Tips to Groom Your Dog At Home

 

Dog grooming is the practice of caring for the appearance of a canine for personal or showing purposes.  Dog grooming is not just a luxury for your canine companion; it is also a health requirement. Groomers are often the first to notice a medical problem, such as an ear or skin infection that requires veterinary care. Grooming is also a great way to cut down on allergies and infections for both pets and their owners.    Grooming normally includes ear checking and cleaning, teeth care, nail trimming and styling the dog's coat to create an impressive appearance.  You can groom your dog at home.

 

Grooming

 

Grooming the dog involves several steps: An initial brush-out is followed by a first clipping of hair or fur using electric clippers, combs, and grooming shears; the Groomers then cuts the nails, cleans the ears, bathes, and blow-dries the animal, and ends with a final clipping and styling.  Grooming your own dog is about skill Grooming tips that work on a sheepdog probably won't work on a Maltese.  If you're willing to spend two hours reading a book about grooming you will be able to understand the grooming specifics for the breed of dog you own. .  Grooming normally includes ear checking and cleaning, teeth care, nail trimming and styling the dog's coat to create an impressive appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some simple tips for helping your dog put  their best paw forward.

 

Hair

 

.   Some breeds have hair not fur, their coat grows much like human hair, and requires trimming .Stripping or hand-stripping is the process of pulling the dead hair out of the coat of a non-shedding dog, either by using a stripping knife or the fingers.  Longhaired dogs need pin brushes, which have long, round-ended stainless-steel or chrome-plated pins.  There are also slicker brushes for removing mats and dead hair; rubber curry combs to polish smooth coats and remove dead hair; clippers, stripping knives, rakes, hair dryers, and other grooming tools.  Dips leave a residue on the skin and hair that can cause additional wear on the clipper blades. 

 Read up on your breed specific hair. Impulse makes us want to cut the hair over a sheepdog's eyes but this is a mistake and can actually harm the dog's eyes.  Brush your dog weekly to remove dead hair and reduce shedding.  You can use powders and detanglers every day to keep dog's hair nice and clean.  For dogs that have short hair, they need to be brushed, maybe once per week.  Gently pull any hair growing in the ear to the outside and clip away, if necessary.  Weekly brushing, whether your dog has long hair or short hair, is an important step in caring for your dog.  Clipping your dog's hair between the paws will prevent anything stuck (seeds from some grasses or pebbles) between the pads.

 

 Grooming Tools

Learn how to choose the right brushes, combs, clippers and other grooming tools.  Use specifically designed clippers found at your local pet store, and make sure you pick up a. 

Scissors and Clippers are used to remove hair on certain types of coats or in sensitive areas.  There are also slicker brushes for removing mats and dead hair; rubber curry combs to polish smooth coats and remove dead hair; clippers, stripping knives, rakes, hair dryers, and other grooming tools. Then there are dogging nail clippers, nail trimmers and nail files. 

 

 Electric clippers also come with a small brush and a tube of oil.  When using electric clipper the first time; turn the clippers on and allow the dog to get used to the sound.  Hold the clippers near his/her head and once that has been accepted, lay the side of the clipper against the skin so the dog will become accustomed to the vibration.  If you still have mats in the, you will have to work the clippers under the mat by laying the clipper against the skin and gently tugging on the mat while moving the blades under the mat.  During the clipping process, turn the clippers off, use the tiny brush to remove built up hair and then lightly oil again.  A complete grooming kit will contain brushes, combs, clippers, and tools to help you care for your dog's nails.

 

Skin and Coat

 

A dog's diet affects all aspects of his body including the skin and coat.  If your dog's diet contains adequate amounts of fatty acids, his coat and skin should appear healthy. 

Brushing dogs is the most time intensive part in dog grooming.

 

 If your dog coat  is matted, as carefully as you can, take your  dog comb and starting at the edge of a mat, use the teeth of the comb to lift the mat away from the skin. It is important not to irritate your dog’s skin during the grooming process. Your favorite shampoo is probably far too drying for a dog's skin. You can pick a general shampoo or one that treats a skin condition that you dog may have..

