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Dog Grooming Basics  
By Renske Buursma
 
   

Grooming your dog can be a rewarding and at the same time a rather trying experience. If you have the right approach and proper tool set for the job, you can make your mangy best friend into a beautiful canine, as well as keeping him clean and well kempt. It’s a necessary part of pet ownership.

Brushing

Brushing your pet’s coat is an integral part of keeping them clean and healthy. Daily brushing will not only help to remove the dirt and grime that builds in those tufts of hair but spread the natural oils in their coat and keep their body generally clean and irritation free.

Brushing can be a fun process that your dog enjoys, but make sure they get a taste for it at an early age. For adopted dogs, it is possible to train them to enjoy it with the proper attention and, of course, treats.

Nails

Nails should be clipped on a monthly basis. It helps to avoid in growing nails as well as the unsavoury scratching of floors, yourself or your furniture.

Keep clippers that suit the kind of dog you have. Plier style clippers are heavy duty and perfect for dogs with thick, tough nails. Simple scissor style clippers though will work just as well for smaller dogs with easier to cut nails.

Also keep on hand blood clotting formula. Often, nail clipping will cause bleeding in your dog’s nails. It’s not serious, but you want to make sure it stops immediately.

Ears

Check your dog’s ears on a constant basis, every two weeks or so. It is common for them to get infections, and they can become quite ill

Check for any discoloration or redness. When cleaning your dog’s ears, use a moist cotton ball with warm water to probe the outer areas. However, never go into the ear canal. If you think anything is wrong in there, take them to the vet.

Teeth

To keep your dog’s teeth fresh and free of disease, offer them teeth cleaning treats regularly and brush them once or twice a week. Veterinarians can also perform this during check ups.

Bathing

While generally clean animals, dogs do need the occasional bath to clean what brushing does not. Every month or two should be sufficient

Make sure to purchase special, dog shampoo to make sure the coat does not become tangled and retains its shine.

Brush your dog before and after bathing to keep tangles and hidden dirt free.

Grooming your dog is a constant process, but an important one to maintain health and well-being. Plus, they will look beautiful instead of muddy and tangled.


About the author:By Renske Buursma, pet store owner with lots of helpful articles about pet care at http://yourhealthypetsonline.com