Dog Grooming Hints

Most dogs breeds across the world has fur. There are so many different types of fur on a variety of dog breeds. It can range from extremely curly to long and luxurious. Most dog breeds with long hair require much more attention when it comes to grooming. For instance the Puli dog breed and the Komondor dog breed has one of the most unusual types of coats ever seen on a dog. The hair is long with a wiry texture and hangs in thick locks. This particular type of breed requires much more grooming than most other types.

Breeds that consists of the more fluffy type are the American Eskimo, the Bernese Mountain, the Chow Chow, the Pomeranian, the Schipperke, the Samoyed, the Akita, the Alaskan Malamute and the Great Pyrenees dog are just to name a few.

Some dog breeds have distinctive curly fur for their coat. These breeds can consist of the Curly-Coated Retriever, the Bedlington Terrier, the Borzoi, the Birquet Griffon Vendeen, the Clumber Spaniel, the English Cocker Spaniel, the Havanese, the Kerry Blue Terrier, the Puli and the Komondor dog. There are many more breed types that have curly coats as well.

Dog breeds that involve long hair include the Lhasa Apso, the Silky Terrier, the Skye Terrier, the Yorkshire Terrier, the Afghan Hound, the Collie, and the Maltese. All of these types of long hair dog breeds require much grooming and attention; unlike the Mexican Hairless Terrier, the Chinese Crested, the Xolo, the Xoloitzcuin, and the Peruvian Inca Orchid that doesn’t have any fur.

Most Terrier type dog breeds have wiry fur that doesn’t need much grooming. On the other hand; long haired dog breeds like the Maltese, the Pekingese, the Bichon Frise and the Skye Terrier requires more grooming.

There is another type of fur that could be natural or just happens when the season changes is called a winter coat. Any type of dog breed that happens to get a seasonal winter coat will need grooming in the end. This process can happen one to two times a year depending on the breed.

The Pug, the Whippet, the Mastiff, the Harrier, the Great Dane, the Doberman Pinscher, the Boxer, the Beagle, the Basset Hound, the Coonhound, the Bloodhound, the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the American Fox hound possesses a short haired coat that requires less grooming.

There are so many types of breeds in the dog world that has different dog coats. Many dog breeds are well known in dog shows because of their natural beauty that is displayed within their coat.

Are You Ready Before It’s Too Late To Have To Shave Down Your Dog’s Coat Of Hair. Before The Christmas Season Of Grooming Sneaks Up Upon Us

Okay, maybe you are one of the few and far between who only has their dog shaved once a year which means matt haven city deluxe. If your baby is older this can result in many different medical malady; razor burns, which is very common when matt’s are present since the clippers have to work at a higher rate of speed to slice through all of those clumps of hair. Cuts on the skin from shaving too close, older dogs usually have thinner more fragile skin which is easier to nick.

Also, older dogs tend to have what are referred to as skin tags, which come in different shapes and sizes under the skin as well as on top of their skin. Depending on the nature of your groomer hopefully they love what they are doing career wise and don’t have a short fuse. This can and will cause physical and mental stress on your four legged child. Signs of stress in dog’s can differ among the different personalities some will urinate and defecate other’s will shake excessively.

To help your dog’s hair from becoming 1 matted mooch, which most groomer’s will charge you more money to clip them down. There are a few things that you as a pet owner can do to help out this situation from ever happening.

*Keep your dog groomed on a regular basis, no more than once every 6-8 weeks, sooner if you don’t brush the dog on a regular schedule; at least once a week for the thinner coats, once every other day for the double coats; Lhasa Apso, ShihTzu’s, etc.

*If you bathe your pet yourself do not massage the hair with the towel, this only causes matt’s for the longer haired breeds.

*Dry the hair completely after shampooing before they roll their hair in the grass, rug, dirt, etc.

Do the tangle test for yourself, you be the judge; Take a metal tooth comb, a plastic one will work if you don’t have a metal one. Comb the hair from the roots all the way to the end of the hair shaft, if your dog has long hair of course. If there is no resistance then you passed with flying colors, if not you need to make an appointment to have your dog professionally groomed.

If you keep up with your furry kid’s grooming then this does not apply. Groomer’s have to charge more money when your dog’s are really matted, generally speaking one must clip the dog before they can bathe the dog since bathing only makes the matt’s worse. Therefore if you clip a dirty dog the clipper blade becomes dull which in essence has to be sharpened, which the groomer must pay to have done.

Sharpening one blade can be anywhere from $5.00 to $15.00 depending on the method whether you take them in somewhere or you have to mail them to some company. This incurs a shipping charge that the groomer has to pass on to the customer.

So in the long run it is much cheaper to have your pet groomed on a weekly or monthly schedule versus waiting a long period of time which worsens the matt situation. Causing more money for the customer, more time for the groomer, and last but not least you have a greater risk of cuts, nicks, razor burns, etc.

Some groomer’s will refuse to do shave downs. Most groomer’s will make you sign a medical waiver stating that if your pet is cut or injured due to the matt’s the groomer is not liable for any medical treatment if needed.

Grooming in general can be a very anxious time for your pet. They are away from their parents and in a place with loud barking dogs and strange smells. I want to help you prepare you pooch for this experience, because in my words “A groom will only be as good as the dog allows it to be!”

So many families are now adopting breeds of dogs, not knowing the amount of time that will be needed to care for their dogs coat. In general: dogs need to be bathed at least once a month. Dogs with longer coats (Lhasa Apso, Yorkshire Terrior, Shih Tzu, Maltese, and Poodles just to name a few) need to have a full grooming every 4-6 weeks or more often if needed. They also require frequent brushing and trimming. The heavy shedders (Labrador, Husky, Chow and Golden Retrievers) also need to be groomed. More often in the warmer climates, to control the undercoat and excess shedding. Now that we know that basically ALL dogs require some grooming, lets learn how to get your pet ready.

Training your dog isn’t just about the basic commands, and potty training, you also have to train your pet how to behave for grooming. You want to start young, 8-12 weeks of age is best. Most groomers will not except your dog until after they’ve had the first set of vaccines (about 10 weeks old). But it’s never to early to get your pup ready.

I am going to use the Shih Tzu as an example. In general, the face needs to be trimmed down, paying special attention to get close around the eyes (to prevent eye infections and injury). The body needs work. If he isn’t matted (where the hair is knotted up and is tight to the skin) then shaving isn’t neccessary, but it is easier to maintain when it is short. In order to groom this dog, I would need to use clippers all over the body and scissors all over the face, legs, and feet. This is where the practice at home pays off. Here are some excellent training tips for you to use at home.

Desensitizing- exposing the young pup to a certain stimulus and show that it will not cause harm or have any reason to fear. This is done by getting a pair of electric clippers (face trimmers work great, don’t use the blade though) and turning them on. Let the pup see them. While holding the pet close to you, rub the clippers all over the body. It is okay if he freaks out (don’t turn the clippers off, move the clippers farther away from the head until he relaxes) as you feel the tension ease, move the clippers closer to the head.