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Grooming Your Golden Retriever

Grooming your Golden Retriever is a never ending process.  The entire process should be down once or twice a week, and will take you around a ½ an hour of time.  Brushing your dog while he is shedding will help to control shedding quite a bit.  While outside, if your Golden Retriever manages to get burs or other defects in his hair, you should instantly take a few moments of your time and get the burs or other matter out of his coat.

When you groom your pet, you should always start with a good brushing.  Brush his entire body, then once you have finished brushing you can switch to a comb to get out any loose hair that remains in the coat.  While you are getting out the hair, you can also inspect your pet for ticks, fleas, and other types of skin ailments.  If you wish, you can also check his ears and trim his nails as well.

Bathing your Golden is essential to grooming, and can be somewhat complicated.  Before you attempt to give him a bath, you should always brush him first, to get rid of tangles.  During shampooing, you should always use shampoos that are specifically for dogs, since human shampoo can dry a dog’s skin out.  You don’t need to bathe your dog often, once every other week is good enough.  If you properly maintain your Golden’s coat, you’ll find it’s much easier to clean.

To prevent matting, which is very common with Golden Retrievers, you should always make sure that you brush your pet on a daily basis.  Metal combs and brushes work extremely well, and will help you to get a great deal of the hair out.  Although some people choose to use scissors and cut the mats, you can easily injure your Golden if he happens to move or jerk.  Scissors aren’t recommended, as brushing and proper bathing will help to prevent matting of the hair better than anything else.

When you cut your dogs nails, you should trim them a great deal, all the while avoiding going down into the quick.  You should never let your Golden’s nails get too long, as long nails can easily take the shape of the dog’s foot, resulting in a splay.  Therefore, you should always check your Golden Retriever’s nails and trim them every few weeks.  If you trim them just right, you’ll have at least 2 weeks before they need to be trimmed again.  If you do happen to trim the nails past the quick, bleeding will occur.  To stop the bleeding, always keep some styptic powder on hand to make sure that you are prepared if you do make a mistake.

With other types of grooming, you should also make sure that you clean your Golden’s ears as well.  They can get ear infections quite easily, if you don’t clean their ears on a regular basis.  To get the best results and protect your pet from ear infections, you should clean his ears once a week using a quality cleansing solution.  This way, you can rest assured that your Golden has healthy ears.

Grooming is an essential aspect to the health of every Golden Retriever.  All it takes is a little bit of time from your day to groom your pet and keep him healthy.  If you don’t have the time to groom your Golden, you can always take him to a professional.  Whether you do it yourself or take your Golden to a pro – grooming is something that simply must be done.

Grooming Your Golden Retriever
courtesy Dog Articles.

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How To Do Doggy Pedicures

Are you comfortable with bathing and grooming your dog, but are concerned about nail trimming? Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as hard as it seems to get your dog’s nails down to a good length.

The first thing to ease your worries and give you a good idea of how to trim your pet’s nails would be to watch someone who is experienced in pet nail trimming. A friend, a groomer or your vet won’t have a problem letting you watch and maybe even giving you some beginner tips.

Some dogs may never need their nails clipped. Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors wearing them down should have them relatively short already, or your animal’s nails may just flake away at the ends without you even knowing. Some breeds, however, do need their nails kept short- a couple examples would be Dachshunds or Basset Hounds.

Remember, accidents happen and there may be a time you will cut a nail too short. If this happens, it may begin to bleed so be prepared, but don’t be startled if it happens.

The first step to trimming your dog’s nails would be to purchase a good nail trimmer. You can ask your vet or someone in your local pet supply store which they recommend. The trimmers that have two pieces you squeeze together in your hand and a small blade that cuts the nail are the type that you want to get.

Start from underneath, not from the top downward. Slide the opening of the trimmer over the nail, but be sure to remain on the whitish area of the dog’s toenail. The pink area of the nail has blood vessels running through it and if you cut it that far, the nail will bleed.

Some dogs have very dark toenails where you won’t be able to see where the live part begins or where the white part ends. In this case, trim a little from the bottom of the nail at the time, checking the end of it as you go. The dead part will be white and as you get close to the live part of the nail, it will get dark.

When you are ready to trim, make a quick, easy squeeze on the handle of the trimmer. The end of the nail will fall of itself, you don’t have to pull it off. If you like, you can file down the ends of the nail, but taking your dog for a walk on the sidewalk or street will file them just as easily.

