Five Tips for Grooming Your Dog

by Craig Elliott

Puppies and adult dogs are huge responsibilities that you should not take lightly. Many people adopt pets to have a loving companion, but few actually do their homework to find out how much work caring for a pet can actually be. In addition to providing playtime and exercise, feeding your dog, and caring for the dog's health, you must also groom your dog. Grooming is crucial to keep your dog happy and healthy. Here are the top five grooming tips that you need to know to provide the best care for your dog.

1. Care for your dog's teeth. Just like humans, dogs can get cavities and develop other tooth problems if you don't thoroughly care for his or her mouth health. Your vet should check and clean your pet's teeth annually when checking the rest of his or her health, but you should also do some of this grooming work at home. You can purchase special pet toothpaste at your local pet supply store, where you should also be able to find pet toothbrushes. You can also use one of your own old toothbrushes, as long as the bristles are soft and the head of the toothbrush is not too bid for the dog's mouth. Pets won't like the taste of regular toothpaste, so they'll resist if you try to use that, but the special pet version should taste good to your dog.

2. Brush your pet every day. Even short-haired dogs need constant grooming, so from the time he or she is a puppy, you should brush his or her coat daily. Use a special brush made for pets so that it doesn't pull out the hair or gets it tangled, and set aside ten to twenty minutes every night for daily grooming. Brushing your dog's coat helps to keep it neat and shiny by removing dirt. In addition, this also prevents more serious problems like skin infections and ticks. If your dog isn't used to the constant grooming, start slowly, letting him or her sniff the brush and giving treats. Soon, you dog should learn to enjoy being brushed.

3. Once a month, clip your pet's nails. Both dogs and cats should have their nails clipped regularly, but this is crucial with dogs especially because they cannot retract their nails like cats can. At your pet supply store or through your vet, you can buy special nail clippers that are made in different sizes to accommodate your pet. Take care not to clip back the nails too far or they will bleed and could become infected. The best way to do this is with a lot of treats and, if you have a larger dog, with the help of a friend. If your dog has clear nails, clipping them will be easy - simply look for the quick, which contains the blood vessels and nerves and cut below that. The snapping sound may frighten your dog, so cut quickly. If you dog has black nails, you may not be able to see where to make your cuts. In this case, cut at the point where the nail begins to curve. You may want to purchase blotting powder to keep on hand just in case you accidentally cut it back too far, and if you've never done this before, ask your vet to show you how.

4. Make bath time fun! Although most dogs don't mind the water, some may not want to take a bath. However, if you make bath time a fun experience, they should actually look forward to it! Bathe your dog about once every month, or more often if needed. Start my brushing his or her coat to remove loose dirt and hair, and the run a lukewarm, shallow bath. Place an old towel on the bottom of the tub to give your pet secure footing, and gently wash him or her with the warm water, being careful to keep it away from your dog's face. Follow this step with shampoo, making sure to hit all of the hard-to-reach areas, and rinse again. Because pets rely on their coat for proper body temperature, use a hair drying and towels to completely dry your furry friend when you're done.

5. Save the doggie clothing for dogs that enjoy it. Some dogs love being dressed in little sweaters, funny costumers, and even hats. However, keep in mind that this isn't for every dog. When grooming, let your dog choose if he or she wants to be dressed up (unless, of course, your dog needs the extra layer of warmth for health reasons). If your dog resists the clothing, he or she may bite at it or otherwise try to get it off, which could be dangerous. So, don't use pet clothing unless your dog enjoys it!

About the author
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics concerning pet care such as Pet Medicine