Dog Grooming Hints

If you are looking for a small dog as a new companion, consider the Bichon Frise. The Bichon Frise’s name is of French origin, translating to “curly lap dog”. This dog is classified as a non-sporting breed. They tend to weigh in at about 10 to 18 pounds, and stand about 9 to 12 inches high at the shoulders, making it ideal for apartment dwellers. Their average life span is about 12 or 13 years.

What most people find memorable about this breed is their puffy white coat. Their coat consists of a silky undercoat, and a curly overcoat. They do not shed their coat seasonally like other breeds. Instead, each of their hair strands goes through a cycle of growing and falling out as the follicle dies. Another hair then takes it place, somewhat like human hair. You still need to invest in grooming supplies for dogs, or learn about do it yourself dog grooming. Many people with allergies to dogs find they can tolerate a Bichon Frise for this reason. There is a downside to the non-shedding coat, however. Because the hair keeps growing, the Bichon Frise needs daily grooming and frequent trims.

The Bichon Frise has a long history. They were once companion dogs to sailors. Sailors had found the breed to be merry and strong. This breed was also pampered by the Italian nobility. This breed has also been immortalized in various paintings by many famous artists of that period. The Bichon Frise came to the United States in the 1950′s, and was recognized by the American Kennel club in 1973. The Bichon Frise is a happy, good mannered canine, with a reasonable demeanor. It has a friendly nature that makes it ideal for families. They make good companions and have a playful disposition. These dogs are very loyal and obedient when given proper training. Like most small dogs, training these critters can be somewhat of a hassle at times, constantly needing to be watched and housebroken right when they are introduced to their new home. If you are looking for a bright and loyal companion, the Bichon Frise just might be the one for you.

Wish there had been a way you are able to save on pet costs and spend valuable bonding time with your K9 buddy? Now, you can with dog clippers. Spending a large amount of money on a private groomer is a waste compared to learning it yourself with dog grooming clippers. The simplest dogs to groom at home are dogs that have short or thin coat. To begin with pet grooming, you will have to have scissors, dog brush, dog grooming clippers and a leash. Ideally, the scissors ought to be exclusive for pet use. The dog clippers should be made for animals use because of the proven fact that trimmers used on human hair are not durable enough to be used on dog’s fur, which is thicker and tougher.

Dog clippers can be acquired at pet stores and selected general retailers. It will be much tougher to groom a dog, which has long, thick or kinky fur. With these kinds of dogs, you will need dog grooming clippers that are more practical than stylish. Grooming your pet at home benefits beyond your pocket. Certain dogs are scared of pro groomers and the visit becomes intense for them. It’s more ideal to groom easily intimidated dogs or high strung pets at home.

You can buy dog clippers beginning from $35 to around about $200. Clippers either are constrained to a solo clipping speed or even more than 2 clipping speeds. Generally, the less fur that you’re going to be cutting the less speed should your trimmers have. For instance, a dog that has a tiny frame with a thin fur may do well with an affordable single speed dog grooming clippers. However , a gigantic dog with fuzzy, rough hair will be better suited using a durable dual-speed dog grooming clippers.

Other facilities of dog grooming clippers that you must look into account are whether they ought to be corded or cord-free, rechargeable or not. With an enormous dog you will need to move around, complete clipping task is a complete must. A touch more expensive, cordless dog grooming clippers will likely save you further aggravation. You might want to consider how easily it is to swap blades on your trimmers. Coarse, dog fur can dreary trimmer edges quite fast, as a result, you will need to be prepared when to replace dog grooming clipper blades when the previous blade becomes leaden. A different aspect to think about is noise, how you’ll adapt to the noise and how your pet will behave hearing the noise.

Dogs are the best friend of man and they’re a part of the family. That is the reason we need to keep them clean, content and comfortable. We spend on a lot of things in caring for our pet dog and grooming adds up to the bill. Nevertheless, if you put aside time to choose a true set of dog grooming clippers and know how to use them correctly then you can decrease grooming costs by taking your pet to the groomer. And, it’ll be less the strain for your pet to be groomed at home. It is a winning mixture for both of you.

Not all dog clippers are most fitted for all races of dogs. That’s the reason why it is critical to select the right dog grooming clippers for your pet

by heraldpost

As most dog owners or lovers will agree, the hair and coat of any breed of dog is one of their main attractions. What they may overlook is the fact that like humans, dogs need constant grooming to maintain a healthy-looking appearance. They also fail to appreciate that aside from investing in expensive dog grooming shears and tools, the exercise requires a long term commitment of time and effort.

Dog grooming is a very challenging chore, this owes largely to the fact that dogs have the widest range of breeds, and that each breed require a unique form of grooming. As with the human hair from the different races, one grooming technique does not ideally suit all. Apart from keeping the dog in a visually attractive form, regular and proper grooming can help them in a healthy form. Most infections are skin related and proper care of their hair and coats would prevent or make any skin condition visible and subsequently treated. Dog grooming has proven to be one of the most effective ways of developing or strengthening a healthy bond with them.

Whatever the type of breed you own, there are some grooming fundamentals that apply to all dogs, the trick is in knowing how to do it properly and how often.

The hair is one of the biggest grooming challenging for dog owners. Certain dog breeds have continuously growing hair that fall off very frequently and can be as unsightly as it can pose health risks to humans. Due to the variety of dog breeds and their individual uniqueness, it is recommended that their haircuts and nail trimmings should be left to professional groomers; however, owning dog grooming shears is necessary to carry out basic maintenance.