If you do cut the nail too short and it starts to bleed, hold a piece of tissue against it with some pressure for a few minutes. Another good idea is to keep some cornstarch or flour handy when you trim your dog’s nails and to put some of this against the bleeding nail. If your dog’s nail continues to bleed longer than a few minutes or if it looks like he is losing a lot of blood, call your vet.

Nail trimming really is not as scary as it seems. You can do a little bit at a time or all at once every week, but just remember that you are not harming the dog and that it needs to be done.

How To Do Doggy Pedicures courtesy of Dog Articles.

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Who’s A Canine Good Citizen?

The Canine Good Citizen program is an American Kennel Club program open to all dogs, mixed breed and purebred.  Its purpose is to reward dogs and their owners who can show that they have good manners both in the community and at home.  It fundamentally stresses responsible dog ownership and good social skills.  Dogs who take part in the program go through a 10-part test and, if they pass, receive a certificate from the AKC and the CGC title.

The Canine Good Citizen program is often the first step for an owner and their dog in obedience training.  They may go on to participate in obedience competitions, agility or rally events.  However, many people earn the CGC title just to prove that their dogs have basic obedience skills.  The CGC title is often accepted as proof by landlords and others that a dog has basic obedience skills.  Forty-two state legislatures have already passed resolutions endorsing the Canine Good Citizen program at the state level.

Before taking the CGC test (sometimes at a dog show or other AKC event, sometimes at a dog training center with a certified tester), an owner will sign a Responsible Dog Owners Pledge.  After that, he/she and their dog will go through the 10-step test:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
This test shows that the dog will allow a friendly stranger to approach and greet the handler.  The evaluator comes up to the owner and speaks to him/her while ignoring the dog.

Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
In this test the dog should allow a friendly stranger to touch him while he’s out with his owner.  The owner may talk to the dog throughout the test.

Test 3: Appearance and grooming
In this test the dog should welcome being groomed and examined.  He should allow someone, such as a vet, groomer or friendly stranger to go over him.  The evaluator will look over the dog to see that he/she is clean and groomed.  The dog should appear to be in good condition.  The evaluator then combs or brushes the dog, checks the ears and picks up the front paws.  This simulates a vet exam — dogs should be well-behaved during vet exams.

Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)

This test shows that the owner is in control of the dog on a loose leash.  The dog may walk on either side of the owner.  The dog should appear to be attentive and responsive to the owner’s changes of direction.  There are several turns on a course in this test.  The owner can talk to the dog, praise the dog, and give commands.

Test 5: Walking through a crowd
The test shows that the dog can move calmly and politely in foot traffic and be controlled in public places.  The dog and owner walk around and pass close to several people.  There should be no over-excitement, shyness or resentment.

Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
This test shows the dog’s training and that he will respond to his owner’s commands to sit and lie down.  He should also remain in the place commanded by his owner.  The leash is replaced with a 20-foot line during this test.

Test 7: Coming when called
During this test the owner walks 10 feet from the dog, faces the dog and calls.

Test 8: Reaction to another dog
This test shows that the dog can behave well around other dogs.

Test 9: Reaction to distraction
During this test the evaluator chooses two distractions.  These can be dropping a chair, having a jogger go by, dropping a cane, etc.  The dog should not show any panic or try to run away or otherwise misbehave.

Test 10: Supervised separation
This final test shows that the dog can be left with someone and still maintain his good manners.  The owner is out of sight for three minutes.  The dog shouldn’t bark the whole time, whine or show more than mild agitation.

All of the exercises are performed on leash.  Your dog should wear a buckle or slip collar.  Leather, fabric or chain collars are fine.  You should bring your dog’s comb or brush with you to the test.

Kennel clubs and dog training centers offer classes for the Canine Good Citizen test but it is possible to pass the test without taking any classes.  You can prepare for it with your dog at home.

The Canine Good Citizen test is a good test for dogs and their owners.  It’s good for your dog to learn some basic manners and for you to work with your dog on simple obedience lessons.  These lessons will come in handy again and again for your dog and make him a more desirable dog in the community.

Who’s A Canine Good Citizen courtesy Dog Articles.

