Grooming is an important part of dog ownership, as it helps to keep your pet's coat clean, shiny, and manageable.
Regular dog grooming
will also help to improve your dog's circulation, promote healthy hair growth, and keep grease levels down. It is therefore a good idea to get your dog used to being groomed from an early age to ensure that it feels happy with the grooming process. Before you start grooming, you will need to make sure that your dog is in a comfortable position and that you have all the right grooming tools on hand. The following points will help to ensure that your dog's coat gets groomed to perfection:
1. Use the right tools - There are so many different grooming tools to choose from, such as slicker brushes, rakes and bristle brushes, that it can be difficult to know which ones are best for your dog's coat type. Before purchasing any grooming tools, it is worth taking a trip down to your local pet store and asking the staff for some advice on the matter.
2. Start at the top - When grooming your dog, it is often easier to start at the head and work your way down to the tail. Always make sure that your grooming tools are clean before you start, and be prepared to stop grooming for a couple of minutes if your dog starts to get a bit restless. Remove your dog's collar and then begin brushing the head gently, as the skin and hair around the face is rather sensitive. Be sure to brush any long hair away from the face to protect your pet's eyes from the bristles.
3. Don't forget to
clean your dogs ears
- Continue to brush gently around the ears. If your dog has long hair around the ears, place one hand underneath the strands of hair while you groom with the other - this will help to protect the ears and delicate skin from the bristles. Sometimes, particularly in long-haired breeds, some of the hair around the ears gets matted. You can gently loosen any matted hair from around the ears by applying a small amount of detangling spray for dogs to the affected area. If the matted hair is impossible to detangle, you may need to use some electric clippers.
4. Move down to the neck - If your dog has thick fur in this area, you may need to use an undercoat rake or a comb. You will need to comb the hair thoroughly from underneath first and then smooth it back down again.
5. Get your dog to roll over - Once your dog is lying calmly on its back, you will be able to get to work on its belly. This is another sensitive area that needs grooming with care.
6. Get to work on the main body - The torso is probably the most straightforward part of your dog's body to groom. You will need to give the fur in this area a good brush and then run a comb over it to finish off - gently removing any matted areas you may come across.
7. Steer to the rear - Your dog's rear end can be another sensitive area, so it is important to take it easy when running the brush over it. Finish off by gently combing any long hair, taking particular care around the base of the tail.
8. Give the legs some attention - The legs shouldn't need too much attention unless you have a dog with long hair. Start by giving the legs a good brush, then gently comb out any feathering - use the detangling spray again if you need to remove any matted hair.
9. Finish with the tail - Once again, if your dog has short hair this will be a quick job that will only require minimal brushing; otherwise you will need to use a comb and possibly some detangling spray to loosen any matted hair.
10. Give your dog some praise - Remember that your dog has been standing patiently for some time while you have been grooming, so make sure that you provide a few treats and lots of praise when the job is done!
When you first start
grooming your dog, it may be a good idea to keep the first grooming session short by only grooming for around five to ten minutes. Once your dog gets used to the grooming procedure, you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend on the task. Regular grooming sessions also give you the opportunity to check your dog over for any unusual lumps, bumps or skin conditions. Making grooming part of your dog's routine will hopefully help to keep your pet's coat healthy and free from matted hair.
