Regular brushing of your Dog is a very important but often overlooked aspect of looking after Dogs. All too often many of us (me included) neglect this simple but very important task.
How to groom Dogs fur is a fairly basic but still underrated part of a basic Dog Care routine. Hopefully their teeth will be in order by supplying regular Raw Meaty Bones or brushing their teeth once a week or more often with a Dog Toothpaste There is an All Natural Toothpaste for Dogs that is available for only a few dollars. You should be clipping their nails and checking their ears regularly as well.
But for some reason many of us do not brush our Dog as regularly as we should. There are many advantages to brushing your Dog regularly apart from the obvious.
- Brushing helps distribute the natural Oils in your Dogs fur.
- Brushing gives you a perfect chance to check your Dogs condition.
- You will quickly discover any matted hair that may need to be cut out.
- Regular brushing means you can check for ticks and fleas and halt the problem before it may become serious.
- As Dogs age they are more and more prone to lumps and bumps on their body. Most are simply fatty deposits but they need to be checked out by your Vet.
Obviously the main advantage for homeowners is that regular brushing cuts down on the unbelievable amount of Dog Hair that can build up around the home, especially if your Dog is molting.
Also once you know how to groom Dogs fur properly you will have a fantastic, knot free, super charmer of a Dog!
How To Groom Dogs Coats
Brushing your Dog is a fairly simple exercise but their are a few things to bear in mind. Amazingly there is conflicting advice even for such a basic task. Some professionals advise first to brush in the opposite direction to the direction the hair grows. I have never found this to work well so my recommendations are as follows.
- Always start at the head and brush in the direction that the coat naturally grows.
- Ensure that you get right to the base of the coat, using your fingers if necessary to part the hair and do a section at a time. Especially important in long haired Dogs.
- Get a good firm grip on your Dog. Hold on to the collar or put your fur bundle on the lead. I prefer to hold on to the collar, it is easier to keep the wiggle bottoms in one place.
- Do it regularly. When you first have your Dog do it every day. This way your Dog will get used to grooming much quicker. If you don’t do it often enough your Dog may always be adverse to being groomed.
- Don’t treat it as a game. Don’t treat the brush as a toy or your Dog will always be trying to grab the brush to play with it.
- Be gentle. If you are too rough then you will put your Dog off being groomed. You don’t hack at your own hair if you encounter a tangle or knot. Act accordingly with your own Dog.
How Often To Groom Your Dogs Coat
This really is dictated by the Breed of Dog, your Dogs activities and the length of the coat.
Long haired Dogs need to be brushed more regularly than short haired Dogs. At least once a week for Dogs with long hair, although I have found it needs to be more regular than that. Long hair gets matted very easily and if your Dog is frequently rolling about and playing outside then more regular brushing is needed.
Short haired Dogs don’t need brushing as regularly unless they are molting. Even then many recommend a Dog Glove
These are great for collecting all that Dog fur that would otherwise have been spread all over the house. I would still brush a short haired Dog at least once a week just so they do not become unfamiliar with the act of being brushed.
Personally now I have got in to a more strict routine, I like to brush the Dogs most days now. Just a quick brush so they stay familiar with the act and apart from anything else it has dramatically cut down on the fur around the house.
Obviously, though, whatever you do, as soon as your Dog has been brushed it will always try to find a way to get as dirty and tangled as quickly as possible!
Comes with the territory I guess!
May the Doggie Force be with you all.
You know, I don’t brush as at all. Never. His hair is so short and I don’t have the right brush for him. Not that this is an excuse. He does shed pretty bad twice a year. I should get one of those gloves you mentioned. Is that what’s best for a dog with short hair like a great dane?
I am good at keeping his nails trimmed myself, cleaning his ears (he gets lots of ear infections if I don’t) and giving him a bath every six weeks or so. Although he’s not thrilled with any of these things, he tolerates them because he knows the routine.
Our Vs love the grooming glove — they think they’re being petted. (As if they don’t get enough of that already …)
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Hi Lindsay,
The Gloves gather up a lot of the fur without actaully brushing the Dog. It will just be as if you are giving them a stroke. Great for short haired Dogs that don’t need as much brushing or for Dogs that simply can’t get along with being brushed.
As for bathing, we have 2 that just sit and tolerate it whilst Faye the ever boisterous needs to be held firmly by the collar. Either way i’m sure I still always end up being wetter than the Dogs!
Hi Dennis,
So grooming Gloves are all the rage then? Definitely better than it being all over the floor.
I tend to neglect brushing also. Maybe reading this wonderful post will help with me doing this more often like I should. Thank you
Grooming is also a great way to bond with your dog! My dogs actually asked to be brushed – they will try and push each other out of the way in fact!
Now if I could get them to be as enthusiastic about getting their nails trimmed…
Have you ever tried vacuuming your dogs?
I’ve done this before. If you don’t use the attachments (just the hose) it dosen’t make noise, and some dogs don’t mind.
In fact, I’m known at least one who LOVED it.
Another great post!! I found some lumps on my dog actually a little while ago and the doc removed them – wouldn’t have found them if i wasn’t brushing the dog! 🙂
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I have a Silky Terrier. If you don’t brush her daily her hair will get knotted. The good thing is that she doesn’t shed.
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With four dogs, three of whom have thick under coats, grooming is my least favorite thing. So we rent out. LOL Yes, I spend a couple hundred every few months to get them groomed thoroughly and if Trooper needs extra brush outs I pay for those too. Thankfully his hair doesn’t get too badly tangled. =)
Chloe, ours are like that now. Daisy sits patiently waiting for her turn.
Friar, that’s a new one on me. Strictly brooms here though. Only use a vacuum for the Car, and it is v noisy.
Hi Taris, yep, brushing is a great way to check over your Dog.
Ross, oh for a Dog that doesn’t shed. I can only dream.
Castrocreations, hey, if you have the cash then why not? As long as it gets done, but if I waited a few months between brushing I think the house would be more fur than floor!
Just thought I add that brushing my short haired dog in the direction of the hair growth does absolutely NOTHING.
The only luck I’ve had is brushing in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Works like a charm. My dog doesn’t seem to mind either.