Brushing Your Dog

Brushing really is pretty basic. You just need to understand the type of coat your dog has, and that determines how often you need to brush and what type of brush to use. You should ask your vet or groomer for more individual instructions. Here are some general rules for grooming:

Long-haired breeds, such as Collies and Tibetan Terriers, need to be brushed weekly, sometimes more often if the coat seems particularly tangled. A pin brush is a good choice for these breeds because its bent-wire bristles grip the undercoat and remove loose hairs without causing pain. It can also get down to the skin. Start close to the skin and brush away from it. Use a comb to tease out any mats.

Short-coated dogs, such as Labrador Retrievers and Greyhounds, don’t need frequent brushing because their hair doesn’t mat and tangle easily. Still, you may want to brush them every couple of weeks to remove loose hair. Use a rubber brush or hound glove, which will help bring dirt and loose hair to the surface. The gloves fit over your hand–your dog will think you’re petting them and won’t suspect you’re actually brushing. If you prefer a conventional brush, short coats can take a stiff natural-bristle brush or a soft slicker brush, which has little bent-metal pins in it. Follow up with a soft-bristle brush, which helps distribute the hair’s natural oils.

Short, wiry breeds, such as Dachshunds and most Terriers, need a slicker brush, followed by a once-over with a metal comb. Once every few days should do. A stripping knife, Furmator or Magnet Knife will remove the dead hair in the undercoat. Have someone knowledgeable show you how to use one before you try. If the coat has mats, work those out first.

Now that you’ve got the right equipment and you know how often your dog needs a good brushing, make sure you’ve got the right technique. Here are a few guidelines to help you out:

· Brush down and out, away from the dog’s skin. Always brush in the direction the coat grows; dogs don’t like to be brushed backwards.

· Be gentle or you may damage your dog’s coat by pulling and stretching hairs until they tangle and break. Take the time to untangle any snarls just as you would if your comb got stuck in your child’s hair.

· If you encounter mats, apply a coat conditioner or mat spray and leave it on for several minutes. Then use a wide-toothed comb or a mat-splitting tool to get through the tangle. Mats can get close to a dog’s skin and removing them can be painful, so proceed carefully.

Nail Care

Dog nail care starts with exercise and working on the possibility of not having your dogs nails cut. Walking your dog or throwing a ball in a paved or concrete area will wear the dogs nails naturally through abrasion. This is a must for dogs who have a fear of having to experience the nail trimming experience.

Nail trimming can be very a traumatising experience for many dogs, as most suffer from a phobia of the experience and for some, this is very serious. Some dogs may show signs of significant aggression when faced with having their nails trimmed, despite gradual introductions to claw trimming, plenty of patience, positive reinforcement and treats. If this is the case we should never try and force your dog to have their nails trimmed, but you should consider consulting your vet, who may have to sedate.

Pets that have very little exercise on hard abrasive surfaces can also pose another problem that is becoming more common these days. This is a big problem with a lot of dogs that are not regularly groomed and do not have much opportunity to be exercising on abrasive surfaces. In several extreme cases, dog nails are growing and turning 180 degrees, resulting in the tips cutting into the pads of the paws. I’ve had to cut the nails and pull out with pliers’ part of the nail which has grown into the paw.

If trying to trim the nails at home, one very important thing we need to be aware of is, the anatomy of a dog nail. There is a vein (quick) inside the nail and a dog with black nails, this can not be seen, although dogs with light pigment nails the quick can be seen when held up to the light. The length of the vein varies from dog to dog and can also vary from nail to nail, so it can be very easy cut into the quick. Older dogs sometimes will have longer quicks, longer quicks are also present with terrier breeds, as they are natural diggers and is within their genetic makeup.

If attempting to trim your own pet nails, the above information needs to be kept in mind and if the quick can be seen, this makes things much easier. A general guide would be to leave approximately 3mm of the white tip when trimming as a small part of the quick will not be transparent. With black nails it really does come down to guess work, so always better to under trim as there is no way to know how long the quick is.

Most larger dogs, because of their heavier weight will wear down their nails much more easily than the small dogs and are less likely to need a lot of nail trimming, although there are the dew claws and some of the less mobile will need more trimming.

Below is the Autonomy of a dogs nail and showing the difference in length of quick possibilities :