An essential part of responsible pet
care, pet grooming also provides important bonding time for you
and your dog. Dogs accustomed to home grooming are much easier for vets and
professional groomers to handle. Wild undomesticated dogs typically shed their
coats twice a year with the change of seasons. But dogs living in summer air
conditioning, and artificial winter heat, often shed year round making home
grooming a necessity.
Helping Your Dog to Accept and Enjoy Grooming
Begin your dog grooming with a large dose of human patience and limit the
early sessions to a short time span. Puppies constantly shed their coats and
should be exposed to grooming and handling as soon as they enter your life. All
dogs will enjoy grooming if they never learn to think of it as a forced and
unpleasant event. Before you begin grooming, your dog must first be comfortable
with you touching and handling their body.
During petting and
play handle your dog's paws, stroke their belly, etc. Stop as soon as the dog
appears irritated. Once your dog is used to being handled try your first
grooming sessions. Save the parts they like least for last, usually the belly
and rear areas. Keep the grooming session short and do a little more each time.
Providing an occasional treat at the end may be helpful, but don't do this on a
regular basis or they will come to expect it.
Dog Grooming Basics
Don't think you're doing your dogs a favor by shaving them in the summer!
Dogs have sweat glands in their tongues and the pads of their feet, not all over
their bodies like humans do. In the heat of summer their coats helps block
harmful UV radiation. Their skin does not tan, it burns.
Regular brushing and combing stimulates your dog's skin, removes dead hairs
before they can mat and distributes natural oils over the dog's coat. This
allows the individual hairs to repel dirt, lie smoothly and shine brightly. Even
dogs with very short coats benefit from grooming. Comb, then brush. Use a wide
toothed comb to remove the dead hair, gently teasing out any knots with your
fingers.
Always be gentle with your dog, you wouldn't like anyone pulling your hair! If
your dog has developed a matted coat, leave it to the professionals. Removing
mats by force can cause a dog to hate being groomed by you.
How Often Should You Groom Your Dog?
How often your dog needs to be groomed (combing and brushing) depends
upon several factors: the type and length of coat, how much time they spend
outdoors, weather conditions, the time of year, etc. In general shorthaired dogs
should be groomed about twice a week, while longhaired dogs should be groomed
daily. Establish a regular grooming schedule at a convenient time that allows
for proper grooming without being rushed or interrupted.
A Stress Free Dog Bath is not a Contradiction
If you love your dog, give it a bath. They'll be cleaner, happier,
healthier and both of you will have a better quality of life.
Begin dog bathing at
an early age, be well prepared and firm but gentle. Some dogs even enjoy a good
bath! Others may not like it, but can learn to tolerate baths with ease. You may
want to consider a human assistant the first few times you try bathing your dog.
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Always comb and
brush before bathing the dog, especially if the coat is matted. Getting a
tangled, matted coat wet causes the coat to mat up even more.
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Have a warm room
prepared for the bath; with a door you can close to avoid dog escapes.
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Use a large sink
or a bathtub with a non-skid surface so your dog does not slide about
groping for solid footing- a stressful situation.
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Have on hand
ample wash cloths, absorbent towels, grooming combs and brushes.
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Select a gentle
pet shampoo and conditioner. Don't use human shampoo. There is a difference
in the "pH" for pet and human shampoos. Human products can dry out a dog's
skin and coat. Don't apply shampoo to the dog's head area. Clean the face
and head with a warm damp cloth without shampoo.
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Prepare pitchers
of warm water or use a quiet low flow hose attachment for rinsing. Some dogs
can become frightened by forceful running water. Rinse thoroughly. Missed
shampoo residue can dry out the skin and coat.
Purchase a quiet blow dryer. Blow dry backwards against the lay of the hair.
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A final quick
combing and brushing and you have a beautiful clean companion dog.
Bathe your dog about
every six weeks. It's best not to bath more than once a month to avoid drying
out the skin and coat.
If you don't use a
pet coat conditioner, after shampooing your dog may develop Fly Away Coat
Syndrome and their coat become super charged with static electricity. A
conditioner helps neutralize the charge left behind in a pet's coat after each
shampooing. Conditioners make the dog's coat manageable, soft, and smooth. Most
humans also use a conditioner for this very reason.
If you love your dog, give it a bath. They'll be
cleaner, happier, healthier and both of you will have a better quality of life.
