Brushing and combing your dog should be made into a pleasant ritual. Select a place to do the grooming-a chair, table or bench will be satisfactory. Lift the dog onto the chair or table, talking to him, reassuring him that all is well. Let him know that he's in for a treat, not an ordeal. Let him sniff each tool; the comb, brush, nail clippers and scissors. It's very important that he learn to associate these tools with a pleasant experience. Handle the situation with tact and care, and the pup will look forward to it. Botch the job and you will be looking for the pup the next time you bring out the grooming tools.
When brushing the puppy, stroke the brush with and against the lie of the hair. This will help to loosen dead hair and stimulate the skin. Use a brush with the correct bristle length; short for medium- and short-haired dogs, long bristles for long-haired dogs. If you do any combing, use a fine comb for the short-haired dog and a comb with widely spaced teeth for the long-haired, medium-haired and wirehaired dogs. You can bring out the gloss in your dog's coat by polishing with a flannel cloth or one of the commercial grooming gloves. These grooming gloves are available in pet shops or pet supply stores.
Matted hair
If you have a short- or smooth-haired dog, you will not have to worry about matted hair. But medium- and longhaired dogs do get tangled or matted hair from burs, paint, tar, chewing gum or other sticky or prickly objects. Dried food will also contribute to matted hair, and this is common in puppies and very old dogs. Matted hair is not only unsightly, but it can pinch and irritate the dog.
If the hair is not too snarled, try combing out the mats. Do this gently. Hold the matted hair or tuft in one hand and gently comb it. If it is too tightly matted, you will have to cut it off. Use blunt-end scissors. Puppies are very quick and wriggly, so be careful not to jab your pup with the scissors. There's very little danger with blunt-end scissors. Gently pull the mat away from the dog's body, then carefully cut the hair between the skin and the mat or tuft. Avoid pulling or yanking the tuft; it hurts. Tar, paint, and other sticky or gummy matter can be softened with acetone (nail-polish remover) and then combed out.
Your dog will need high quality dog food to help him grow bigger and stronger. There are different types of nutrients like vitamins, proteins, minerals and fats are required in proper proportions to strengthen his bones and immune system. You can get different types of dog food from pet supply stores but always remember to read the label before you buy any of the food. The labels will provide information on the different ingredients that is there in the dog food and their quantities. One of the important things to remember is that never provide too much of dog food to your companion because this can lead to intestinal problems.
But is dog food the only requirement of your dog? No! There are many more requirements other than proper dog food but the most important of them all is dog grooming. Proper dog grooming is not just important but also a necessary aspect of dog care. Proper dog grooming will not only make your companion look better, but it will also make him feel better and keep him healthy. For example: Dogs tend to have ticks and these ticks are capable of causing different types of skin diseases. Dog grooming will help you to take care of the ticks and make your dog feel good too. The two important aspects of dog grooming include:
Brushing the Coat: As a part of dog grooming, you will need to brush the coat of your dog every day. Whether your dog is hairy or not, the coat should be brushed. This will help a lot in keeping his hair and coat in great condition because brushing will remove dirt and insects and also help in spreading natural oils evenly through his coat. This will also free their skin from any type of irritation. It is important that your pet should get accustomed to the various processes of dog grooming and hence you should start brushing him from an early age. You can also get an older animal to enjoy brushing ? all you have to do is shower him with praises and give plenty of treats and he will be more than happy!
Trimming of Nails: Nails can become fairly large on dogs and cat even cause injury to other people in your house and even children. Dogs will never deliberately scratch anyone but in their excitement they might end up scratching you. Hence as a part of dog grooming you need to trim his nails at least once every month. You can pick up a clipper from a pet supply store and use it for trimming the nails at home only. You can use a scissor or even a guillotine-type clipper for this important dog grooming exercise. Just to be on the safe side, keep a bottle of blood-clotting powder handy.
Dog grooming is something that will help keep your favorite companion healthy and active throughout his life.
Both Bobbie Mckee & Thierry Babineaux are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Bobbie Mckee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, About Web Hosting and Credit Cards. DogTrainingSite.net is committed to . Find out how to care for your dog at http://www.dogtrainingsite.net Copyright 2006 Bobbie McKee. Th. Bobbie Mckee's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Thierry Babineaux has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Dog Breeds and Pets. Nowadays is just as important to a dog as is. Why not pay ou. Thierry Babineaux's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.