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Dog Assisted Therapy

Many people are familiar with the idea of pet therapy, or “animal assisted activities.”  Less familiar is the practice of “Animal Assisted Therapy.”  Animal assisted activities generally refer to pet visits in hospitals and residential care facilities, while Animal Assisted Therapy is a much more focused use of a pet to help in the treatment program of a particular patient.

Animal Assisted Therapy usually has specific and measurable objectives.  It’s part of a carefully designed treatment program that matches one animal to one patient.  A “therapy dog” and his trained handler work with a medical professional to help a patient who may have a severe mental and/or physical disability.  The patient is encouraged to interact with the therapy dog.  This interaction is increased gradually.  In the beginning the patient may only observe the dog or be encouraged to touch him.  Later the patient may be confident enough to brush the dog or put the dog’s collar on, or even to walk the dog.  The medical professionals will maintain progress records during treatment.

Dogs are ideal participants in this Animal Assisted Therapy.  They are nonjudgmental, they do not pressure the patient, and they are very patient.  They are also very empathetic.  The patient can also feel useful by grooming and walking the dog, which can be an important part of patient recovery.  Therapeutic interactions between dogs and patients have been shown to exist in studies.

Animal assisted activities, or pet visits with therapy dogs, are less formal in nature.  Their benefits may vary depending on the needs and conditions of the patients participating.  There is no formal treatment plan or schedule involved and they generally are not set up for one-to-one visits between patient and pet.  These visits usually take place in hospital settings or assisted living homes or in nursing homes.  They change the routine of the residents and cheer people up.  These visits can be very beneficial, however, appealing to people who may have shut themselves off from others.  Pets can stir emotions that people may not have acknowledged.  There are examples of patients who have not spoken in over a year who have begun speaking to visiting dogs.

Many institutions are continuing the idea of pet therapy with a “resident pet.”  A resident pet is a cat or dog that becomes a permanent resident of a facility and has free run of the place.  Each resident has an owner’s interest in the animal and can look forward to assisting in the animal’s care.  In some places a full course of therapy has been built around the care and feeding of the resident pet, giving residents something to look forward to.  Residents meet to discuss the animal’s care and other matters relating to the animal.  They may develop their own charts and schedules to take care of him or her.  Of course the staff must watch out to avoid problems of jealousy over the pet and caring for him.

Characteristics that make for a good therapy dog are more about temperament than training.  Of course such dogs do require basic obedience training, but personality plays a crucial role in determining which dogs will succeed as animal assistance dogs.  Patients, residents and even staff will react to the dogs in these programs in varying ways.  Some people will be outgoing and show emotion; others will be quite shy.  The dogs must be able to respond to a variety of emotions and remain calm.  They must have stable temperaments, even if patients lunge to grab them or make loud noises.  Dogs may also need to accept various medical equipment and hospital noises in some cases.  When considering a dog for these circumstances you would discount dogs that are nervous or high strung or one that doesn’t like to socialize.

Many studies have shown the benefits and importance of pet therapy.  Pets have been helpful with AIDS patients, cancer patients, the elderly and the mentally ill.  One study has even determined that petting a dog can lower blood pressure.  Another study found that pets can help reduce stress-related illnesses.  According to a study at City Hospital in New York, heart patients who owned pets lived longer than those who had no pets.  In fact, owning a pet was even more significant to long term survival than whether a person had a spouse or friends.  That’s rather amazing.  Pets can make a remarkable difference in our lives.

Dog Assisted Therapy courtesy Dog Articles.

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Grooming Your Golden Retriever

Grooming your Golden Retriever is a never ending process.  The entire process should be down once or twice a week, and will take you around a ½ an hour of time.  Brushing your dog while he is shedding will help to control shedding quite a bit.  While outside, if your Golden Retriever manages to get burs or other defects in his hair, you should instantly take a few moments of your time and get the burs or other matter out of his coat.

When you groom your pet, you should always start with a good brushing.  Brush his entire body, then once you have finished brushing you can switch to a comb to get out any loose hair that remains in the coat.  While you are getting out the hair, you can also inspect your pet for ticks, fleas, and other types of skin ailments.  If you wish, you can also check his ears and trim his nails as well.

Bathing your Golden is essential to grooming, and can be somewhat complicated.  Before you attempt to give him a bath, you should always brush him first, to get rid of tangles.  During shampooing, you should always use shampoos that are specifically for dogs, since human shampoo can dry a dog’s skin out.  You don’t need to bathe your dog often, once every other week is good enough.  If you properly maintain your Golden’s coat, you’ll find it’s much easier to clean.

