Duty Dog

The Dos and Don'ts of Dog Grooming

Having a dog in the house is fun. However, dogs, like any pet, require attention and care. And as a pet owner, grooming your dog is important as it makes your dog clean and healthy.  If your dog is well groomed, you will no longer worry petting it, having it inside the house, on your couch, or on your bed.

Most of us think that dog grooming procedures are pretty simple. Well, they probably are or are they? Have you thought about good and bad practices in dog grooming? If you do the grooming yourself, then you will definitely find this information helpful in taking care of your dog the right way. We will look at a few of the fundamental dos and don'ts in this space. Hopefully, these tips will help you be better at grooming your dog.

Bathing: Do bath your dog regularly. While it is not possible to give a blanket rule on exactly how often your dog should be bathed, do it at least once a month. Use shampoo to clean the hair effectively, and a brush. Failure to bath your dog will result in accumulation of dirt, and cause other skin infections. Do not bath your dog too frequently and certainly not daily. This will deplete some of the vital oils on your dog's skin and guess what – lead to the same risks to its skin that not washing can cause such as scratching and skins tear.

Hair clipping and brushing: Do brush your dog's hair regularly and clip it as often as is necessary. Do use the right tools; here we are talking both brushes and hair clippers. Besides the aesthetic value of hair brushing and clipping, other benefits include the ease of removal of dirt during bathing and the prevention of matting. Do not brush with too much force as this may as it may hurt your dog or cause injury. When matting has occurred, then brush gently or better still, just clip the hair. Do not clip too close to the skin to give your dog a naked look. This will be harmful as it exposes your dog to skins cuts.

Peticure: Do clean your dog's nails to remove any hidden dirt that may cause infection, and do make sure to trim the nails regularly. Long nails can grow into the soft paw tissue and injure the dog. Use the right nail clippers for this. Do not clip too deep; remember to watch out for the quick and stop clipping to avoid cutting living tissue.

Finally, do specifically clean your dog's ear. A prerequisite for this is regular checking of the ears to see if there is accumulation of dirt. Do not use sharp objects or clean too deep, you might prick the inside and cause infection. Special ear washing substances exit and you need to use soft cotton without pouring too much liquid in the ear. Should you notice any kind of infection, do not clean, take your dog to a veterinarian.

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