Part of taking care of your dog is keeping him or her clean. If you’ve ever had a dog go a month or so without grooming of any kind, you know that they can be quite a mess – first off, the smell isn’t exactly pleasant. Then there are the knots of hair with long-haired breeds that can turn into real nightmares. Lastly, knowing you have a good-looking dog is a nice feeling, regardless of the breed. In this article, we’ll summarize some basic principles on dog grooming and keeping your dog clean, and in turn, healthy and happy.
Part of taking care of your dog is keeping him or her clean. If you’ve ever had a dog go a month or so without grooming of any kind, you know that they can be quite a mess – first off, the smell isn’t exactly pleasant. Then there are the knots of hair with long-haired breeds that can turn into real nightmares. Lastly, knowing you have a good-looking dog is a nice feeling, regardless of the breed. In this article, we’ll summarize some basic principles on dog grooming and keeping your dog clean, and in turn, healthy and happy.
The number one reason you’ll want to keep your dog clean is to avoid things like fleas, ticks, dirt, and excess hair that can get spread around the house. Fleas and ticks can be killed with a shampoo, and bathing your dog also removes dirt from its coat. Putting most dogs in the bathtub and using a detachable shower head works great, although sometimes a rundown with the garden hose works just as well. If your dog has long hair, has been shedding, or has knots or clumps of hair, doing a little home dog grooming and giving it a haircut in a few places will make it easier to clean and reduce hair problems.
If your dog is shedding everywhere, there are a couple of things you can do to ease it. The first is the brushing. There are a number of different types of dog grooming brushes that will suit different dogs’ coats, so match your dog’s coat to a brush and run it through their coat once or twice a week. Many dogs shed hair because of dry or damaged skin, which is common in many dogs. Giving your dog a teaspoon or so of olive oil in their food will promote a healthy, shiny coat that will shed less and be less itchy for the dog.
There are lots and lots of different ways to keep your dog clean, and you don’t necessarily need to go crazy over it. Dogs are actually able to keep themselves physically clean (if not smelling like roses), and shouldn’t be bathed more than once or twice a month (this can dry out their skin and damage their coat). If your dog likes the beach, for example, just give him a quick hosing off afterward. The most important thing to remember about dog grooming is that you are doing it for the dog, not yourself.