 

 

Nails

 

Nail trimming is absolutely necessary for maintaining good health.  Trim your dog's nails about every four weeks or so.  If a dog's nails are allowed to grow, they will curl over into a spiral shape; walking will become increasingly painful to the dog as they grow out.  Uncut nails may curl so far that they pierce the paw pad, leading to infection and debilitating pain.  Be sure to stop before you reach the quick, which is the part of the nail that contains nerves and blood vessels.  If you cannot see the quick clearly, stop cutting just behind the point at which the nail begins to curve downward.  If you cut the quick Put some clotting powder on a moist cotton swab and press it firmly against the nail for several seconds.  Consider an electric nail clipper, which is easier to use than a manual one.  Start clipping your dog's nails in puppy hood, so that they get used to the process

 

 

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Brushing

 

Brushes, rakes, combs and other tools are the foundation of any grooming activity. Brush all the way down to the skin, letting the massaging action stimulate blood circulation and loosen and remove flakes of dandruff.  Brush your dog weekly to remove dead hair and reduce shedding.  Brushing will stimulate oils in your pet's skin and keep it moist and healthy.  Brushing will prevent matting of your dog's coat.  Brushing with a soft brush distributes lanolin through the fur and pinpoints any problem areas of matting.  Brushing dogs is the most time intensive part in dog grooming.

 

Bathing

 

Your dog should be bathed about every 8 to 10 weeks usually.  Be sure you brush the dog before the bath so that all mats are out of his coat before he jumps in.  Dogs can be bathed by being wet down with a garden hose using a hand-held shower head, or with water from a bucket.  Oftentimes, one bath will not make a dog truly clean.  A second bath  is excellent to ensure the entire body has been cleaned.  Many types of shampoos and conditioners formulated for dogs are available; however, using a shampoo without mixing it with water may be a little strong for a dog that's just getting a touch-up bath

 

Teeth

 

When you are performing dog grooming don't forget your dog's teeth.  They need yearly professional dental assessments and teeth cleaning.  In-between, you should brush the teeth with a canine dentifrice and give bones, and chlorophyll chews to promote healthy gums and better breath.    It is not advisable to scrape the teeth yourself with a dental scalar--you might cut the gums and scratches in the enamel promote faster formation of plaque.

 

 Diet plays a large part in plaque and tartar formation where moist, sticky canned food sticks to the teeth at the gum line, whereas, kibble provides some scrubbing action.  Cold clean water in a stainless steel bowl and changed many times a day will benefit the dog's teeth by helping to wash away food debris. 

 

When I brush the dog's teeth I maintain the same routine, as dogs are comfortable with routine If your pet's teeth aren't too bad clean with the ;simply rub some on their teeth with your fingers.  When brushing your dogs' teeth use small circular motions around the outside the teeth, being sure to get the bristles under the gum line.  Many Dogs actually come to really enjoy having their teeth cleaned, as they enjoy the taste of dog tooth jel..  The most important aspect of training your dog to accept the teeth cleaning process is to stop brushing well before the dog starts to create a fuss.

 

 

Ears

 

Check the dog's ears for infections and mites. If the dog's ears are irritated put off cleaning the ear till you deal with the cause of the irritation. The inside dog's ears should be a healthy pink. If you dogs ears appear to be healthy use a commercial dog ear cleaning solution or a mixture of one fourth hydrogen peroxide and three fourths water. Take a round make up pad, and roll it into a swab. Gently then use it to wipe out excess wax and dirt out of the dogs ear canal. Do not go deep into the ear canal. Simply clean the dog's ears in areas that are easily seen with your eyes. Stop if the dog begins to fuss in anyway and go back to cleaning the ears at another time.

 

 

Conclusion

With a little investment in reading, time, and tools you can confidently groom your own dog. If you do not feel up to the whole job you can greatly improve your dog's health and attitude towards grooming by doing some of the tasks of grooming at home. The neighbor dogs will be so jealous when you walk your dolled up dog down the street.