What are the most important dog grooming tips?
1. Start grooming your puppy NOW! You will save yourself a world of struggling to get your dog to sit still if you teach your puppy now, that grooming is a fun, loving, relaxing experience.
2. Don’t bathe your dog too often. Only once every month or two is necessary. Over washing can lead to dry, irritated skin and strip essential oils from your dog’s skin.
3. Brush your dog daily when shedding to remove the dead hair. You only need to brush your dog once a week when not shedding. This is a great dog grooming tip for both long and short hair dogs.
4. Clip your dog’s claws about every two weeks. Be very careful not to clip the pink part of the claw – this is extremely painful for a dog.
5. Use a spray-on conditioner to help keep your dog’s coat glossy and shiny. Combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of Mane & Tail Conditioner (or similar type of dog or horse conditioner) and enough water to fill a ½ gallon spray bottle. Shake the spray bottle up each time you use it! You can use the conditioner every time you brush your dog.
6. Only brush your dog’s fur when it’s after spraying with the spray-on conditioner. Dry fur is weaker and can break more easily.
7. NEVER, under any circumstances use a scissor to mats behind the ears on your dog! It is extremely easy to cut the skin. Use a fine/medium tooth comb, and take your time.
8. When grooming, check your dog’s skin for anything out of the ordinary, such as hotspots. Hotspots are moist areas that can appear when your dog continually chews on a particular spot. Hotspots can be caused by flea bites, or not rinsing well enough when bathing, and can also occur under hair mats.
9. Remove mats from you dog’s fur before bathing. Bathing will tighten any mats, making them and make them nearly impossible to remove. This dog grooming tip can save you and your dog a lot of hassle.
10. Most dogs like Collies lose their coat each summer – even indoor dogs. Shedding is a response to changes in light levels, rather than changes in temperature. This dog grooming tip explains when even indoor dogs shed in the summer!
11. Special Bonus Dog Grooming Tip! Brush your dog once a week. If you wait longer, you risk spending more time working out mats that will appear!
Do you have a great dog grooming tip? Leave a comment, below.