Dog grooming is an important part of your dog care routine. Like a walk, grooming is a great way to relax and bond with your pup. It is also essential to pet health.
1) Brush. Depending on the sort of fur your dog has you will need a special brush. Dogs that shed a lot often use metal toothed combs. These combs don’t hurt a thick coated dog, and can cut through the top layers of fur to pull out the loose fur beneath. German shepards, Huskies, cold weather and water dogs often need a good wire brush.
Dogs with thin or non-shedding fur need softer brushes. Dogs with longer fur need combs to prevent and eliminate tangles. Know your breed and buy tools accordingly.
2) Clip. If you start when your dog is a puppy clipping their nails should be no trouble at all. Keep flour on hand in the event that you cut to the quick. With practice you will learn the boundaries of the nail. On lighter nailed dogs this is much easier than on those with dark coloring because you can see where the vein stops. A good point of reference is where the nail starts to curve down.
If your dog absolutely refuses to have their nails cut you have a few options. First of all, take them to a professional. Get their nails trimmed at least once a month. If you don’t want to go through a groomer or your vet than you will need to be prepared to work with them. Touch their paws every day. Make certain that you are calm about it. Dogs can sense anxiety and it will feed their own. Start with a jewelers file and work up to clippers. Remember that you don’t have to do all nails on all paws at once. You could clip one nail a day to keep things under control.
3) Trim the fur. I have a poodle mix that has never seen a professional groomer. He stands still for me when it is time for a haircut. Depending on the season I’ll give him a standard shearing every other month. I use hair cutting scissors and lots of care. Cutting around his eyes and mouth can be tricky, the key is to make certain your dog is calm and there are no distractions. For bigger dogs it might save a lot of hassle if you invest in electronic clippers. Most pet supply stores have a few varieties to choose from.
4) Seasonal grooming. During winter your dogs paws can become chapped. Use a bag balm or some liniment specially formulated to protect their paws from salted sidewalks and frozen earth. Rinse their paws after a salty walk and reapply the moisturizer.
During the summer many dogs appreciate a shorter hair cut. If you let your dog swim in a creek make certain to rinse them off afterward. Seasonal grooming is really just common sense and attentiveness.
5) Bathing. Don’t bathe your dog more than once every six weeks. If you do you will dry out their skin. Use oatmeal based shampoos and conditioners to prevent the dreaded itching and odors caused by dry skin. Brush your dog between baths and use a deodorizing grooming spray if you are having trouble keeping their smell to your liking.
6) Dental care. I brush all four of my dogs teeth at the end of the night. Brushing is especially important if you feed your dog canned food or soft treats. Once your dog becomes used to having their teeth brushed it will be no trouble at all. Use a flavored toothpaste to start and ease into the process. This is also a good time to check to check for tartar build up. Milk bones, cow bones, Greenies and breath mints are also great ways to keep their mouth healthy and pleasant.
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November 28, 2011 
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