Grooming is an essential aspect of owning a dog. It will help you bond with him, and check for any unusual lumps and bumps, as well as keeping his coat and skin good condition. The right tools for the job will depend on your dog’s coat type.
As well as to improve appearance and help keep him healthy, your dog needs grooming to:
- Keep shed hair around the house to a minimum
- Remove dead hair and prevent the coat from knotting and matting in long-haired, curly-coated and double-coated dogs
- Check for fleas, mites and skin ailments
- Make him easier to handle
- Make your pet feel good as regards his appearance
- Ensure he is happy to have all areas of his body attended to
- Help your pet feel more comfortable, relaxed, pampered, and generally better within himself
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How often should I bathe my dog, and how should I go about doing this?
A bath every two to three months or so is adequate for most dogs. Don’t wash your pet more often than this unless really necessary, or you will strip the natural oils from the coat, making it dry and frizzy unless you take steps to prevent this by applying coat conditioners.
Groom your dog thoroughly before bathing. Wash him in bath or the kitchen sink (put a plug sieve in to trap hairs when you let the water out, so as not to clog the drain), or outside in a suitably sized tub – whichever method is most practical. The water temperature should be tepid. Wet dog thoroughly, then apply dog shampoo, working it well into the coat to make a good lather. Rinse it all out with tepid water, shampoo again if the dog is very greasy, rinse, and then apply conditioner. Some conditioners can be left in the coat, others need to be rinsed out.
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Dry the dog off with a towel, then groom the coat through to remove knots. Use a hair-dryer and brush to blow-dry the coat (keep your hand in the airflow to ensure the air isn’t too hot), or leave the dog to dry naturally if the weather is warm and dry. Take care not to get water, shampoo or conditioner in the dog’s ears and eyes.