More than often, all that is needed to maintain a healthy hair and coat for dogs is frequent brushing. For most dogs owners, investing in good quality combs and brushes is recommended over dog grooming shears. Haircuts can last for months, while brushing can even be done daily. Regular brushing goes a long way to prevent excessive shedding of the hair. Dogs love to be brushed, as much as it has numerous health benefits, and it can be a good regimen to strengthen your bond with the dog

Related Dog Grooming Articles

Dog lovers with allergies are always looking for that special breed of dog that will not cause an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, there are NO non-allergic dogs. All dogs can cause an allergic reaction; it has little to do with how much hair they have and more to do with their diet and how they are groomed. However, there are some breeds (in general, the female of the breed is better) which come close to being hypoallergenic and there are some breeds that are hairless or naturally don’t shed hair or shed very little. What they all have in common is they require regular grooming all year round.

ABOUT DANDER AND ALLERGIES:

Allergies are not a direct result of too much hair and even dogs with fur like human hair can cause allergies. The sebaceous glands are the culprit. Dogs, like other animals and humans, secrete an oily lubricant (sebum) through their sebaceous glands, which keeps their skin supple and their coat (hair) shiny. The allergen in the secretion causes the allergic reaction and is present in dog’s saliva and dander. As the dog ages and the skin dries, more sebum is produced and the scaly bits of dried skin are released, resulting in dander (or dandruff in humans). Be careful when buying a puppy because you might not have an immediate allergic reaction. Puppy’s skin is supple and sebum isn’t released so they have no dander, but you might eventually get an allergic reaction as they age and dander forms.

A FEW SUGGESTED BREEDS FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS:

Basenji

Shed little or no hair, have no doggy smell and they groom themselves like cats; however, they do not do well with non-canine pets. They are energetic and easily trainable.

Bichon Frise

Shed little or no hair but must be groomed once a month. They are affectionate, intelligent and independent. They love people and children and are easily trainable.

Chinese Crested

Shed little or no hair, have no doggy odor and are not prone to ticks or fleas. They are affectionate, lovable, energetic and easily trainable. They are not barkers.

Poodle

Shed little or no hair and are intelligent and easily trainable. They have a good temperament, but if untrained, they tend to bark a lot. Also, be careful with the mixed breeds.

Schnauzer

Shed little or no hair, are great house pets and love children. They will bark and make good watchdogs and mouse catchers.

Shih Tzu

Shed little or no hair and is alert and spunky. They make good watchdogs even though they are small.

Yorkshire Terrier

Shed little or no hair, but their temperament is that of the Terrier breed. They are good watchdogs but tend to be snappish if teased or surprised. They are easy to train, but a little stubborn.

Xoloitzcuintle

Hairless breed sheds no hair and the coated breed sheds very little. They come in three sizes and are very intelligent and easily trainable.

COST:

It is difficult to find a price range for any of them without going to each breeder’s site and requesting information, but suffice it to say that pure-bred dogs will cost you several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the breed. You can, however, check with the Humane Society and other dog adoption shelters because it is estimated that about forty percent of all dogs in those shelters are pure-bred dogs.

Resources:

www.consumerhealthreviews.com

www.dogchannel.com

www.dog-abc.com

www.dogs.about.com

www.angelfire.com

www.dogbreedinfo.com

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The Hypo-Allergenic Dog Myth!

If you are looking to buy or adopt a dog but have a dog allergy, please be aware despite popular uneducated belief, there is no such thing as a hypoallergnic dog.

The dog allergy is triggered by dander. Dander is made up of dead skin, saliva, and urine. Guess what – all dogs have all 3 of those things. Hence, no hypo-allergenic dog.

Fortunately, some dogs have dander that isn’t strewn around as easily as others. For example, a poodle doesn’t shed it’s hair like the majority of dogs. Poodles have fur like human hair – it grows. Yes, it falls out, as does mine, but the poodle doesn’t shed it’s coat yearly or biyearly (or constantly like one of my pups!). Plus, poodles are often groomed. All of this grooming plus not shedding gives their dander little opportunity to get all over your house and trigger your allergy. If this dog wasn’t groomed properly or if you had very severe allergies, you would definitely have an allergic reaction to this supposedly “hypoallergenic” dog.

Even hairless dogs have hair, skin, saliva, and urine. These dogs can trigger even more allergies because the hair is too fine to trap any of the dander.

I have a very mild allergy to dogs and I also have 6 dogs. Some of them do aggravate my allergies more than the others – especially as puppies. I was moderately allergic to one of my dogs when he was a puppy – I would even break out into hives where my more sensitive skin (inner arm, neck, face, etc) touched his fur. Now that he’s an adult dog, he doesn’t trigger my allergies at all.

My point, basically, is that if you are severly allergic to dogs, you may need to consider another pet. You won’t be happy when you are constantly having a severe allergy attack and you’ll be even more upset when you have to find your beloved pet a new home. Please don’t adopt or buy a dog unless you know it won’t trigger your allergies (some people may be able to find a breed or particular dog that doesn’t trigger so many allergies) or unless you know you can live the next 10-20 years suffering with your allergic reaction to the dog, even if it worsens.

There are millions of dogs that need great homes, yes. But, adopting a dog and later needing to find it another home because it’s triggering your allergies is contributing to the problem of homeless pets. Please do your research before adopting or buying any dog. If you have allergies, you may need to find another pet that will better suit your needs. Getting a dog just because you want one is not only selfish but it’s also very unfair to the dog.