Dog Grooming Hints

Averaging heights over 30″ and weighing up to 170 pounds, Great Danes are among the largest dog breeds. Luckily these gentle giants have amiable dispositions and require little grooming.

Grooming a Great Dane, as with all dog breeds, is best started young. When a puppy get the Dane used to having their feet held and nails clipped. Handle their ears and brush their fur. Start tooth brushing early. Make bath time a game. All of these activities should be considered fun. They should be accompanied by lots of praise and treats! Start the puppy out thinking that grooming is a positive experience. Grooming can, and should, be a bonding activity between owner and dog.

Coat –

Bathing – The thought of wresting a 160 pound unhappy Great Dane into a bathtub can be terrifying! Luckily with their short, single layer, coats Great Danes do not require many baths. Indeed, bathing too frequently may strip your dog’s coat of essential oils. Great Dane’s are prone to dry skin and the oils are necessary to keep their skin moist. If a bath is necessary use a biodegradable shampoo designed specifically for dogs. You may also choose to wipe down your Dane with a washcloth and some of the shampoo. Be careful to use a clean cloth to remove any residual shampoo when done. The frequency of baths is debatable but not more than once a month and often only twice a year seem to suffice.

Brushing – A Great Dane should be brushed at least weekly to remove any dead fur and to distribute the oils. A curry brush is usually recommended. Regular brushing will cut down on the need for baths.

Head –

Slobber – Some Dane’s are droolers and it is a wise idea to keep a drool towel with you to wipe up any excess. This will help keep your dog’s face clean and prevent them for sharing the drool with unsuspecting passersby.

Ears – Ears should be checked, and cleaned, once a week. Use a product designed for cleaning a dog’s ears. You may also make your own solution with apple cider vinegar and water. Squirt the solution into the ear and then rub and massage the ear for a few minutes. This will allow the solution to work its way into the canal. Then with a cotton ball, or damp soft cloth, gently clean the inside of their ears. Be careful not to go far into the canal.

Eyes – Clean around the eyes with a damp cloth if any mucus is present. A small amount of mucus is normal and not anything to worry about. If you notice an excess of mucus or if appears

The gentle giant, majestic, proud, loyal and friendly all describe the Great Dane. Great Dane’s are truly a joy to have as pets. They love people, are easy going and easy to care for. These massive creatures require little in the way of grooming. Your Great Dane will reward the time you spend on grooming them with more love and devotion than you could have imagined.

Great Dane’s are a short haired breed so their coat requires little maintenance. They do shed but it is far less than longer haired breeds. Maintaining their coat requires only a simple brushing. Some recommend a daily brushing but every few days will work just as well. The Great Dane usually enjoys this time because of the physical contact with their owner. Brushing with a firm bristle or body brush will help to loosen dirt and dead hairs and help keep the coat shiny and smooth.

Bathing a Great Dane can be quite a challenge given their size. Fortunately Great Danes should not be bathed very often due to their affinity for dry skin. Bathing too often will strip their coats of essential oils necessary for healthy hair and skin. When you do bathe a Great Dane, do not use human shampoo as this will irritate their skin and leave them with a dry itchy coat. A dry shampoo works well for Great Danes and is a lot easier on the owner.

Cleaning a Great Dane’s ears is an important part of the weekly grooming. Special cleansers are available but Tree Tea Oil works well too. Once a week squirt a little of the cleanser down into the ear canal then gently massage the area just below the ears for a minute or so. Most dogs will shake as soon as you are done massaging so be prepared because some of the cleanser will escape the ear canal. After massaging, take a soft cloth and gently wipe the inside of the ear and down into the canal to remove dirt and debris. Cleaning the ears weekly will reduce the risk of infection and because you are watching the ears regularly, you will immediately notice if redness or irritation is present.

Taking care of the Great Dane’s teeth is simple and will reduce the chances of developing tooth or gum disease. You can literally brush your dog’s teeth but it is much simpler to give him a bone 2 or 3 times a week. The action of gnawing on the bone helps to scour the teeth removing plaque and tarter build up. If you do not want to give your dog raw bones then brushing the teeth is really the only way you can ensure the dental health of your dog.

The final aspect

Okay, I admit it here in writing for all to see: I’m lazy. Due in part to a physical disability, along with the aging process and a natural tendency, most of my days are spent reading, writing, and watching TV. I also love dogs, but I can’t spent hours playing frisbee or romping with a canine pal in the back yard. So which dog breeds share my propensity for a mostly sedentary life style?

