Dog Grooming Hints

An important aspect of dog ownership is regularly bathing your dog. This will help not only to keep your dog clean and odour free but will also help to keep the skin in healthy condition, free from irritation caused by natural toxin release, environmental pollutions and dog saliva which can cause hot spots.

As a former dog groomer, I’m going to guide you through how to have a pleasant experience with little mess and limited strain on your back.

THE PREPARATION

Preparing the Dog

There are two things to consider in preparation; the bath area and the dog. First let’s talk about the dog. The single most important thing you need to do before you even turn on the water is to make sure the dog’s coat is prepared to be wet. You MUST brush the dog first. This is particularly important for long-haired breeds. The coat must be tangle and knot free before it gets wet or the tangles will set and form huge mats that will be very difficult to brush out later. If you have a double-coated breed, its important to brush out that under coat or big clumps will come off in the bath causing drain blockages. Even with a short-haired breed, use a rubber curry comb to rid your dog of as much excess hair as possible.

Now that that is done, its time to protect your dog’s ears. Taking two cotton balls, gently insert them into the ears. This will keep out any water avoiding possible ear infections later on.

Preparing the Area

Now that your dog is ready, let’s choose our area and prepare it. To avoid strain on your back, where you bath the dog is important. If you have a smaller dog the best choice is a laundry sink. It’s elevated and deep so you will avoid spilling excess water on the floor, and it is bigger than a kitchen or bathroom sink.

If you have a large dog, consider taking it to a U-bath facility. These are usually found in a grooming salon where they have an extra elevated bathtub for clients who want to bathe their own dog. If you don’t have one of these in your area then the next best thing is your own bathtub.

Next most important thing is to get a hand held shower attachment, the kind that have a long hose with a shower nozzle on the end. You really aren’t going to give your dog a bath; you are going to give it a shower.

Let’s talk about the shampoo. You need to buy a good quality PET shampoo. A human or baby shampoo is PH balanced for a human- not a dog- and it will cause irritation and dry out the coat. If your dog has dry, oily or other

This really should have been a debate on whether or not to bathe a dog. Certain breeds do require regular grooming, particularly the long-haired purebreds and mixes, but there is a group of dogs that should rarely, if ever, be subjected to a bath. These are the German and Belgian Shepherds and any mixed breeds that incorporate more than 25% of Shepherd in the animal.

German Shepherds and their cousins the Belgians, have a unique skin pH (acid-alkaline reading) that is different from all other dogs. While dog groomers, who make their living by bathing dogs, will tell you it is perfectly fine to groom and bathe these animals, don’t yoou believe it. Any responsible breeder or your veterinarian will tell you that if you bathe these breeds, especially using a soap, even one made for dogs, you will remove the protective oils from the skin and cause problems with the double coat that they have, as well as precipitate skin irritations and potential allergies.

If you have one of these Shepherd breeds or mixes and they become dirty because of contact with unclean water or an animal encounter or some other reason, it is best to take them to a professional groomer, or if necessary as in the case of run-in with a skunk, to a veterinarian, and have them cleaned using the gentlest of shampoos. After cleaning and grooming, their skin should be rubbed down with an oil that will help restore the proper pH balance. For at least a week afterward the animal should be given veterinary fish-oil capsules, by weight, to prevent hair loss or dandruff. These are not the same as what people use, because dogs require a much higher concentration of the active substances in fish oil. If you don’t want to use fish oil, which also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties, you can mix into the dogs meals (adjusting the other food so as to not overfeed) a can (or portion depending on dog weight) of high quality tuna fish in water (not vegetable oil). After a week or so, if the dog exhibits no skin or hair problems you can return to its normal schedule.

For the Shepherd line the best grooming is simply to brush it frequently with a stiff wire brush, followed by a finishing brush. Some people like to use a furminator, but if overused they can remove too much hair and adversely impact the dogs natural skin insulation from the elements. Because it is inevitable that a dog will end up being walked in the rain or perhaps get sprayed by a garden hose or sprinkler, a simple thorough towel drying is really all this breed needs to keep clean and healthy.

Since every breed has different grooming needs, before you go to a dog groomer, check with your breeder, veterinarian or trainer as to the best way to groom and bathe, if needed, your dog. Keep in mind that a mistake in grooming and bathing (excessive or wrong kinds of shampoo) can lead to health problems, veterinary bills and emotional distress for your pet and yourself.