This is keeping your baby clean and groomed...how do you go about this? You're about to find out.
One way to keep your pup or dog looking clean and nicely groomed is to groom on a regular basis. Making a daily habit of grooming for a few minutes a day will help your pup's coat look top-notch. If you don't have that much time to spend, try every couple of days.
The General Grooming
For short coats, a natural bristle brush will help distribute the oils in your Chihuahua's hair, a rubber bristle brush removes dead hair, and a flea comb will help you check for fleas. Long coats will do best with a pin brush or a wide-tooth comb. Use a hair de-tangle solution to aid in brushing out mats. When grooming your pup, pay special attention to the eyes and ears.
When Shedding
Chihuahuas kept indoors will shed year-round. A daily vigorous grooming using a bristle or rubber curry brush will help hurry the shedding process. More hair will shed after bathing.
Feet
If your dog has hairs on his feet that make him slip or track mud, you can snip them off. Most dogs don't need much trimming, even if they are show dogs.
The Bath
If you bathe your pup or dog in the sink, it helps to have a spray attachment. Put a towel in the bottom of the sink to keep him from slipping and make sure to have a way to hold the pup in case he tries to jump. Wet him with warm water starting up his rear and working forward. Make sure and use a shampoo that's for dogs. If your Chihuahua puppy has skin problems, you may have to get a special shampoo. Take care that it doesn't get in his eyes as you apply the shampoo or that water doesn't get into his ears. Work in the shampoo and then rinse your pup thoroughly beginning with the head and working backward. You can follow with a creame rinse if desired. Don't let your pup outside on a chilly day when still damp, be sure and dry him completely. A blow dryer is the best way to dry him off on a chilly day. Introduce it gradually though.
A good daily grooming and occasional bath will help your Chihuahua pup stay healthy looking, soft, and more fun to hold. Plus, grooming time should be a cherished time between you and your pup, a time to get to know each other better. "How do I care for my new Chihuahua puppy?" hopefully is now a question of the past and both of you can start enjoying a lifetime of a clean and well-groomed coat.
The Leonberger is a breed which comes from the city of Leonberg near the foothills of the Black Forest of Germany. The Mayor of Leonberg, Heir Heinrich Essig, developed this dog for one reason only, he wanted to breed a dog that would resemble the lion depicted on the crest of his town. He accomplished this by breeding a Saint Bernard to a Newfoundland, then breeding the offspring to a Pyrenean Mountain dog, in 1907. He thus produced what the rest of the dog world considered a "crossbreed".
However, the good looks and personality of the dog won over the hearts of many and it soon became popular not only in Germany but throughout Europe. The dog has the web foot typical of the Newfoundland and the burly good humor of both the Newf and the Saint, while the Pyrenean Mountain dog contributed some herding and guarding instinct.
The Leonberger very nearly became extinct during the World Wars. Great Britain and the United States imported dogs of the German strain and continued to breed this distinctly different dog. It has since become registered by all of the European Kennel clubs. Registry in the American Kennel Club has begun with the first step being recognition by the F.S.S. (Foundation Stud Service) of the A.K.C.
The Leonberger is a fairly healthy dog, the only consideration being that there may be a tendency to hip and elbow dysplasia. The United States Leonberger club recognizes that this is a breed that should be x-rayed before breeding and most of the breeders involved with this unique dog work hard at making sure that their puppies are sold on contracts to spay or neuter a pet dog.
The Leonberger indeed has the appearance of a lion to a certain extent. It is a large dog, weighing in at 80 to 150 pounds. The face has a distinguished looking black mask and the hairs of the body often have a black tip to the ends. The color is fawn to light golden to deep red.
The coat is double in nature with a dense undercoat, however it is a coat which does lie close to the body and should not be groomed to the appearance of a "stand-off" coat such as the Chow chow. The tail is long, extending to the top of the hock and is carried at "half mast" when moving. The breed sports a mane around the neck and the top of the back, although it is not as outstanding as the mane of an actual lion.
Truly the character of this dog is rather like that of a lion, being regal and somewhat aloof in nature, preferring his family "pack" to all others but accepting of strangers when properly introduced. He is gentle and congenial but makes a good watchdog, with a deep and resounding bark to warn of intruders.
Strong enough to pull a cart and with the swimming characteristic of the Newfoundland, this is a versatile and enjoyable dog that brings faithfulness and a true working dog's sense of loyalty to his people.