To prevent matting, which is very common with Golden Retrievers, you should always make sure that you brush your pet on a daily basis.  Metal combs and brushes work extremely well, and will help you to get a great deal of the hair out.  Although some people choose to use scissors and cut the mats, you can easily injure your Golden if he happens to move or jerk.  Scissors aren’t recommended, as brushing and proper bathing will help to prevent matting of the hair better than anything else.

When you cut your dogs nails, you should trim them a great deal, all the while avoiding going down into the quick.  You should never let your Golden’s nails get too long, as long nails can easily take the shape of the dog’s foot, resulting in a splay.  Therefore, you should always check your Golden Retriever’s nails and trim them every few weeks.  If you trim them just right, you’ll have at least 2 weeks before they need to be trimmed again.  If you do happen to trim the nails past the quick, bleeding will occur.  To stop the bleeding, always keep some styptic powder on hand to make sure that you are prepared if you do make a mistake.

With other types of grooming, you should also make sure that you clean your Golden’s ears as well.  They can get ear infections quite easily, if you don’t clean their ears on a regular basis.  To get the best results and protect your pet from ear infections, you should clean his ears once a week using a quality cleansing solution.  This way, you can rest assured that your Golden has healthy ears.

Grooming is an essential aspect to the health of every Golden Retriever.  All it takes is a little bit of time from your day to groom your pet and keep him healthy.  If you don’t have the time to groom your Golden, you can always take him to a professional.  Whether you do it yourself or take your Golden to a pro – grooming is something that simply must be done.

Grooming Your Golden Retriever courtesy Dog Articles.

Looking for a great gift idea? Who wouldn’t love a cute tote showcasing their favorite breed? Check out all of the great doggie gift ideas on Amazon.com –doggieoftheday@amazon.com

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Do I Need a Professional Handler To Show My Dog?

The American Kennel Club offers about 15,000 dog events each year in the United States.  Approximately half of those events are conformation events, or the kind of dog shows that you see televised, such as the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  All “intact” AKC-registered purebred dogs are eligible to be shown at these AKC-sanctioned dog shows.  (Intact means that the dog is not spayed or neutered).  Dog shows evaluate dogs for potential breeding purposes so it would defeat the purposes of the dog show to have the dogs spayed or neutered.)  There are AKC member kennel clubs throughout the country which put together dog shows.  Chances are that there is a show near you once or twice a year.

If you have an AKC-registered purebred dog and you are interested in showing your dog at dog shows, do you need a professional handler to show it for you?  That all depends.  There are some good reasons to use a professional handler but it is by no means a requirement.  Many owners do show their own dogs and win, but it takes a lot of hard work and practice.

Reasons to use a professional handler:

1.  You would like to have your dog evaluated by an objective observer.  AKC registration guarantees you that your dog is a purebred but it does not guarantee you that your dog is “show quality.”  Not every dog born is capable of being a Best in Show winner or even of becoming a show champion.  A professional handler who is familiar with your breed can look at your dog and evaluate his conformation.  He or she can tell you if you would be wasting your money by trying to show this particular dog.  Most handlers are honest enough to tell you the truth.  They are not lacking for clients and they don’t want to handle dogs that will make them look bad in the show ring.  If you do have a dog that they think they can win with, they will tell you that, too.  If they don’t see show ring potential in your dog they may have connections with other breeders who have litters with show potential puppies.

2.  If you do have a good dog you may not have the grooming skills necessary to make him look his best.  This can be particularly true if you have a longhaired breed or a breed that requires specialized grooming, such as a Poodle.  A good handler can take a good dog and make him look great.

3.  You may be new to showing and still learning.  A good handler can be very instructive and you can learn from him or her as they show your dog.  Or, you can ask for some private lessons from a handler, either with handling or with grooming.

4.  You may be a good enough handler to show your dog in small shows or to put points on them to finish their championship but your dog is better than you are.  If you have a great dog you may want to use a handler to help your dog go as far as he can go.  You can use a handler to show your dog at big shows, where the competition is especially tough.  You can earn the small wins but with a handler your dog could have a shot at Group wins or even Best in Show.

