Dog Grooming Hints

by Barboni

The best time to begin proper grooming habits is as soon as you bring your puppy of adult dog home. The earlier you begin, the better adjusted to grooming your dog will be. If a puppy is young, baths might not be necessary; however, there are other things you can do to begin conditioning your dog to future grooming. Dogs who are never handled or groomed at home will fight the process until they get used to it. To get your dog adjusted try handling him regularly. Rub his ears, move his gums to examine his teeth, move his legs, hold his paws and engage in other activities that mimic a visit to the Vet or the groomer. The more you handle your dog in this way the better off he will be when the time for grooming has arrived.

Grooming basics include brushing, baths and teeth brushing. Try establishing a regular routine so you can stay on top of your regimen. Brushing your dogs coat is the most basic grooming step and its requirements vary widely depending on your dog. Some short haired dogs require no brushing while certain long haired toy breeds require almost daily brushing. If you dogs coat is really short you can try a brush made entirely of soft rubber. This will provide follicle stimulation and remove excess hair, but will not hurt the skin. If your dog has a longer coat, consider a bristled brush or a slicker brush with curved metal teeth. This will ensure that the hair is detangled, as shorter rubber bristles will not comb through this type of coat.

When you are ready for bath time, try using a removable shower head to wet your pet. Your dog will be much more comfortable if you sit beside him on the edge of the tub and keep the water stream close to his body and away from his face. When shampooing your pooch, consider turning the water off. The lack of water combined with the gentle massage of the shampoo through the coat should relax your dog. Rubber mats placed inside the tub might also alleviate stress in that they provide a more stable footing for your dog than the slippery bottom of the tub. When rinsing the face make sure to avoid getting water in the ears. Water can accidentally enter the ear canal and cause an unpleasant reaction from your dog. If this concerns you, try placing a cotton ball in each ear before bath time. When the bath is finished reward your dog with a treat or a walk around the block to dry off. The more pleasant the bath experience, the less your dog will fight them in the future.

The most difficult grooming basic for some owners is teeth brushing, but it is a necessity to avoid dental problems. At home teeth brushings are also much less expensive than professional cleanings or dental treatments resulting from infection.

Other grooming requirements include fur trims or shaves, ear cleanings an nail trimmings. These are often best left to professionals unless you have built a grooming rapport with your dog and he is comfortable with you doing so. In the long run, grooming makes your dog look and feel his best while providing an opportunity for the two of you to bond and strengthen your relationship.

It’s FURminator time! We’ll show you WHY WE USE IT and HOW WE USE IT. Check out this furry video and find out some tips & tricks on how to FURminate your pets. stormwindkennel.multiply.com for more pics & videos. This deshedding tool is amazingly useful for our Siberian Husky, Golden Retriever & Cocker Spaniel. Hope you enjoy the video as much as I had fun making it. Thanks to my hubby, my dogs Kenzo, Suki, Azi and Zoe… you guys blow me away with your craziness. Our dogs makes our lives as colorful as ever! .

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by Barboni

Now that you have figured out how to best feed and exercise your pet, or made the decision to provide dog grooming services yourself, just what do you need to carry out your good intentions?

Bathing supplies and area

You will, of course need an area to bathe your pet, complete with good drainage and a hose device for quick and thorough rinsing. Specially formulated shampoo and conditioner are must haves and you may have to spend a bit of time researching and trying several before you find the best for your breed of dog. After bathing, your pet needs to be patted down with a designated, super absorbent towel and a quick blow dry. You may even want to invest in a commercial dog blow dryer that comes on a stand that the dog can be strapped into. This is a real aid for long haired dogs and their owners, since drying time can be prolonged. It is important to dry the dog’s coat quickly before it develops tangles and become matted.

Brushes and combs

Brushes and combs are important not only as a beauty aid to provide a silky coat but for maintaining a healthy coat. Even short haired breeds must have regular brushing to remove excess hair that allows the skin to breath. Brushing with a soft brush feels good, calms the dog and makes the coat shine. But using a hard wire brush and/or comb, is the only way to remove debris and tangles. It is also a good way to check for ticks, fleas and other parasites. The brush or comb may be made of metal or hard plastic but must have fine enough to ferret out those invaders and stand up to tangles without breaking.

Dog toenail clippers

Dog toenail clippers are a must have and come in scissor or guillotine style. They should be used biweekly or more often, according to how fast the nails grow. Keeping your pets nails trimmed will prevent nail splitting.

Scissors and trimmers

Scissors and trimmers should be specially designed for your breed of dog. Scissors should be blunt ended to avoid possible injury from a jumpy pet and trimmers must be strong enough to do the job efficiently. Get an electric trimmer with enough power to quickly shave and trim areas of dense fur without clogging and stalling.

Together with these must have dog grooming tools is your love and dedication to keeping your pet clean, attractive and healthy. Your attitude will help make dog grooming less of a chore and a really pleasant bonding experience.

From SteveRosenbaum.com; Professional Groomer and owner of Doggie Detail, mobile dog grooming in Austin, TX, Nedda Galvan grooms my pet Papillon and Papillon mix. Very cute and fun!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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by heraldpost

As an owner who loves to groom your pet dogs, you might realize that a good pair of dog grooming shears is essential to giving a decent groom. Hence, here are some pointers to choosing the best dog grooming shears available.

