Are you a proud parent of a fur baby? Or are you all set to welcome the new fur member in the house? Raising a puppy is no less challenging than raising a human child, sometimes even more challenging! You have to be on your toes all the time. You have to master the art of grooming your puppy, or you’ll end up raising it all wrong!
However, you can always turn to a professional dog groomer and let him handle the job. But that doesn’t put a stop to your responsibility towards the pup. Here we’ll focus on the necessities of grooming a dog regularly and if you need to take your puppy to the groomer. Read on!
Why Groom Your Dog?
Most of you would hit the dog grooming salon once your pooch gets lost in those clouds of fur! But grooming a dog is much more than just a haircut. It includes brushing the dog’s teeth, trimming nails, bathing, cleaning the inner parts of ears and corners of the eyes, etc.
Grooming a dog is crucial because of many reasons. Grooming enhances the quality of the fur coat by removing dirt, knots, and dead hairs. It also allows you to know if your dog has unusual bumps, rashes, or scratches. If you find something irregular on their skin, you can consult a vet before it deteriorates further.
Does Regular Grooming Make Your Dog’s Coat and Skin Healthy?
Yes! Dogs’ skin is full of fur, and it is necessary to clean your dog to keep the skin healthy. In addition, grooming at regular intervals can enhance the quality of the coat and maintain the oil balance of the dog’s skin.
Regular combing of the fur coat increases the blood circulation of the dog’s skin. It also helps untangle the hairs, dust, and dirt that accumulates on the skin surface.
Regular grooming also reduces your dog’s tendency to shed. Hence, it helps to keep your floor and carpets comparatively clean.
How Often Should You Take Your Dog to the Groomers?
Grooming makes your dog look, smell, and feel fresh and healthy. But that doesn’t mean you must head to the groomer every day! With a bit of patience, you can perform basic grooming tasks right at home.
However, the dog’s coat determines how often you should take your dog to the groomer.
- Those breeds with shorter hair are less prone to dust accumulation. Hence, these breeds can do with seasonal grooming, i.e., four times a year.
- Breeds with excessive shedding need grooming more often. You can ask your groomer to apply a furminator treatment to your fur baby to reduce shedding.
- Dogs with curly fur coats need more grooming than many other breeds. It’s because the woolly texture of the fur is more prone to tangle and collect dirt. Hence, you’ll need to get them to the groomer more often.
How to Bathe a Dog
Unless your pooch has been playing in the mud, you don’t need to take them to the groomer for bathing. You can manage it at home. But, first, you need to know-how.
Picking the Right Products
Picking the right shampoo and conditioner plays a crucial role in a dog’s bathing. This is because a dog’s skin has a different pH level as compared to a human’s. Hence, you need to choose shampoos that are specific to the dog’s skin.
If your dog has a silk coat like Lhasa, Shih Tzu, it needs a de-greasing or a shine-enhancing shampoo and conditioner. Dogs with double coats like Golden Retriever, German Shepherd need de-shedding shampoos, 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioners, etc. Choca-Doodle 2 in 1 Conditioning Shampoos is appropriate for curly coats breeds like a poodle.
Steps to Follow
- Put the pooch in the bathtub along with some chewies.
- Use lukewarm water to drench your dog.
- Add more water to the shampoo to dilute it – a diluted shampoo is easy to apply.
- Apply the diluted shampoo twice to remove all the dirt particles altogether.
- Apply conditioner to add extra shine and softness.
- Wash off the conditioner after a few minutes.
- Tap dry the pup with a soft towel.
How to Brush a Dog
Combing and brushing the dog the right way is an art in itself. Ask a pet groomer, and he’ll guide you on which brush to use for your dog breed. But how to brush your dog’s fur? Let’s find out.
Brush According to Direction
Don’t brush against the direction of the fur; it will form more tangles. Instead, brush down and out as the coat flows on the skin.
Apply Soft Strokes
Be sure to condition the fur before brushing. And then gently brush through the coat. If you observe a knot, don’t comb it hard as it would hurt the skin, and pull the fur off.
Choose the Right Comb
Choose a dog hairbrush with soft bristles to untangle the fur knots. Long silky knots need a slicker brush, while short silky knots need a bristle brush. Double coated breeds need wide toothed brushes for the outer coat and undercoat rakes for the inner coat.
Conclusion
Grooming a dog is necessary to ensure a healthy pet life. With these grooming tips, you can avoid expensive grooming sessions to quite an extent and do the basic grooming at home.
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