You are viewing entries tagged 'home grooming'.
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Responsible Dog Ownership Tip #5: Grooming for your hound!
While some dogs have more demanding grooming requirements than others, the majority of dogs need some or all of the following on a semi-regular basis: bathing, brushing/combing, tooth brushing, nail clipping, ear checks and cleaning. Matted fur, overgrown nails, bad teeth, and ear infections can be exceedingly uncomfortable for dogs and are easily prevented by routine maintenance. |
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In our experience, they work great. There are many different vendors that sell them on the market like Laube, Furminator, and Bamboo. We only have first hand experience with the Furminator and have found it to do a great job at removing the undercoat layer of hair that is ready to come off! This helps to keep your dog cooler in the summer months by removing unnecessary hair and is also helpful in reducing the amount of shedding from your pups. These tools seem to last forever so it is commonly a one time purchase that is in our opinion a no-brainer. Most of these companies also offer de-shedding treats and shampoo solutions that enhance the ability of their tools to perform. |
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Depending on you and your dog’s lifestyles, some dogs may require more frequent bathing than others. One negative of bathing is that it does strip your dog of the necessary oils that are naturally produced. An alternative to frequent bathing is to wipe your dog down with grooming wipes. These are great for surface freshness and cleaning, but will not dry your dogs skin out. It is also important to use products like ear cleansers and face wipes when doing your grooming to keep up with overall health on a regular basis. We recommend getting into a routine and setting up a grooming calendar to keep track on frequency. |
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Wait until your dog is dog-tired before you embark on nail-cutting. A very sleepy dog doesn’t react half as much to having his feet handled or his nails cut. |
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If an Afghan hound or a Maltese winds up with mats in his coat, you can try squirting it with a human de-tangling spray or – better yet – one made for dogs – then tease the mat out with the gentle strokes of a comb, just as you would a person’s hair. |
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Dog’s skin is really sensitive and you want to avoid any chemical solvents – they can burn the dog’s skin, are flammable and if he licks his skin they are toxic if ingested. With a long-haired dog you have to cut out the area or clip the dog. With a short-haired dog use Goo-Gone or another product, but only if you are ready to give an immediate bath with dog shampoo. |
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Young dogs and very sensitive ones cannot tolerate long grooming sessions. The path of least resistance is to groom half of the dog at a time! Do one side or end of the dog in the morning and the other one at night. |
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If your dog doesn’t smell at all and is not shedding, then a monthly bath is more than sufficient in order keep his or her skin and coat clean and healthy. |
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The little shock that can occur in very dry weather – a tingle when you touch the dog – can be avoided by dampening your hand or brush with water, or by standing on a hard surface floor before making contact. |
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Massage helps dogs the way it can help humans, by improving circulation, relieving tense muscles and psychic stress and by enhancing all the body systems like circulatory, lymph, respiratory, nervous, digestive and immune. |
