Giving your Dog a BATH
As well as being healthy for your dog to be sweet-smelling and clean, we all
find it much easier to love a clean dog. I strongly recommend a thorough groom
every week (or day in Napoleon's case) to keep a dog's coat clean and manageable.
Regular grooming sessions also help to build a bond between you and your dog, as
well as being relaxing for you both. You may find it hard to keep your dog's
coat well groomed and you may need a little advice. For some dogs, bath-time is
a rare occurrence but it may help you to know how a professional handles it.
I find most dogs love bath-time. However, some are reluctant and others undecided. One thing's for sure, even with regular grooming, all dogs benefit from a scrub in the bath from time to time!
If you own a crossbreed, choose the group that your dog's coat best resembles. Each coat type should be tackled in a slightly different way. The main differences are the methods and equipment used, the length of time it takes, and how often your dog is likely to need a bath.
Three
types of dog?
You may be mistaken in thinking these are dirty, very dirty and extremely dirty!
NO! There's the 1). absolutely love it, 2). not so keen but persuadable, and 3).
dogs that act unpredictably.
Napoleon's regime
Daily - clean his teeth with dog
toothbrush and toothpaste. Set aside enough time to remove all
tangles and loose hairs from his coat, whilst giving him a jolly
good brush at the same time. Check over his body at this time, feeling for lumps
and bumps. If you find any abnormalities on your dog's body, get these checked
by your vet. Use anti-static
conditioning sprays for long-coated breeds to make grooming easier and help
to prevent the hair from tangling too easily. Make grooming time fun, using
treats for encouragement, and always have a play and a hug at the end of each
session. Every 4 -12 weeks Keeping on top of the tangles, and brushing out the
dirt as it accumulates, will make life much easier when bath-time comes around.
A bath and clip is usually necessary about every 4 - 8 weeks for him, every
6-12 weeks for double-coated dogs, and only when required for short-coated
breeds. You must remove all knots from your dog's coat prior to the bath.
It is quite easy to file your dog's nails if they are not wearing down through exercise. To clip the nails, I always suggest leaving it to a vet or a professional groomer. If you accidentally cut the quick of your dog's nail, this can be painful, leaving him wary of his feet being touched. If you feel confident to clip your dog's nails, sharp guillotine clippers are reasonably easy to use.
Gather together your grooming equipment:
Slicker brushes for long-coats.
Bristle brushes for a good shine on short coats.
Pronged
or double-sided brushes for long and double coats.
A choice of combs, wider spaced teeth for long or double coats.
A rubber mitt or grooming
glove is brilliant for removing dead hair from short coats.