How to Groom a Dog

Around my house this holiday season, we have five dogs. All of them are a different type of breed and they each have distinct personalities. The other thing that these animals have in common is that they are all well groomed. This is because my mother takes great pains to make sure that they stay looking their best. In this article, I will discuss how to groom a dog.

Before you do anything else, you need to brush your dog. You must do this before you do anything else involving the dog. This is done primarily because, when wet, the matted areas of your dog's hair will become very hard to deal with. It is very important to keep the hair managed as leaving it alone without care will sometimes lead to a very dangerous infection for your dog. If you have a short-haired dog, you will not have to go over the coat as much. Longer-haired dogs will take a little bit of extra care, so get ready to use a heavy-duty brush. Sometimes, you might even have to consult the help of a special tool like a pin brush. The key is that your get the loose hair away and you make sure that the oil does not build up throughout the coat.

From there, you can do a couple of different things to prepare. One of the things you may want to do is to go ahead and finish clipping your dog. Trim the excess hair or any hair that looks like it is matted. You will want to do this before you get the dog wet as it will be much easier to cut that way.

The eyes of a dog are a particular problem area for most pet owners. Certain breeds of dog have extended problems with eye "gunk" and a few have no problems with it. It all depends upon what kind of dog you own. Sometimes, you can simply remove the gunk from the corner of the dog's eyes, but certain long-haired breeds will require a little bit more attention. Dogs with white or light colored coats can sometimes have "tear" strains on their coat. If this is the case with your animal, then go to the store and buy some tear stain remover.

From there, you simply have to accomplish the simple task of getting your dog into the bathtub. If you have ever tried to do this, you will know that it is a lot easier said than it is done. Be aware that your dog will likely be very scared of the sound of running water. You may have to use some force or elements of manipulation. Typically, once you get the dog into the tub, you have accomplished the hardest part. Now, use an approved brand of dog shampoo and lather the dog up. Wash him by hand until you feel like he's clean. Then, rinse him off, dry him off, and continue from there to groom the animal.