Of course, there are plenty of owners who develop their skills and compete against professional handlers.  You can attend handling classes offered by local kennel clubs or, as mentioned, you can pay for lessons from a professional handler or ask for handling tips from other exhibitors.  There are also some good books and videos available about handling, as well as some good seminars offered by former handlers.

The key to success is to pay attention to even the smallest detail of your dog’s appearance and to practice everything you will do in the ring until you can do everything smoothly.  It’s an adage that good handlers do not draw attention to themselves.  Everything they do puts the focus on the dog and accentuates his good qualities.

Remember that whether your dog wins or loses, whether a handler thinks he’s show material or not, he is still the same wonderful dog he always was.  Shows are only a small part of your life or your dog’s life.  If you decide that shows aren’t for you there are many other fun things that you and your dog can do together.

Do I Need a Professional Handler To Show My Dog courtesy of Dog Articles.

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What Should I Do With My Dogs Matted Coat?

Humans have daily personal hygiene rituals. We wake up and brush our teeth, wash our face, shower. We shampoo, condition, brush and style our hair daily. We have far less hair than a dog does and we spend a significant amount of time on it. Imagine if you had hair all over your body and imagine if it got knotted and matted and tangled. How happy would you be? Not very, right?

It’s not hard to understand why a dog would be unhappy with matted hair. New arrivals at dog shelters are often covered in tangles and sometimes even family pets are as well. Some owners aren’t very conscientious about their pet’s grooming needs. Don’t be one of those owners.

Tangled hair is an excellent spot for parasites such as fleas, ticks and mites to thrive. Dandruff can build up in the coat and a dog can develop a nasty smell from a coat not well taken care of.

Obviously, having an ungroomed coat isn’t comfortable for the dog, nor is it healthy, but what’s the best way to take care of it?

– Check out the extent of the problem. How far into the hair is the knotting? Is it all the way to the roots? Is it in small isolated clumps or all over? Is it dirty too or just tangled?

– If the problem is really extreme, your best solution may just be to shave the animal and allow new hair to grow. (Be sure when hair does grow back to take good care of it, wash it and brush it regularly to prevent this problem from happening again.)

– If the matting is just near the ends of the hair and not all over, the problem isn’t quite so bad. Get the animal to lay down on a table or where you can work on him. Get a small pair of trimming scissors and a large pair. Use the large pair of scissors to cut out big knots and mats on the animal’s body. When you’re finished with that, use the small pair of scissors to work on the delicate areas of the dog: the face, the paws and the ears.

– Use a dog brush to brush the rest of the dogs coat out to get rid of any small tangles.

– Be sure to check for parasite infestations and treat them if applicable.

Sometimes, a big problem with animals’ coats matting is just being generally dirty. Having a dirty coat can cause a lot of tangles. After sniping out large tangles from the dog’s coat, wash him thoroughly with some dog shampoo and conditioner.

Preventative measures are the best way to battle a matted coat. Be sure to bathe your dog often, use preventative flea/tick medicine if necessary and to brush him when you can. Take care of your dog’s coat like you would take care of your hair (minus that styling part) and your dog will appreciate it greatly.

What Should I Do With My Dogs Matted Coat courtesy Dog Articles.

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First steps in grooming

Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears.  The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more. The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.

Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs.  Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush.  This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.

Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.

Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.

Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dog’s feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.

First steps in grooming courtesy of Dog Articles.

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Dog Maintenance

For anyone who’s considering getting a dog, please do your research first. Consider the care and maintenance involved in the breed you are wanting and whether or not you are able, willing to keep up with care for, train, seek medical attention for, grooming of and training of that breed. If you cannot or will not be able to meet the needs of the dog, perhaps another more maintenance free pet would be more suited for you, ie, a goldfish or a pet rock. The goldfish, you only need to throw food at and change the tank once in a while, the pet rock you only need to talk to.

Try this: pinch two pieces of skin close to one another on your neck, now take those pieces of skin and pull them tight together. How does that feel? Now imagine walking around with your skin pulled tight like that. That’s what a matt does and feels like to a dog, sometimes multiplied several times. This doesn’t allow the skin to breathe and can cause rashes and even tear the skin. If you already have a dog that needs grooming, brush it regularly. If it’s a coat that becomes matted, this will keep most of the matts away. If it becomes too matted, don’t try to cut them out yourself unless you know how to do it right.

