Keeping Your Pooch Happy and Healthy with Regular Dog Grooming
Dog grooming is an important task that you will need to master quickly. Not only is it fair to your pet, but it will keep your home and family hygienic and free from germs and allergies. Loveable as dogs are, they have the propensity to get dirty quite easily. While you don’t have to bathe your dog as regularly as you do, a weekly bath might be in order. The key is to work out a routine and stick to it.
Happy, healthy and well groomed Border Collie
With patience, you can get your dog to enjoy taking a bath. The trick is to get him used to it slowly. If he is an outdoor dog, walk with him around the house so that he does not associate this with bathing. Sit with him in the bathroom with the door closed and keep him occupied by playing with him. At some point, you should leave him there without making too much of a fuss about it. After you have repeated this process for a number of times, you are ready to place him into the bath (without water). As he starts to relax, reward him with a treat and heaps of praise. After doing this a number of times, you can add water to bathe with him in it.
Not only, is brushing therapeutic for your dog, it also gets rid of dead hair. Brush thoroughly so that you brush all of the hair. If your canine has long hair, brush it in sections much like you would brush a girl with long hair. You can spray the hair lightly with mist to promote smooth brushing and to prevent the hair from breaking.
Dogs usually enjoy this so it presents an opportunity for the two of you to bond. If your pooch has long hair, he will need a daily brush. Dogs with medium-length hair can be brushed every week, and dogs with short hair need a good brush about once a month.
Never shave his coat off as it is there for a reason. It keeps him safe from heat and cold. Your dog is not designed to get sunburn, hence the coat. You can give him a haircut with a clipper and comb attached to it. He will look neat and tidy and still be protected at the same time.
Be patient while trying to get your dog to let you clean his teeth. Use your finger initially as a toothbrush so that he gets used to having something under his gums. Do this in short spurts initially until he gets used to the action. Thereafter, you can spend more time cleaning his teeth.
Ear cleaning is also a must. It prevents bacteria and yeast build up which can cause ear infection or other ear diseases. There are many types of commercially available ear cleaning solutions in the market. Unless your dog has got a chronic ear problem and needs special care, simply choose one that is easy on your pocket and follow the instructions provided on the label. Never use small cotton buds to try to clean your dog’s ears as they sometimes dislodge inside the ear and may require surgery to get them removed.
Lastly, if your dog has got any skin conditions, ear infection or body sores etc, do consult a vet first before attempting to groom your dog. Your vet will be able to advice you on how best to care for such dogs and also what grooming products are most suitable.
The above grooming tips are brought to you by Dog Training Singapore a provider of top quality dog obedience training services.
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