The Basics of Dog Grooming
22 Jun 2009
It can be quite costly to take your dog to a salon for its grooming. But that’s no excuse to take chances with your dog’s health and well being by neglecting its grooming. Similar to humans, dogs need to be pampered occasionally so that they not only look better but feel special.
Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on dog grooming. It’s not that hard to groom your dog on your own right at home. Just buy some pets grooming supplies and read the following tips on how to groom your dog.
The place to start is with your dog’s coat. Cleaning and grooming your pet’s coat is essential if you want to keep pests such as fleas from making their home in it. One very essential pet supply is the soft-bristled brush. You have to make sure that you brush your dog’s coat every day to prevent it from becoming tangled. Brushing also makes the coat shine since it distributes the natural oils throughout the length of the hair. By getting rid of the hair that’s dead or dying, it will cut down on the amount of shedding your dog does.
As well, you need to have your dog’s coat trimmed every month or two, depending on the breed. If you want to do this on your own, you need to have clippers or trimmers, scissors, a brush or a comb, a blow dryer, and towels.
The next step is giving your dog a bath. For this you’ll need a shampoo formulated for dogs, some soap, a comb and brush, and lots of towels. Prior to bathing, brush out the coat so it doesn’t get hopelessly tangled in the water. You have to bathe the dog every month (for dogs with long hair) or every two months (for short-haired dogs). Sometimes it will need an extra bath if it’s been engaged in particularly messy activities. Routinely giving your dog a bath will keep fleas at bay, and help to avoid various skin conditions. It also keeps the dog smelling nice and feeling clean.
Nail clipping is another important component of grooming your dog. Your dog’s nails grow just like yours and longer nails can do a lot of damage to your home. As well, they could break off, which can be a painful situation. So you need to trim your dog’s nails on a monthly basis. This is quite different from trimming your own nails since your dog’s nails are thicker and a different shape. You’ll need to use a dog nail trimmer. You’ll also need some powder to stop the bleeding if you should happen to cut your dog.
Every couple of weeks, inspect your dog’s ears to see if there are any open sores or fleas. Then use warm water, mineral oil and cotton balls to get them clean.
Lastly, it’s not just humans who need to keep their teeth clean. Dogs too can get cavities and other unhealthy conditions on their teeth and gums. You need pet toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean the mouth twice a week.
