Did you know that your dogs fur helps to keep them cool by trapping cool air near the surface of the skin in warm weather and hot air close to the skin in cooler weather!
If a dogs coat isn’t maintained it will lose this ability.
Issue No. 2 Custdog Website Exclusive
Pamper session
Looking after your dogs coat requires the right tools
Grooming is the best way to keep on top of your dogs coat and to ensure your dogs skin is able work as it should. Depending on the type of fur, if any, your dog has it requires different maintenance. Hairless breeds require moisturise, checking the skin for spots and combing through fur on feet, tail and head. Short haired breeds require help with malting and the shedding of their fur using brushes. Medium haired and long haired dogs again need help with malting but the tools are slightly different again!
Dogs, in general, malt twice a year. The first is near spring when they shed their winter coat and the second is autumn when they shed their summer coat and grow a thicker winter coat.
If a dog can’t shed its coat effectively, poodles for example, they need to be clipped in order to keep the skin underneath healthy and able to breathe or have the coat exceptionally well maintained and free of matting.
Did you know that your dogs fur helps to keep them cool by trapping cool air near the surface of the skin in warm weather and hot air close to the skin in cooler weather! If a dogs coat isn’t maintained it will lose this ability.
So, as a professional dog groomer, it is recommended that short coated breeds like Labrador, Rottweiler, are bathed at least 2/3 times a year to help with the shedding of the coat and to maintain cleanliness of the skin underneath. Longer haired breeds, golden retriever, border collie may need bathing 4/6 times a year to keep on top of coat and malts and matting. Poodles, poodle cross breeds, shih tzus, Bichon Frise all need to be in the groomers every 6/8 weeks. Then their are dogs like the Afghan Hound and Puli these have different maintenance all together and require very specific knowledge. What you should have in your grooming kit at home is a coat specific brush. Be it a rubber mit for short coated breeds, an undercoat rake and comb for medium coated breeds and matt breakers and curry comb for long haired breeds. Nail clippers or nail file to keep on top of those nails and a good shampoo suited to their coat type.
Nails are often something owners are afraid of doing at home but it is a very important part of keeping your dog healthy. Nails keep growing and are only worn down by the walks your dogs do, if your dog doesn’t walk on hard ground, pavemen, concrete then these nails won’t reduce in length. These can then start to push back into the dogs foot as the walk and even curl around and grow back into a dogs pad. Nails should be clipped every 2/3 months.
Getting your dog used to being brushed
Start young and do little and often. I have found it is easier to have a dog distracted when you need to brush, so give them their dinner then start brushing. This then associates the brush with a positive and will become a nice thing for them.
Lots of dogs don’t like having their feet touched so it is very important to play with the dogs feet to avoid them becoming tetchy. If you need regular grooming book them in for puppy grooms around 6months old to have them get used to grooming.
CARE YOUR DOG.
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