Dog grooming is important, and that’s putting it mildly. Your best friend is probably extremely active, outgoing and playful. This makes them susceptible to things like to tick bites. And probably the most annoying thing of all is the mutual attraction between them and dirty or muddy spots. Sometimes it can seem like the dog is just getting messy on purpose. However, as a responsible human being, you should understand that it’s your duty to take care of them and wash them. But that doesn’t make things easy for you. What could simplify grooming – some tips and insights on how to do it. So, to help you out, here are 5 unique and wholesome tips for proper dog grooming.
Setup the right tools
The most essential thing in the beginning is to have the right tools for the job. Going about and improvising is possible but you risk harming your pet or doing a sloppy job. It’s better to do it slower and properly rather than to rush through things and not being precise.
The number of tools required differs depending on the breed. Someone like a collie requires tons of hair grooming while a Dalmatian just will go after every puddle and rub his back on the grass, thus more attentive washing is necessary.
One area of dog grooming that a lot of people overlook is the nails. When they grow too long, the pup will have a hard time to even strut around. They can also damage the floor or hurt you and/or themselves. Our recommendation is to pick a grinder instead of clippers for nail care. You can visit here and read an insightful guide to pick out the best grinder from the lot. It’s a tricky device to choose, thus we definitely suggest reading a guide.
For hair care, shampoos and brushes are the most essential tools. You can find suitable products without much difficulty in most pet grooming stores. Most of these depend on the breed, so you won’t have a hard time finding what you need.
Brush them regularly
The fur is super important for the dog. It’s not just aesthetics, either. The fur allows the dog to look great whilst protecting themselves from cold, moisture and other hazards. If you don’t brush or care for your pets’ hair, the coat won’t be glossy and won’t shine. Quite the opposite, a lack of hair grooming can result in hair loss, a significant drop in hair quality and reduced thickness as well as additional discomfort.
The frequency of necessary brushing is directly linked with the hair length and texture. Someone who has short hair needn’t frequent brushing. However, it is a precautionary grooming procedure that serves a sanitary purpose. Once a week is fine. Long haired pups need much more care and hair grooming might be needed daily or a few times every day if he or she is a show dog. If you see your dog licking or biting themselves, it’s probably time to brush their hair as it shows a sign of irritation.
Make it easy on yourself
It can be challenging to properly groom. The job requires precision and patience as well as being friendly and loving at the same time. We advise you to do what you can in order to make the tasks of grooming easier on yourself. First and foremost – prepare a snack for the pooch afterwards. Most dogs are quite hesitant towards everything grooming-related. Baths, brushing, nail trimming, everything of that nature seem to put them off. They will likely never be super ecstatic to hear you powering on the nail grinder or coming towards them with a brush. What you can do is help them memorise the fact that if they stay put throughout the process, they’ll be rewarded with a treat. Giving a treat after a grooming procedure is the first thing which makes the job, in general, much easier.
Next up, try and find a comfortable position. Adjust the lighting so you can clearly see what’s going on. Try to do as much as possible in one sitting, but don’t overdo it too much. Return to the task at hand after you and the dog have rested.
Doing it too often isn’t beneficial at all
Yes, there is a thing called over-grooming. It is possible to over-do things, especially when it comes to bathing. Dogs have a very different skin/coat/hair from us. Humans can and need to shower and wash themselves more often to stay in good shape and healthy. Bathing the dog like a human is not healthy for them as it can mess with the oil balance in their skin. This causes dry skin for dogs and that’s not something you want.
If your dog has skin which is in normal condition, thorough baths are needed every 6-10 weeks. You can get a recommendation or advise from a dog-wash if you don’t want to do it yourselves.
Ears are very important
Humans have very average hearing, when compared against the rest of the world. Dogs may not have as good of eyesight as we, but they have a heightened sense of smell as well as incredible hearing. They rely on audible instructions and feedback to interact with the world around them. However, this also means that their ears are super sensitive and that every single illness or ear infection is very painful and hard to deal with. Most of the time you will need immediate veterinarian assistance if there is an ear infection.
You should regularly clean them to avoid such an outcome. If the ear smells sweet (oddly enough), the pup is scratching the ear much more often than usual, they whine too much when you try and examine the ear or if there’s too much wax, you could be facing a huge risk of ear infections. Besides the obvious swelling, inflammation and moisture, these are the other symptoms that could indicate you need vet attention ASAP. So, don’t hesitate and properly clean the ears of your dogs. Do it often as well!
