Dog grooming

Dog grooming is important in both keeping your dog looking great; checking him/her for ticks, fleas, and other uncomfortable objects; and bonding with your canine. If you want to groom the dog more efficiently, you will need to have some good grooming items such as a soft brush, clippers, and a small-toothed grooming comb. If you would like to clean the dog’s teeth, you will need to get both a special canine toothbrush and toothpaste. Never use regular toothpaste on a dog since this might have an adverse effect on the dog’s health. Make sure you have a flea comb and dog shampoo. It is easy for the dog to pick up fleas, especially if he/she spends much time in the great outdoors. To clean the dog’s ears, you will need to purchase some cotton swabs and liquid ear cleaner. The dog needs a good brushing at least once a week.

Of course, the dog needs to be washed occasionally, too. But make sure it’s not during every grooming session since some dogs don’t enjoy being in the water very much. If you do decide that your dog needs a bath, make the water comfortably warm and fill your bathtub with about two inches of water for a small dog and 3-5 for a larger one. There are no real guidelines about how often you should bathe your dog; some say every week, some never, but most fall in the range of one to three times per month. Before washing the dog, check him/her for fleas; if your dog has fleas, you will need to use a flea killing shampoo. Signs of your dog having fleas are excessive scratching and biting of his/her fur; check those areas that your dog bites for small white specks and even patches where the fur has fallen off from excessive biting. If he/she doesn’t have fleas, use a sponge and uniformly get the dog’s fur wet. Use a bucket with a small amount of warm water, squirt some of the shampoo into it, and make sure it is distributed evenly in the water. Now you should use the sponge to apply the shampoo water carefully on the dog, and rub it into his/her fur gently. Be very careful around his/her eyes since the dog shampoos are usually not “dog eye proof.” Pay attention to your dog’s ears and carefully lather the outside of them. You can clean the inside of these later with a cotton swab and liquid dog ear cleanser. Let the lather set for the amount of time mentioned in the instructions on the shampoo bottle and then rinse all traces of the shampoo out of his/her fur using a bucket. Let the dog shake off the water while still in the tub and use an absorbent towel to remove the rest of the moisture.

Now the dog will be ready for his/her brushing and to be checked for ticks and other objects in the fur. If you do discover a tick, put a few drops of oil on it so it can’t breathe. It will come out quickly. Don’t just pull on the tick since often the head will stay inside the body, which can create infection. Start grooming the dog from his/her head back to the end of the tail. Make sure you don’t brush against the grain because that can be very irritating to a dog. Brush in even, short strokes and once you are finished brushing, use a large-toothed comb to remove tangles and small objects like plants and sticks. If there is a tangle, work in from the outside of the fur, being careful not to rip out any fur. Then give the dog another final brush and let him/her have a treat for enduring such a long grooming process.

If you are brushing the dog’s teeth, make sure you are very consistent. Brush his/her teeth at least twice a day, and don’t stop doing this because his/her teeth may rot. But if you have never brushed the dog’s teeth, don’t start unless you are sure to continue brushing. For some reason, the dog will need the brushing for protection once the habit has been started. Be gentle and let the dog drink water afterwards to wash off the toothpaste. Use only small amounts of the paste on the brush and use even strokes on the teeth. If you notice that the dog winces if you touch a certain tooth, show that tooth to the veterinarian; it might have to be pulled. Remember as well that there are dental biscuits, which will also help maintain healthy teeth.

When you clip the dog’s nails, make sure the clippers are sharp and not rusty. Cut the nails only slightly and use a file to make the shape round. Make sure you don’t cut too far since this will be painful to the dog, and he/she might develop an aversion to the nail clipping process. This only has to be done once every month or two and if your dog spends time outside, you don’t need to clip his/her nails since the ground acts as a file to remove excess parts of the nails. Also, remember to trim the nail on the inside of the leg, being careful not to cut off too much. Make sure you file this nail as well since the sharpness of the nail will bother the dog when he/she sits. If you have never cut a dog’s nails, it is a good idea to ask the veterinarian for a demonstration. You will also be able to ask any questions you might have about the process, and it will make the dog more comfortable if he/she senses you are calm about doing the task. Now that you know how to groom your dog, make sure you do it regularly and give the dog a treat afterwards to reward all his/her patience with the process.