Good grooming for a dog is as important, if not more important, than good hygiene for a human. Good grooming helps your dog look nice and smell nice, but also helps your dog stay healthy. It reduces the chances of fleas and reduces chances of infections. Here are seven tips to help you keep your dogs in a good and healthy condition.
Research Your Specific Breed
Different breeds of dogs require different grooming regimes. Some dogs need to be brushed every day, while other dogs only need to be brushed once a week. Some dogs will stay still while you groom, while others will run around and be hyper-energetic.
Learn as much as you can about your specific breed and individual dog’s personality.
Use Treats to Calm Them Down
Getting your dog to sit still through grooming is a negotiation. Don’t try to use force to get them to stay still, or you’ll be in for a very long haul. Instead, learn to use treats to get them to calm down and accept the grooming.
Give them a treat every time they let you work for a short period of time.
Clean the Inner Ears
This is one aspect of dog grooming that many owners skip over these days. Cleaning out the inner ears will help you prevent bad smells coming from the buildup of earwax and to avoid having discharge flow out.
How do you clean the inner ears? Just take a hold of the hairs in the ear and pull it gently. Don’t cut the hairs, as scissors near your dog’s ears can be dangerous. Also wipe inside the ear with a tissue wrapped around your finger, just don’t reach in too far!
How Often Should Your Dog Bathe?
If your dog doesn’t bathe often enough, he’ll start to smell. He could also drag bacteria, dirt and micro-organisms from the yard into the house. However, bathing every day is unhealthy for dogs as it removes the dog’s natural oils.
Most dogs should bathe somewhere between every 4-12 weeks but should be brushed more often.
Dog Dental Care
Just as humans need to brush their teeth, so do canines. Dogs need a good teeth brushing to avoid dental issues as well as bad breath.
Start by going to your local pet store and purchasing some toothpaste and toothbrushes for dogs. Then apply the toothpaste on the brush and brush the dog’s teeth. Use up and down motions as well as circle motions.
Learn the “Grooming Voice”
Never shout at your dog during grooming. Using a commanding voice can sometimes help, but unless your dog is very obedient chances are even that’ll stop working after a time.
What’s the best voice to talk to a dog with during grooming? It’s the “grooming voice.” The voice should be gentle and reassuring, much like how you’d talk to a small child when you’re trying to get them to play.
Dogs pick up on subtle vocal cues. Though they can’t understand your words, when you’re speaking to them gently and reassuringly, they still feel calmed. Combine that with a bit of assertive yet gentle guidance and the dog will be sure to listen.
Dog Nail Trimming
Trimming your dog’s nails is one of the trickiest parts of dog grooming. It’s important, without a doubt. If you don’t get your dog’s nails trimmed, he could tear apart furniture as well as hurt people or other pets. There’s also the risk of infections or of getting more dirt and bacteria under the nail.
Trimming your dog’s nails is best left to a professional. There’s a big risk of nicking a blood vessel if you’re not careful. Take your dog to a professional groomer every couple months.
If you decide to do it yourself at home, make sure to purchase a dog nail cutting tool. Don’t try to do it with standard scissors or shears. Dog nail cutters are designed specifically to snip dog nails and are much safer and more effective than using regular scissors. They’re very affordable, so don’t jeopardise your dog’s paws by not buying the right tools.
These seven tips will help you keep your dog in tip top condition. Grooming your dog is your responsibility as a caring owner. It’ll help keep both your dog and your home safe.
About the Author:
Rebecca Carter is a passionate writer at uk-essays.com. There is her own section on this website where she can describe her experience of dog care. By the way, she is a happy owner of two wonderful puppies. She likes spending her spare time with them.
