Dog Bathing & Dog Grooming
Dog grooming and dog bathing are both very important parts of the dog’s life, especially if your dog sleeps with you or lounges around on the couch with you. In addition to demonstrating what the dog’s health is, skin and coat conditions can indicate worms that are present, parasites on the skin, inadequate food intake, mites, ringworms, dehydration or other conditions. Clipping toenails, hair cuts, and cleaning the ears are just a few parts of the total grooming over the dog’s life – it will help if they like it and are mannerly while it is being done. And there are ways to train the dog when it is a puppy, to accept this as second-hand nature over time. Be gentle and make it fun, and before long a routine to bath your dog will be in place.
Why Groom A Dog?
One of the most important reasons to enjoy dog grooming is that it provides time to inspect the dog from top to bottom. It gives owners a chance to see just how their dog is doing and watch for any changes in skin, coat, nails or teeth. Most breeders start puppies out at two weeks of age to enjoy grooming, with their toenails being clipped and their first set of routine worming starting. Ears are checked at this time, also.
As you work with them, gently massaging their body and ears, gently talking to them so they spend most of the time positively listening. A dog can only focus on one thing at a time, and it is better they listen to you rather than stressing out over dog grooming routines. This removes fear from the picture, putting it on the backseat, and encourages a positive response from them. So, you can tell how much time your puppy spent being handled and groomed by its original breeder from its reaction to your own handling and grooming. When you first pick out a puppy, this is a good way to check out the puppy for socialization issues such as comfort with handling and grooming.
Avoiding Painful Situations
To hurt a dog or cause the dog pain is going to cause you trouble in the future, so for example, when clipping toenails know where to clip and be gentle. Also, pain in a certain area shows a medical problem that needs to be examined more thoroughly. Be observant and look carefully. If you think something looks infected or could be serious, go to the vet and have it examined. Things that are small can be ignored or missed, eventually leading into something bigger. Infections, torn toenails, or stickers in the paw, are only a few of the problems that can occur. Grooming is an excellent way to examine the dog for observation and prevention of these things.
Both dog grooming and dog bathing need to be routines that you establish with your pet. Routine grooming will also help in keeping on top of your dog's overall health and well being, which is definitely important to all owners.
