If you recently brought home a doggy, you will need to learn the basics of dog grooming or trust your pet to a dog groomer, ensuring they use the best groomer supplies. While fidos have their own ways of keeping themselves clean (read licking), regular grooming is an important part of caring for your dog. This will also help keep them healthy.Here are some grooming tips every dog owner should know.
Nails
Trim your doggy’s nails
Just like us humans, some dogs’ nails grow more quickly than the others, however, on an average, pooches need a trimming of their nails once each month.As a general rule of thumb, when your dog’s nails start clicking or getting snagged on floor, it means that they need a trim.Inspect your dog’s feet for dirt/debris, and trim carefully using a good-quality clipper.
Brushing
Brush your dog’s coat
Thoroughly brush your doggy’s coat at least once every week.Regular brushing of your dog’s coat will help get rid of dirt/debris, dead hair, and any unpleasant odors from its coat and the skin.It further helps distribute the natural oils in their skin, thereby making the coat healthier and shinier.Be careful while brushing so that you don’t hurt your pooch.
Teeth
Brush their teeth daily
You should also pay good attention to your dog’s dental health.Ideally, you should brush your dog’s teeth once every day. But in case you’re too busy for that, aim for 2-3 teeth brushing sessions per week.However, use toothpastes meant for dogs. We say so because regular human toothpastes contain ingredients that are unsafe for dogs and can make them sick.
Bathing
Bathing your pooch
Give your dog a nice bath every one/two weeks. Use a mild dog shampoo while cleaning your dog. Also, make sure the water isn’t too hot or too cold. Once done, use a towel to thoroughly rinse your doggy and ensure there is no shampoo left on its body.
Why Grooming Your Dog Is Important?
How much you need to groom your dog, and how often, will depend on their breed and coat type but it’s important to remember that dog grooming isn’t just about keeping them beautiful. It also allows you to spend quality bonding time with your pet, and gives you the opportunity to keep an eye on their body condition and spot any early signs of health problems.
Dog grooming might seem superficial, but it has great benefits inside and out. In short, dog grooming:
- Removes dead hair and distributes natural oils, helping to keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy
- Gives you the opportunity to check for unusual lumps and bumps, parasites or scratches that may need attention
- Improves circulation
- Reduces stress and blood pressure – in both of you (and that’s been scientifically proven!)
When to groom
The golden rule with dog grooming is to start early. If your puppy can get used to being handled while they’re still young, it will make any veterinary examinations and dog grooming much less stressful in the future!
In terms of how often you should groom your dog, it will depend on what kind of coat your dog has and how much fur they shed. For long haired breeds, most vets advise grooming dogs every day to prevent tangles. Medium haired breeds should be brushed about once a week, while short haired breeds can typically go up to a month without brushing! Even though some dog breeds, such as Poodles, don’t typically shed hair at all, they will still be prone to matting so need regular grooming and trimming to keep their coat from becoming too long and thick.
