Dog Grooming Hints

by Barboni

Dog grooming can be a frustrating and time consuming chore for you and your furry friend. Here are 6 tips to keep your home free of pet hair and your dog healthy and happy.

1. When choosing a dog or cat, keep in mind that animals with long or silky coats will require regular daily grooming. Some dogs, such as Poodles, Bichon Frises, and Bedlington Terriers, do not shed at all, but do need to be clipped on a regular basis. Smooth-coated cats and dogs are the easiest to groom. All you need is a comb or a grooming mitt.

2. Regular grooming is easiest when you get your pet accustomed to brushing from an early age. You can do this in one of two ways: using brushing as a therapeutic tool or make it a game. Either way, grooming becomes an opportunity to bond with your pet as well as a simple way to keep your home from being overrun with pet hair. It’s also a good time to check for fleas and ticks.

3. If you choose to make brushing a game, your goal is to get your pet excited about being brushed so that eventually just seeing the brush will bring your pet running to you. Start with short sessions. With brush in hand, ask in a happy voice, “Do you want to get brushed?” Stroke your pet with the brush and then say, “Good boy!” Repeat the stroking a few times and use the word “brush” to help your pet associate it with the activity. Gradually lengthen the sessions.

4. Alternatively, you might opt to use brushing as a therapeutic tool, particularly if your pet is not used to regular grooming. Wait until your pet is in a comfortable, relaxed state and then alternate stroking with your hand and stroking with the brush. Speak in calm, soothing tones to reassure the animal. If your pet gets agitated, stop brushing, revert to stroking with your hand, and try again another day.

5. Before brushing, run your hands through your pet’s coat from back to front to massage the skin and loosen dead hairs. This massage will help to stimulate and distribute natural oils in the skin, which gives a healthy shine to the coat. Then use the type of grooming that is best suited to your pet which can be a brush, comb or mitt to brush your pet from head to tail. Don’t forget to brush the underbelly and also between toes and pads which can collect small stones, chewing gum and other debris. To avoid scraping your pets’ skin, try not to press too hard with a wire slicker brush.

6. If you come across matted hair, first hold the matt close to the skin. Next insert the end tooth of the comb into the matt and try working the matt loose. If you find this isn’t possible you might want to cut out a matt so you don’t cause your pet any unnecessary discomfort. After your pet is matt-free, comb down to the skin. Remember to comb or brush your dog against the lay of the coat.

Dog grooming really can be an enjoyable experience. A little prevention can go a long way and it also saves you time cleaning fur off your household furniture and carpets.

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The English Bulldog is a breed, that to look at, you wouldn’t think would need much grooming, but in fact there are a few key areas that need regular attention in order to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Coat-Bulldogs, although having short hair, need to be brushed regularly to help loosen the dead coat and keep the skin vital. Often prone to skin problems, the Bulldog will benefit from a weekly brushing to stimulate healthy oil production and blood flow. The best brush suited to their short hair is a rubber curry comb, that is held in the palm of the hand. It is made of a stiff rubber and usually oval in shape with two oval rows of teeth running around the inside. Always brush with the lay of the hair, never against the grain. To get around the neck, you may have to gently stretch the skin before running the brush over it.

Nails- All dogs, including the Bulldog will need to have thier nails trimmed every 6-8 weeks. If neglected, the nails can curve around and back into the paw, or it can cause the foot to change position, causing the dog to walk funny or even in severe cases, lameness. To trim the nails you will need a good quality pet nail clipper. If you dog has white nails, this will make the process easier. Looking at the profile of the nail, you can see a pink vein inside. You’ll want to clip just below this vein. If your dog has black nails, you’ll have to guess where the vein is. There are two ways to do this. You can start by taking off the tips of the nail and work your way up until you can view the end of the vein by looking at the cross section of the nail. You can also find approximately where it is by viewing the profile of the nail. Longer nails will have a point where the nail goes from being solid at the base to having a hook. If you clip up to this hook you are guarenteed not to come into contact with the quick- or vein. However, often the vein sits up higher than where the hook is, so if you stop there, you might not be cutting the nails short enough. If you are still unsure, you might want to take your dog to the groomer and watch how he or she does it. You should probably visit your pet store before attempting to trim the nails and pick up something called Kwik-stop. This will stop the bleeding if you accidently trim the nail too far. Just press some of the powder to the nail and hold it there for a minute. Don’t feel bad if you accidently clip the vein, it is a minor pain to the dog, much like a paper cut to us.

Ears- Bulldogs

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