The Dog Blog

Regardless of whether you’ve got the most easy-care dog on earth, she’ll nevertheless need some attention to be paid to her physical appearance every once in a while – and so it’s worth investing some time learning the best techniques for easy, stress-free grooming.

WHY SHOULD I BOTHER GROOMING MY DOG?

Not long ago, the average American’s method of canine grooming was fairly casual. Canines were seen as something that lived in the yard (typically in a dusty, hard-floored kennel), ate whatever was put in their bowls, and existed as a sometime-playmate for the household’s kids.

These days, we are more likely to care for our dogs much more, and see them more as members of the family than the Thing in the Backyard.

Ever since this rise in the estimation of our precious canine friends has become widespread, grooming has been increasingly regarded as an essential aspect of your dog’s regular health-care. It makes sure that any skin-care issues are lessened (because grooming distributes the natural skin-oils equally through the coat), and assists you in monitoring your dog’s overall condition – if you groom on a regular basis, you can’t help but notice the presence of any unusual lumps or bumps.

This kind of preventative action has saved many a canine’s life. Our dogs can’t tell us where it hurts, yet taking just a little bit of your time every so often to check them over ourselves can help to save a great deal of suffering in the future.

The trick is getting your dog to tolerate (and even enjoy!) the process …

THE INITIAL STEP IN THE GROOMING PROCESS

Something that quite a few dog owners lack experience in is how to wash their canines. Dry-grooming (brushing and ‘buffing’ the coat) appears to present little problem for the majority of people; the rot has a tendency to set in when water is brought in to the mix.

Almost all dogs have a strong dislike of getting bathed, and oftentimes will become utterly panic-stricken once the bath tub comes out.

This article is going to deal with the fundamentals of how to wash your pet in a way that will keep you both tranquil and happy.

PREPARING YOUR PET DOG FOR GROOMING

For a start, the most critical thing that you can do would be to accustom your pet to the grooming process. Now, beginning this in puppyhood is the perfect way to address the situation, but of course not all of us have this luxury; if you’ve got an adult dog, you will probably have to go a little slower, but you should still begin getting her used to being touched and handled all over as soon as you can.

When your pup or dog gets used to the feeling of being rubbed and handled, she’ll bit by bit come to enjoy it. Dogs are social animals by instinct, and physical affection and contact is a huge part of their lives – it should not take very long before she begins to have confidence in you, and allows herself to get some enjoyment from your touching.

All you have to do is start rubbing her slowly all over. Fondle her ears, touch her cheeks and neck, rub her back and belly, pick up her paws and – if she’ll let you – give each one a gentle squeeze (treating and praising her every time she lets you do this, since paw touching is usually a fairly big deal for the majority of dogs). If she has a tail, rub it between your fingers; get her to roll over on her back so that you can rub and stroke her belly and hocks.

This might not appear to be such a big deal, but it’s actually a really essential part of the grooming process: the more your pet enjoys it, the less traumatic the entire event will be for both of you, and therefore the more regularly you’re likely to groom her – which improves the health benefits for her.

THE BEST WAY TO WASH YOUR DOG

Bathing always comes ahead of dry-grooming, as it makes brushing and trimming faster and easier as well as a lot more effective (there is very little point in brushing a tangled, filthy coat!)

You will require some basic tools: a tub, a non-slip mat, a plastic jug, some warm water, a small sponge, and some dog shampoo (not human shampoo: the pH is all wrong for dogs, and will give her dry as well as flaky skin.)

Stand her in the bathtub, on the non-slip mat. If she’s a large or unruly puppy, you may choose to wash her outside to decrease mess – either that, or you can restrain her by tying one end of a light nylon leash to her collar, and the other end to the tap.

Pour jugs of warm water all over her until she’s good and wet. This breaks down the grease in her fur, and guarantees a thorough shampooing.

Mix a little shampoo with another container of warm water, and rub it completely into your dog’s fur. Start out with her back and rub it into a good lather (but do not be too harsh!)

Now you can proceed to her head and face. Use caution here – dogs’ eyes are sensitive too, and if you get any water in her ears, she’ll most likely get an ear infection. (You can plug her ears with a small twist of cotton wool to help stop this from occurring, if you’d prefer.)

Remember to clean under her tail before you wash her off – dip the sponge into the shampoo mixture to do this properly.

Now it’s time to rinse: using the container and some clean, warm, shampoo-free water, very carefully tip it all over her and use your fingers to help disperse the lather from her coat. Rinse her off thoroughly no less than twice, because any residue that remains will aggravate her skin.

Next you must dry her off: if she has got short fur, you can use a towel (an old one will do just fine, even though large canines normally have to have two); for dogs with longer fur, give her a gentle toweling-off to start with, and then use a hair dryer to get rid of the last dampness. Make sure that it’s set on low heat, and hold it a long way away from your pet’s fur to prevent burning either the skin or the fur.

REMAIN RELAXED

Remember that nearly all canines have an inherent dislike of being bathed, which often can trigger anxiety as well as outright panic.

Your puppy takes a lot of her psychological cues from you, so make sure you behave like a good role model for the occasion. Reassure your pet often, always keeping your voice well-modulated, low, and even; keep your movements slow and deliberate; praise her lavishly for very good behavior, and give her some treats during the entire process to help it become more pleasant for her.

The more she relishes the process, the easier it will be for you!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Grooming your puppy is only one small element of maintaining general health and happiness. For a complete, encyclopedic survival guide to all aspects of dog health, from preventative care to choosing a vet to doggy First Aid (even the canine Heimlich maneuver!), you must have a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

A survival guide for informed, effective, and life-saving dog care, this manual maintains your pet’s health and well-being firmly within your control – which is just where you want it to be.

In order to be the best and most responsible owner you can be, check out The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.

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