Bathing, Brushing & Nail Trimming Your Dog

Brushing

Regular brushing removes dead hair from the coat before it mats, stimulates the skin and helps distribute the natural oils, producing a healthy, shiny coat. Begin brushing at the head, working toward the tail and down the legs. Always brush in the direction of hair growth. Pay particular attention to the legs and flanks, and areas that easily mat. The final step in brushing is to go through the coat using a fine/medium toothed comb, checking for any mats that may still be in the coat.

If your new friend is a longer-haired breed, you'll have to brush his undercoat to keep it from building up. Most long-haired breeds have an undercoat, which is the softer fur inside his coat. If the undercoat builds up, it can prevent him from properly regulating his body temperature. Brushing of both long and short-haired breeds also helps prevent excessive shedding which goes a long way in keeping your home (not to mention your wardrobe) free of dog hair.

Bathing

In addition to keeping your dog smelling fresh, a good bath also keeps his skin clean. Dirty skin can be oily, causing your pet to scratch and lick himself, resulting in sore spots and hairless patches. A good shampoo and proper conditioning will keep his skin healthy and make his coat easier to brush. Speaking of brushing, be sure to brush your dog's coat before every bath, to loosen any matted hair. Mats will only tighten when wet, so it's important to get rid of them before the bath. Also, a dog's skin has a different pH balance than ours, so the two of you shouldn't share shampoo. You'll find a variety of shampoos and conditioners made just for dogs.

Nail Trimming

Regular nail trimming is important to your dog's health and well-being. Never use ordinary scissors to trim your dog's nails. Use trimmers that are specially designed for dogs. Hold the dog's paw firmly, and cut off the tip of the nail with a single stroke. Be very careful to stop short of the quick, the blood vessel inside the nail. Cutting the nails right after bathing will make the quick softer; applying baby oil will serve the same purpose. Follow up by filing your dog's nails with a nail file for a smooth, snag-free finish

Smart Tip on Nail Clipping

Rub your puppy's paws often so he's used to having his feet touched. This will make nail trims much easier when he's an adult.




Obinna Heche: Los Angeles- California

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Brushing Your Dog: Key To Getting That Beautiful Coat

Brushing removes dead hair from the coat before it mats, stimulates the skin and evenly distributes the natural oils over the coat. This allows the individual hairs to lie more smoothly, look shinier and repel dirt. Try to spend just a few minutes every day or so brushing the coat instead of waiting until the coat is tangled then trying to demat it. You and your pet will be happier for it.

Puppies and brushes:

Puppies, are constantly shedding their puppy coat. They should get used to being groomed and handled as soon as they come into the home. If your puppy just "won't hold still long enough" to be brushed, groom in short sessions and just brush a small section at a time until the puppy gets used to being brushed. Talk to him softly and treat him gently. And as with all pets, remember to praise him quietly if he's still. End the brushing session on a positive note, like when he's being still. What should your grooming session consist of?

Remove all mats before bathing your pet:

Getting a tangled, matted coat wet will cause the coat to mat up even more. Water tends to tighten the mat, shampoo gets caught in the mat and is hard to rinse out, drying shrinks it into an even tighter knot. You can make the brushing and dematting process easier on yourself and your pet if you dampen the coat before brushing with a coat conditioner or tangle remover.

Brushing a dry coat will cause static electricity that will damage and break off the ends of the hair. Spray the coat well with the conditioner and allow it to sit on the dog for several minutes or apply it to each layer as you brush. These are especially helpful when working with dogs with long, flowing coats, such as the Maltese, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier.

Brush your pet's hair layer by layer so that it pulls the least on the skin.
Hold the unbrushed hair down, just above the section of hair you want to brush. This allows you to brush layer by layer, working in the direction of the hair growth. If you find a knot of hair, hold the hair at the base of the mat so that it doesn't pull on the pet's skin as much.

Watch your pet's body language as you brush and demat: No pet enjoys having their skin tugged at. Try to brush a little more gently if your pet shows discomfort. Brush burn is the result of applying excessive force when brushing the coat, and can be caused when hair is tugged too aggressively, or from brush bristles harshly scraping the skin. This abrasiveness causes the skin of the pet to become irritated, and could lead to dermatitis. So be firm, yet gentle, when brushing your pet.

Brush the head last:

Pets tend to object less to those things they can't see. The head is a sensitive area for many pets, and you want to keep the pet comfortable as long as possible. Therefore, starting at the rear is less stressful on the pet.

Combing: The final step in brushing.
The final step in brushing is to go through the coat using a fine/medium toothed comb, checking for any mats that may still be in the coat.

Poodles and other non-shedding breeds:

Most people believe that Poodles do not shed. This, however, is a myth, because Poodles do shed their dead hair just as most breeds do. Poodles have a dense undercoat that is course and curly. The dead hair actually gets caught in the undercoat and is unable to fall out through the coat. This causes the coat to mat easily if dead hair is not removed frequently by brushing.



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