Take it to a groomer and not after you’ve been attempting to groom it yourself. Ever let your hair go nearly a year before washing or brushing it and then spend six hours trying to detangle the mess without trimming out the tangles. That’s what happens to a long haired dog that’s not maintained and it doesn’t feel any better (probably worse) to the dog who has a groomer tugging and pulling at mats that an owner doesn’t want, to have a haircut. Now try this: Pound nails into your shoe so that they stick up into your foot, then walk around on them. Not comfortable? That’s how it feels to a dog that has toenails curled around and digging into the pads of their feet. Their toes will also become splayed apart and they will get painful joint problems throughout their legs. Ever get fleas in your hair? Now imagine yourself covered from head to toe with fleas biting at you.

Does it sound pleasant? It’s not to a dog either, in fact it causes rashes, sores and infections and disease. Have you ever seen a child who’s who was deemed unmanageable and has been bounced from one foster home to another because? That’s what it’s like for the dog that doesn’t get proper training and the owner gives him up and then he may see another couple of homes in their life or get euthanized in a shelter because he got out of hand. That holds true not only for the large breed, but also the small one. Misbehavior is not cute. People need a limited and balanced diet and exercise, so does an overweight dog.

Feeding an overweight dog table scraps and junk food, is stealing away part of that dogs’ life. It really does shorten their life, as they need care just like you or I do. Have you seen a child who is so scared and shy that they want to always hide or can’t get along with other children? Usually they haven’t been away from mom and dad or don’t have friends to play with and they may have issues later on. Having a dog and never allowing it the opportunity to look at, see or play with another dog or getting it out around other people from the time it is young is depriving it of much needed socialization. That dog will likely have either fearful or aggressive issues.

In my profession as a dog resort owner and dog groomer, these are just examples of situations I’ve encountered, from dogs in dire need of care from owners being too busy, not thinking about it, work and chasing their kids around. While these may be legit excuses, please keep in mind that your dog may be enduring daily suffering because of it. If you love your dog, the best way to show it is by helping him to live a long, happy and healthy life and he in turn will be your best friend for the duration of his life.

Dog Maintenance courtesy of Dog Articles.

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7 Reasons To Get Better At Dog Grooming

Grooming your dog is an essential part of dog ownership.  Many people are familiar with the basics such as removing tangles and shampooing for a great, clean shine.  It’s worth looking further into the world of dog grooming because there are many benefits you may not have considered before.

The first thing to realize is that grooming is not just for improving the look of your dog’s coat.  There are also many health benefits if you groom regularly.  You’ll want to start right away because:

1. Grooming will take away dead hair and skin.  This will not only remove an unsightly and unwanted mess, it will also improve that air circulation to your dog’s coat.  This is essential in the summertime when it’s hot and humid.

2. You’ll also find that grooming increases the blood flow to hair follicles. In turn, this will improve the health of your dog’s whole coat.

3. Grooming also stimulates the lymphatic system, which is similar to the results a human would get from a deep tissue massage.

4. Another benefit of grooming is that it will put your dog in a great mood.  Combine this with your gentle voice and you’ll be helping to strengthen the bond that is between you.

5. A benefit that many people don’t think about is that you will become more familiar with your dog’s body while grooming.  That means you will be able to detect many health problems that might occur.

6. You may find ticks or other insects that are attached to your dog.  These can be very deadly so keep an eye out for them.

7. While you are grooming your pet you will also want to clip their nails.  This will give you a chance to check the pads of their feet to see if there are any problems.

If you don’t have the essential grooming materials you can certainly find them at your local pet supply stores.  If you would rather shop online there are many stores that offer the equipment for sale as well.  As an added bonus you will also find a lot of great information and advice on the web.

For those who want to know more, your local community college may offer a program to teach dog owners how to groom.  Dog clubs and other dog related groups might offer training as well.

If you move beyond the basics and become an excellent groomer you might even want to think about starting your own service.  There are many pet owners who don’t have the time and know-how to groom their dogs themselves, but know it is a necessity.  Turn their ignorance into dollars as you groom others’ pets part time or even full time.

Even if you don’t opt to start your own service you will be able to rest assured that your own dog is being properly cared for.  There are obviously many rewards that go hand in hand with grooming, so start as soon as possible.

7 Reasons To Get Better at Dog Grooming courtesy of Dog Articles

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