Even if you are trying to save up on money, do not buy the cheapest ones around. On the long run, you are able to save up more than buying cheaper ones. The logic is simple. With cheap shears, they are not able to cut the hair properly. You end up spending much time trying to get the additional hair cut, and may end up having to get another equipment to cut off the excess hair. If you are using a cheap electrical shear, you will end up using more electricity during your much futile attempts. Worst case scenario, you may end up damaging your dog’s hair, where you may need to bring your dog to a professional groomer to correct the mistakes. On the other hand, the costlier best ones in the market are the best for a reason you can cut your dog’s hair effortlessly and quickly. On the long run, you do save up on electricity.

When it comes to finding the best dog grooming shears, you would want to invest in a professional dog grooming shear. These are designed to last a long time to suit professionals, as they spend a great deal of time in their line of duty. Professional dog grooming shears are also more reliable, as people working in this field will need a trusty pair to get their job done. Apart from that, look out for those that come with attachments of varying length options. You may want to use different blades for different areas of hair, or different breed of dogs. A pair of shear with a set of different attachments allows you to kill two birds with one stone, as you will not need to look for other shears to make accommodations. These also last longer as you can use the correct blades for the different types of hair.

by Barboni

All pet owners want their pets to look the best. This is only possible when their pets are healthy. The road to your pet’s good health is by providing him with optimum nutrition, routine exercise, regular grooming and adequate veterinary care. Dog grooming supplies are the basic equipments that aid in the day-to-day upkeep of your dog. For regular grooming of your dog you should choose appropriate dog grooming supplies based on his specific needs.

For proper brushing of your dog’s hair, you would require different brushes and combs. The bristle brush is used most commonly. If your dog has medium to long hair, you should use wire pin brushes and slicker brushes. Dog grooming supplies also include slicker brushes, which will help you to remove the tangles and mats. To sort out more severe mats and tangles, rakes and mat breakers could be of great use. To detect fleas and prevent them make sure to use flea combs at regular intervals. During the shedding season, you will require shedding tools for extra hair care of your canine. These shedding tools not only remove excess hair but also help to minimize shedding. If you own a short haired dog, then there is almost no need of cutting his hair. However, if your dog has continuously growing hair then you need to cut his hair either every fortnight or at the end of each month. You could use electric clippers for this purpose. If you are not adequately trained for this, then you should leave this job in the hands of trained professionals who at times use hair cutting scissors.

Dog grooming supplies include trimmers with or without springs for trimming your dog’s nails. You may use trimmers like Claw-style Trimmers, Guillotine Trimmers or Scissor-like Trimmers depending on the length and texture of your dog’s nails. If trimming seems difficult for you or quite painful for your pet, then you can use power rotary tools for filing his nails.

Dog ears are another area which require proper care. If neglected, your dog may even suffer from ear infections. With the aid of dog grooming supplies like ear cleansers and cotton balls, you can effectively clean your dog’s ears. To pluck excess hair you would need hemostats. Do not try this by yourself if you are inexperienced. In case your dog acquires an infection, consult your veterinarian for special dog grooming supplies like ear medications.

Most dog owners bathe their pet once a month. If you are one of them, ensure that you use the right dog grooming supplies for him. Experts recommend the use of soap-free shampoos specific to your dogs’ skin and coat type. You may either choose chemical free natural shampoos or medicated shampoos depending upon your dog’s skin condition. If your dog cries while bathing you can use tear-free shampoos. You could even opt for conditioners to maintain your dog’s smooth and shiny coat. All these dog grooming supplies will help you to make your dog look prim and proper.

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The Shetland Sheepdog is commonly known as the “Sheltie” and closely resembles the Collie. Originating from the Shetland Islands, the Sheltie is highly intelligent with a gentle nature. Their coat is long and flowing which protects them from the elements. The coat will repel rain, block the dog from the wind and insulate their body from cold weather. In order to keep this luxurious coat in beautiful condition, regular grooming will be required.

Because the Sheltie enjoys the great outdoors, their long coat tends to pick up matter that can become tangled in the fur. Daily brushings are usually needed for this breed. Tools that will be needed for a regular grooming session should be gathered before the grooming process which includes:

-Brush and/or Combs

-Shampoo

-Sponge

-Heavy Towel

-Dryer

-Scissors (only needed if trimming excess hair from the face, hocks or the bottom of the paws)

-Nail Trimmers

-Cotton Balls

A universal brush is normally the only brush a groomer will need but for the Sheltie, a slicker and pin brush and wide metal combs will be needed. These grooming tools can be used on tangled or matted coats. A mat comb can be utilized if the coat is badly matted. A spray-on conditioner can be used to help detangle any mats.

For extreme matting, the coat may need to be fully shaven before bathing. If grooming a Sheltie that has a neglected coat, a groomer will need clippers with several sized blades. A number 7F blade will work for the overall coat, a number 15 can be used for the pads and a number 10 works well on the stomach area. If you are having to fully shave the Sheltie due to neglect, be very cautious for other signs of neglect during clipping such as sores and wounds. After the coat is thoroughly tamed, the Sheltie is ready for a professional bath.

The ideal water temperature for bathing a dog is approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit. A spray hose connected to a faucet will make the bathing process much simpler. Start with the hindquarters and completely wet the Sheltie. The excess water should not be left in the tub and should flow down the drain. The Sheltie is actually getting a “shower” rather than a bath. In case the dog decides to do the “shake”, wearing a plastic apron will be very handy in keeping the groomer from being soaked during bathing.

After the Sheltie is soaked, place shampoo on the sponge and on the dog, from rear to front. Keep shampoo clear of the eyes even if the shampoo claims