When you have a long haired dog you might as well plan some grooming time into your weekly schedule. Depending on which breed of dog you have, you may need to spend time grooming them up to twice each week. This is a great time to bond with your dog and spend some quality time together. It will also control the amount of shedding your dog does. If you find your dog has gotten into burs or something while outside, take time right away to get them out. This will save tons of time in the long run if they don’t get embedded in your dog’s fur.
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.
When grooming your dog the next step is the bath. Now you don’t want to bathe your dog every time you brush them, but you do want to give them a bath once a month or so. Make sure you give baths after you have brushed your dog thoroughly, this will make sure the tangles are out of your long haired dog’s fur and make it easier.
One issue with long haired dogs is matting. This can be avoided by good grooming. In fact, you should brush your dog daily to help keep his fur clear and free from mats. If your dog does get a mat, the best way to deal with it is to work through it with a metal comb. Using scissors to cut it out is not recommended, as it is very easy to cut the dog’s skin when trying to cut out the mat. Just slowly brush through it and it will come out.
Your dog’s nails need to be cut regularly as well, and making this part of your regular grooming will be good for your dog. Dog’s nails will keep growing, this is why they need to be cut regularly. If you don’t cut them they will start to take the shape of the dog’s foot and be very uncomfortable. You should trim your dog’s nails every few weeks. Doing this will keep them at a healthy length for your dog. If you cut your dog’s nails too short you will cut into the quick and your dog will bleed. This bleeding will continue for a long time unless you do something to stop it. You can stop the bleeding by applying styptic powder or using a styptic stick.
You also need to check your dog’s ears regularly. They may not only get dirty, but they may get mites. Both are easily remedied but can cause problems if they aren’t taken care of in a timely fashion. Use a cleansing solution on a cotton swab and just wipe out your dog’s ears.
Grooming is an important part of any long haired dog’s life. It takes time and you have to stay on top of it to keep problems at bay. If you find you don’t have time to groom your dog as often as you should you can always take them to a groomer. These are professionals who can do all the things we’ve discussed in this article. Whether you do it yourself or have someone else do it, grooming is a must when you own a long haired dog.
