Dog Grooming Hints

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.

Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears. The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more. The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.

Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs. Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush. This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.

Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.

Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.

Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dog’s feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.

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.

Dog grooming is the basis for preventive health care for your dog and puppy. It gives you a chance to see small changes in and on your dog’s body that could lead to health concerns such as a lump or problems in his ears or with his teeth.

Dog grooming can be a time of further bonding with your dog. This is some serious one on one time when he gets loads of your attention.

So what do you do and when do you start grooming your dog and puppy? As with most things with your puppy, you need to introduce him to dog grooming slowly and help him be comfortable with it. Start with short sessions of about five minutes and work up to the whole routine as he adjusts.

Begin with brushing and combing. There are several different grooming tools used for brushing and which you use depends upon the breed of your dog and the type of coat he has. Ask the breeder you got your puppy from for the proper techniques.

Brushing should be done before you bathe your dog or puppy. Bathing your puppy should begin when he is about 14 weeks old or sooner if he is a very dirty dog. Most dogs should need bathing only once a month unless he gets dirty. Wherever you decide to bathe your dog, bathtub, sink or some type of tub, place a rubber mat within to give him something secure to stand on so he won’t slip around.

Soak down his body but not his face. Keep water out of his ears. You may wish to block his ear canals with cotton balls to prevent the water from getting into his ears. Lather up your wet dog with a dog shampoo. Rinse well. Any leftover shampoo in his coat is likely to cause dryness or skin irritation. Wipe his face off with a damp cloth. Squeeze off the excess water and then towel dry your dog. Complete the drying process with either a hair dryer set on warm, not hot, or by leaving him in a warm room until dry.

Be aware that a dog will shake just as soon as you release him. This is why some people want to run their dog outside quickly after a bath on a leash to prevent him from rolling and getting dirty again. If this is not an option, such as in winter, you may wish to consider a professional groomer.

A professional groomer may be a consideration for some of the more difficult haircuts and dog grooming considerations such as the stripping required by some wire-haired breeds. This depends upon your ability to do the required tasks and your desire to do them as well.

copyright 2005. Sandra Dinkins-Wilson