Dog Grooming Hints

by heraldpost

When it comes to grooming your dog, there are a number of activities that can help you provide the best looking coat for your dog. Two of the most important techniques used in dog grooming, particularly for the coat, are shampooing and brushing. There are a number of different shampoos and brushing products available that can be used.

Shampooing is an important grooming activity that can be used to help keep your dog’s coat looking it’s best. It’s important to remember that shampooing should not be done too often because of the fact that the dog’s coat contains natural oils that help keep the coat moist and looking healthy. Too much shampooing could actually damage the coat and prevent it from producing those natural oils. When shampooing is used to clean the coat, there are a number of shampoos that can be used for all types of situations. If your dog’s coat is starting to look dull and dried out, you can use oatmeal shampoo to help moisten the coat and bring back that extra shine. If your dog is experience dry skin issues, then a medicated shampoo well help treat that dry skin.

Brushing is another common dog grooming activity that can be used to keep your dog’s coat looking healthy and clean. There are a number of different types of brushes and combs that you can use to perform this task. One very popular brush is the FURminator which can be used to take care of matted hair that is tough to comb through. You can also use grooming powders during your normal brushing activities that will help to deodorize your dog’s coat and help give the coat a fresh, clean smell.

If you’re looking for a couple of simple ways to keep your dog’s coat looking fresh and clean, then you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to spend hours on time consuming activities. A simple brushing or shampooing and you’ll have the coat looking good as new in no time.

Find More Dog Grooming Articles

by Barboni

When it comes to grooming your dog, there are a number of activities that should be included in order to keep your dog looking and feeling his or her best. The following list contains some of the top dog grooming activities which are not in any particular order because they are all very important and should be treated as such when you’re providing care for your dog.

Dog Bathing

Dog bathing is a very important dog grooming activity that can help keep your dog’s coat looking healthy but be careful, you don’t want to over do it because bathing your dog too often can leave his or her coat damaged and unhealthy. Bathing too often could also result in irritating skin conditions, namely dry, itchy skin that can leave your dog feeling uncomfortable. It’s generally a good idea to only bath your dog when it is absolutely necessary, like if he comes home from an afternoon of rolling in mud down by the creek, or if he finds something with a not so pleasant smell to roll in. These types of scenarios would call for a good scrubbing in a nice warm bath anytime. Bathing frequency ultimately depends on the type of coat that your dog has so if there is any question about how often you should do it, you’ll want to consult your veterinarian.

Nail Trimming

Dog nail trimming is also a grooming activity that you should keep up on for a number of reasons. One reason that nail trimming is important is that it helps keep your dogs nails healthy by not allowing them to overgrow. Nails that grow too long are more susceptible to cracking and irritation because of constant contact with whatever surface your dog may be walking on. Nails that become brittle and unhealthy leave your dog feeling uncomfortable and can find the simple activity of walking a discomfort. When trimming the nails, be sure to only trim the areas where no flesh is present. You can identify the fleshy areas by locating the part of the nail where a pinkish color exists. Typically there will be an identifiable line between fleshy area and non-fleshy area where it is ok to trim. If you’re dogs nails are black, it may be more difficult to identify this area so use extra caution when trimming. You’ll want to trim away enough nail so that there is no contact between the nail and the floor or surface.

Dog Brushing

One final important dog grooming activity is brushing, which can be a very affective activity when trying to keep your dog’s coat looking healthy and clean. Brushing not only makes the coat look nice, but it helps remove excess hair that has been shed, which allows the remaining healthy hair to absorb the natural oils that your dog’s coat gives off. This is what allows the coat to shine. The strategy of removing the dead hair is the key to keeping your dog’s coat looking healthy, and a good undercoat brush will help you do so. One product that works great for this type of activity is the FURminator. The FURminator helps remove the loose hair from the undercoat, while leaving the healthy hair of the top coat in tact. One substitute for dog shampoos is deodorizing powders which can be used in conjunction with the brushing activity.

There are other important dog grooming activities, but the activities listed above are perhaps the most important and should be given special attention on a regular basis. Keeping up with these activities will keep your dog’s coat looking clean and healthy.

by bookish in north park

To keep your dog’s long coat looking beautiful and healthy, you should be prepared to spend regular time in grooming. In fact some long coated dogs also need regular baths to help keep their coats free from matting and frequent brushing in between.

Grooming A Dog with a Long Coat

To know that you are doing all that’s necessary to help keep your dog’s coat maintained in good condition, it might be a good idea to read books specifically for your dog’s breed as these can provide excellent tips and information on grooming and general care as well as suggesting grooming tools best suited for your breed of dog. Grooming can be a pleasurable activity both for dog and owner, providing the chance to spend quality time together.

A well-trained dog is always easier to groom than a one that is restless, fidgety and reluctant to co-operate. A dog, for instance, can really get to enjoy his bath when trained from being a puppy. For long-coated breeds of dogs you might consider buying a grooming table. There are also many different types of brushes to choose from. Wooden handle rubber brushes with pins can make grooming more comfortable with long-haired dogs. Wooden handle slicker brushes are also useful for removing tangles in long silky coated dogs. It is especially important for long-coated dogs to be trained to stand still or to lie down when being groomed as it can become frustrating for both dog and owner if the dog keeps trying to run away!

Tools needed for grooming a long-coat dog include:

Brushes and combs – When grooming the dog’s coat should never be completely dry as this can cause the ends of the hair to split. Use a mild conditioning spray (specifically for dogs and not humans). Your dog should be encouraged to stand and using a curry comb first, work through all the knots and tangles in your dog’s long coat. The curry comb can be either plastic or rubber with short teeth on one side; it is used to break up clumps and tangles in the hair and to pull loose hair to the surface of the coat.

After this, go over thoroughly with a metal brush. Brushing not only helps keep your dog’s coat free of tangles but for the long-coated dog, it will stimulate the natural oils in his skin and helps keep the coat in good condition. Brushing also helps to keep shedding around the house under control. Pay attention to paws as dog’s with a long coat can tend to get mats in their paws.

You might then want to use a long toothed steel comb to be sure the coat is free of tangles. If your dog’s coat has a parting along the back, this should be done from the neck downwards, carefully taking a comb through in one smooth stroke. Some breeds with long coats will need to be clipped, trimmed or stripped. This can be quite difficult and you might prefer to leave certain aspects of your dog’s grooming to an expert. Or at least to get expert advice before splashing out on expensive clippers which can be hard to use. Purchasing unsuitable tools for grooming your dog can be an expensive mistake!

Hair Cutting Scissors are useful as the hair around your dog’s paws will need to be regularly trimmed. Check in between his nails too. You might also want to trim the hair around your dog’s hind quarters. Keep inside of ears clean and trimmed and check paw pads for excess hair which again should be trimmed. Both small and large long-haired dogs will need to have their nails clipped regularly.

Cut the nails as close to the ‘quick’ as possible. The long hair of the feet can hide the toenails causing some owners to neglect cutting the nails as often as required. If you can hear your dog’s nails clicking when he walks, it is time they were cut otherwise lameness can occur. Dew claws need to be trimmed too or they can loop around and grow into the dog’s leg. Toe nails should be cut using special dog nail clippers and this must be done with great care. Dog grooming can be time consuming but this is a great excuse to spend quality time together and for dog and owner to bond