Dog Grooming
Grooming of dogs has long has its history as far back as it was domesticated. Some said it is an art refined through the years of mastering it. What we need to understand is that grooming helps keep your dog in an optimum condition. Whether it is in terms of appearance or otherwise, grooming is part of your pet’s health care.
Why is this so that it concerns health instead of just appearance? A very simple example is that if you have a dog with long coat of hair, what would happen if you do not trim the hairs that covers the eyes. Firstly, your dog would not have a good vision as the hair is obstructing it. What would your dog do? It would either be rubbing areas around its eyes with its paws to clear off the obstructing hairs. By doing so, it would also be causing harm to the eyes physically.
Secondly, even if your dog is not rubbing its eyes due to irritation, the hairs that over grow into the eyes, will be “pocking” into it. This will cause injury to the eyes such as scratches and bruising of the eyes will occur. It can also cause redness in the eyes. This will depend on the severity of the injury and the reaction of your dog to its irritation. If it is not tackle at an early stage, more harm and serious eye problem will manifest. So be on the look-out of hairs covering the eyes.
Grooming can be done by the dog owner or send to a grooming saloon to take care of its needs. Let us start with the basic ones such as bathing the dog. How often do we bathe our pet? There is no specific duration. It will have to depend on your dog’s condition. Dogs that exercise and roam a lot will have to bathe more often than those that don’t. Usually when it gets smelly, you need to bathe it. A dog shampoo is a must so that it do not cause any skin reaction. If your dog is having skin problem, then you need to bathe it more often.
Next will be the brushing of your dog. Here it is the same that common sense and logic applies. Short-haired dogs do not need to be brushed as often as long haired-dogs. Long-haired dogs need to be brushed often so that they don’t get tangled or matted. Do not forget to brush short-haired dogs as it would help to remove “dead” hairs from their coat. Remember to brush down along the hair and never against.
Trimming of hair is of great significant for long coat dogs. This is to keep it neat and kempt. It also make them feel more comfortable. What I am commenting here is the normal trimming to keep it neat and tidy, not those that trimmed their dogs to some exotic fashion which is not recommended. Furthermore as per commented above, trimming includes keeping the hairs out of the dog’s eyes. It also helps to enhance the appearance of the dog.
Nails on the dog’s paws need to be kept short so that it is not clipping on the floor when it walks. Remember not to over-do short. When you clip it too short, it is painful and will bleed. This is often true with smaller breed of dogs. If you are not sure, seek expert help. When you can hear the sound of clipping of nails on the floor, it is time to visit the grooming saloon.
Brushing of teeth is on the list of grooming. It is recommended to do it often. However survey has shown that this is not one of the top item in the grooming list. Alternatively there are synthetic bones and other chewables that are sold in the market that helps to clean the dog’s teeth.
Whatever you do, just use common sense and logic when you groom your dog. It is best to introduce grooming to you dog as early as possible when it is a puppy so that it is familiar with the procedure and will be at ease with it.