bathed the dog and yet they still give off an odor. This is generally a sign of a deeper bacterial infection in the dog that is manifesting itself through the smell. When you notice anything out o the ordinary, you will want to make sure you ask the vet.

Your dog’s coat is not just about their appearance, but good health always look good too.

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No dog or breed is ever ‘maintenance free’ but some are a little higher maintenance than others. Someone who is looking for a furry loving companion but doesn’t want any responsibility should get a plant. Those who simply want a dog that is a little self-sufficient there are a few key points to follow to find a dog that fits into a laid back lifestyle.

1) Find an older dog that has been spayed or neutered, a must for every pet.

Just like teenagers, hormones can play a big role in a dog’s life. A dog that has not been fixed can be expected to wander, fight with other dogs and generally be harder to handle and train. Spaying/neutering not only make for a calmer dog but also a healthier dog. Having a dog spayed/neutered by six months of age will have an effect almost immediately. Afterwards when a dog reaches a year to two years of age, depending on the individual dog, behaviour becomes even more calm and reliable.

2) Look at the body type.

While this step is not 100% accurate, it can definitely help steer you in the right direction. Avoid working breeds or mixes high with these breeds. Many dogs have been bred to serve a specific purpose such as herding, hunting and tracking. These dogs usually have longer legs and leaner bodies. German Shepherds, Dobermans, Collies and Labradors have all been bred as working dogs and typically require more exercise than other breeds. Also stay away from most Terrier breeds that are also high energy dogs. Bull dogs and Basset Hounds are good examples of low energy dogs. Avoid choosing a dog just because it is short or has short legs though, breeds such as Dachshunds and Corgis are small but very high energy.

3) Choose a dog that has short hair.

Long haired dogs obviously need to be groomed more often. Grooming is important to maintain the health of your pet, not just style. Long haired dogs more often catch burrs or other debris that can lead to matting or help hide parasites. Choosing a short haired dog cuts down the need for grooming significantly, although make sure not to ignore grooming completely. Any dog, regardless of how short the hair is, needs occasional grooming and nail trimming to help maintain health.

Finding a dog to fit a laid back lifestyle is not an impossible task, it just takes a little searching. It is important to keep in mind that all dogs are dependent on their owners for proper care, training and love. To simply leave any animal to its own devices is abandonment and the exact opposite of what your loving new companion deserves. Keep your dogs healthy and happy and they will return your love ten-fold!

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A new pet owner may wonder what the purpose of buying top-grade dog grooming supplies is. You can easily borrow grooming supplies from other pet owners, right? And all brushes, soaps and shampoos are the same anyway. Why the need to be discriminating about the kinds of things you use just to make your pet prettier, if your priority is your pet’s health anyway?
But as all good pet owners know, dog grooming supplies not only make for a prettier pet – they make for a healthier pet as well. The cleaner a dog is, the fewer diseases he is likely to catch, and the fewer pests will be likely to prey on him. This is why you shouldn’t borrow grooming supplies like combs and brushes from other pet owners – though they may LOOK clean, they may still carry fleas, ticks, or random diseases that may be acquired through contact. Just as you wouldn’t borrow other people’s combs or toothbrushes, don’t borrow equipment for your pet, either!
Brushes and combs for dogs aren’t all the same. There are different grooming brushes for dogs with thin fur, and dogs with thick fur. Brushing your dog with the right size and kind of brush regularly will clear your dog’s fur of tangles and burrs, and massage out the oil from the surface of your dog’s skin… this will give the fur a nice healthy sheen.
It may not need to be said that not all shampoos and soaps are created equal. There are bath products just for enhancing the smoothness or richness of your pet’s coat, and then again there are bath products for eliminating pests and skin diseases. Which is your priority? Sometimes even pest-killing soaps and shampoos come with chemicals that are good for your pet’s coat; it doesn’t follow that medicinal bath products also mean a duller coat. Be careful about the strength of the shampoos you use, too – puppies and small dogs will need milder shampoos than large dogs, especially if they need pesticide soaps. It is best not to use pesticide soaps on your pet until your veterinarian has given the word!
A pet needs to be pampered too – not just with treats and praise, but also with careful cleaning and maintenance. Invest in the best grooming supplies and help your pet enjoy being squeaky clean! Good dog grooming supplies are an investment, one that may well last you and your pet a lifetime.

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