I found the perfect pooches in my two Great Danes. Despite their enormous size, these are indoor dogs. They spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and cuddling with family members, friends, or total strangers. Heck, they don’t care whose soft lap they lay their huge heads in! When they do want a short play session, they entertain each other with a game of tug-o’-war or “keep-away.”

Danes have short coats, so they don’t require much grooming, either. When they need a bath, I just put them in the shower with me. Since I’m not able to walk them, I purchased a shock collar. With just a couple of little buzzes, they quickly learned to stay in our yard when they need to go out. Now I can sit on the porch while I let them out for a romp. They’ll generally run around the perimeter of our property a couple of times, then they stand at the door and look at me as if to say, “Okay, Mom. We exercised. Now will you let us back in already?”

Many of the large and giant breeds are sweet, wonderful couch potatoes. These include Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, and Irish Wolfhounds. Amazingly, Greyhounds are another lazy breed, despite their image of trim, active sprinters. As long as you refrain from placing a rabbit or decoy in front of them, they’re happy sharing the sofa with you for hours. All of these breeds are also low maintenance as far as grooming requirements, too.

If you’re looking for a small breed dog that’s generally lazy, try a Dachsund. They’re playful, but they’ll pretty much exercise themselves indoors with doggie toys, and their short coats are easy to care for. Another lazy small breed is the Maltese. Like the Dachsund, a good selection of balls and squeaky toys will keep them entertained and provide exercise. While their coats are long and silky and can require a lot of grooming, keeping them clipped short will eliminate hours of combing out tangles and fussing over their long locks.

Im looking at my Danes right now – one is curled up on the leather couch whhile the other is lying on the floor beside me, using my right foot as a pillow. And they’re both perfectly happy, well adjusted, and fit, trim, and healthy. In fact, both are nothing but rippling muscle. I guess those five-minute runs around the yard are working, huh? Hmm…maybe I should try it!

No matter what type of dog you get (unless it is the Chinese Hairless), you have to worry about getting your dog groomed. Some breeds require a more demanding grooming routine than others – a Poodle must get her hair cut frequently to keep it from matting; a Sheepdog goes on frequent trips to the groomers to keep the hair out of her eyes; while some breeds require a less demanding routine – a Shar Pei requires less grooming because of her short hair, the same is true for Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Great Danes.

During the summer months, if you have a dog with long hair, you should take her to get clipped frequently. A dog’s hair is like our winter coat – it keeps her warm and insulated from the weather. To avoid a heatstroke, make sure she is kept cool by having plenty of cool water available for her to drink as well as making sure she has a shorter hair cut. It is also common during the spring/early summer months that she begin shedding her “winter coat”, regular brushing and clipping will decrease the amount of hair you find throughout your house.

During the winter months, she will be growing a nice, heavy coat to keep her warm. Make sure she is not left outside overnight when it is chilly. This is especially true for small dogs like the Pomeranian, Chihuahua, or Miniature Pinscher. These dogs do not have nearly enough body fat as a Great Dane, German Shepherd, or Newfoundland, therefore it makes it harder for them to stay warm if left outside. Brushing should still take place on a regular basis to decrease the amount of mats in the coat, but be sure to leave plenty of fur there on her body – you should take her to the groomers and have her trimmed, nothing more.

As far as haircuts go, by far the most interesting is that of the Poodle. If you have ever seen a dog show on television, you know exactly what I am talking about. Some parts of the Poodle are thick and puffy, while in other areas, the hair is incredibly short (almost like a buzz cut). This particular clip is called the “sport clip” and it is used mainly for dog shows. If you have a Poodle, you can consider this style of cut, but it usually just ends up to be too much upkeep, and a simple, short cut is what makes sense for most owners.

When doing research about what breed of dog you want, or when reading about the breed of dog you already have, shedding and grooming is something you should not overlook. Think about how quickly the groomer’s bills will add up, think about your vacuum cleaner – they even sell special vacuums designed just for picking up pet hair, think about your clothing, your furniture.the list goes on and on. Although this may seem like just a casual decision and factor when deciding on a breed, it really plays into your whole lifestyle.

No matter what breed you choose be sure and take extra special care of them during the extremely hot and extremely cold months. Watch them carefully when they are outside, and do not leave them out there for extended periods of time. Any of the following symptoms: glassy eyes, extreme panting, weakness, or confusion, do not hesitate to call your vet.

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