The Importance of Dog Grooming

November 17th, 2012

 The Importance of Dog Grooming 

By Sarah Stubbs 

Professional Dog Groomer 

Stubsdale Dog Care Center LTD. 

     Greetings Dog Lovers, It is your favorite dog groomer, Sarah here with a bit of information about why grooming your dog is important and necessary. Did you know that your dog’s appearance is not just important to you but to him or her as well? Dogs, like people, enjoy feeling clean. As with most people when you haven’t groomed yourself properly you feel some shame, well dogs do too! Dogs’ behavior can sometimes be directly related to how he or she is kept. If you do not wash your dog often enough or neglect to have their nails clipped you may notice ‘Fee-fee’ doing an excessive amount of barking, digging or jumping up on you and your guests.

    A comfortable pet is a happy pet, there are less itches to scratch, less stink to smell and less vet visits to make. While being clean and comfortable makes pets happy it keeps them healthy as well. The love we have for our dogs should not be dependent on their state, but there is no doubt that it is much easier to love a clean and healthy pet, which you can cuddle and hold. I applaud all dog owners who routinely bathe and brush their dogs as these are two of the most important and basic functions of grooming your dog. Bathing to rid your dog’s coat and skin of dirt and debris and brushing to help stimulate and evenly distribute the oils in the coat.

         Here are few good rules about brushing requirements:

 • Long-haired dogs usually require daily brushing to prevent matting and tangling of hair.

 • Medium-haired dogs may be prone to matting and tangles and should be brushed at least weekly.
 • Short-haired dogs can typically go up to a month in-between brushing.

     Don’t forget your dog’s oral health either. While it is best to allow your veterinarian to handle the deep intense cleaning, you can do a few preventative tasks at home to keep gingivitis and other gum diseases at a distance.
 • Use a hand tooth brush for dogs at least every other day with his or her favorite DOG toothpaste.
 • Offer dental chew toys to help eliminate tartar build-up.
• Offer hard food for meals, this also helps with tartar build-up.
• Be mindful of signs of trouble in the mouth, swollen gums, redness, cracked teeth, and discoloration. 

     Now let’s go over some of the basic parts of your dog’s anatomy and how it should be groomed. The ears should be cleaned with commercial dog ear cleaner. I do not recommend making your own solutions as sometimes the acidity levels maybe off and could potentially harm your dog and their hearing. Please only use cotton balls (no q-tips) and only clean what you can see!!

     The Nails!! Don’t forget to have them clipped or filed. This task is usually no fun for the dog or the person clipping the nails, it is your choice to either have it done professionally or to attempt to do it at home. Either way one thing is certain, dogs do not enjoy it! It is very rare as a groomer that I encounter a dog that is comfortable, willing and happy about having their nails clipped. With that being said I have yet to encounter a puppy parent who is willing to undergo such a feat either! Nail clipping should be left to the professionals, either your groomer or veterinarian. There is a large vein that runs in the middle of the nail called the ‘quick’. The quick is easy to see in dogs with white nails but it is invisible in dogs with black nails. If the quick is cut, it causes tremendous pain and discomfort and will traumatize the dog for their future nail cutting sessions.

  One alternative for those who want to save the hassle is purchasing a doggy nail file. My favorite is the Wahl Smartgroom Pet Nail Grinder. Remember nail cutting or filing should be done at least once a month for most breeds (more for those with rapid nail growth). Make sure to sterilize all of your doggy grooming tools before and after each use.
    Dog grooming is a basic element to every dog’s life no matter the breed. Some high maintenance breeds that need a little more tender loving care are: Shitzus, Poodles, Shitzi-poos, Schnauzers, Spaniels, Terriers, Pomeranians, Maltese, Pugs, Bischon Frise, Chihuahuas and any other toy breed. Anatomically this article is pretty basic when it comes to grooming; I could go on and on so please stay tuned for follow up articles about grooming other parts of your pooches’ body soon! And before I forget….. I really hope this isn’t offensive but it must be said!
 
     Please understand although we do offer dog grooming as a product of our company, this is really an informational essay. The purpose of this essay is to try to lessen the amount of times we as groomers and veterinarians for that matter have to encounter this…..

 WHAT THE HECK??? 

     Dog owners, if you say you love your dog, why do I see so many cases like the one in the photo? Unfortunately this is not an exaggeration! Okay please excuse me but I had to say it. To those who have dogs like this in their home or on their property right now please understand your poor dogs are suffering, uncomfortable, stinky and in pain. If this is your ‘baby’ I’d hate to be your enemy! Alright now that vent is out of my system. Thanks for reading…… 

~Sarah~ 

 465-1125 /448-1032 

     STUBSDALE@GMAIL.COM