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

Stop taking your dog to the vet to perform simple grooming maintenance you can easily do at home. The products you’ll need to do these tasks probably won’t even cost you as much as the gas it takes to drive to the vet!

On a weekly basis, I try to target the following: skin, teeth, ears. In addition to these products described below, I brush my dogs’ coats and also use a massage brush with little rubber fingers on its pad. They love it and it seems to relax them much like a massage relaxes me. Sometimes, they’ll just go off and take a nap when we’re done. I can relate to that,too!

I love “Pet Kiss Plaque and Tartar Control.” It comes in various sizes, all affordable. The 8 oz. size runs $8.99, the 16 oz. one is 14.99. It lasts a long time and all you do is squirt one tablespoon in the dog’s water bowl. It’s completely natural, has no alcohol, chemicals or preservatives. It’s also odor-free. It breaks down any tartar or plaque buildup and leaves dogs with fresh-smelling breath.

My next recommendation is “Ear-Clens”. This is a small jar containing 90 thin pads soaked in an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal solution. It runs $5.59. I use one pad for each ear and gently wipe the reachable parts of each ear. It breaks down any waxy build-up and I have found it to be really effective in warding off ear mites. The coating it provides seems to be like an invisible barrier that makes it too slippery for mites,etc. to get a grip on anything.

Finally, I love waterless shampoos. I’ve got two hounds and though you may cringe when I tell you this, in eight years they’ve had only one bath. That was after a run in with a raccoon that they subsequently, shall we say, disposed of in a particularly odorous way. They are short-coated dogs, shed very little, and are intent on self-grooming. That along with the waterless shampoo is all they’ve ever needed . Friends who visit often remark that they’re amazed there is no doggie smell around the dogs or in my home. The product is called “Quickshine Waterless Shampoo” and it leaves coats shiny and fresh smelling. I usually spray it on and then gently brush their coats. For 8 oz. of this product, you can expect to pay $4.99

For just about $25.00 you can treat your dogs to some canine luxury . You’ll take such pride when your grooming is done in knowing you’ve done something great for them that makes them look swell,too!

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