Importance of Grooming Your Dog
There is no such thing as a grooming-free breed of dog. Some breed categories like those with short hair may seem like they don’t need grooming when in fact, all dogs need to be groomed. For your pet’s well-being, he should be groomed on a regular basis.
Coat Care is Essential
Purebred dogs come in many coat varieties and mixed breed dogs may have several configurations. Whether you take your canine to a groomer or groom him at home, care should be taken when choosing the right shampoo and conditioner for each type of coat.
In addition, you should always follow the bath with conditioner because shampooing not only removes the dirt, but the oils as well. If you don’t replace it with conditioner, the sweat glands (sebaceous glands) go into overproduction, which is why many dogs smell a few days after a bath.
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Grooming Your Dog
Smooth-Coated Breeds
This is usually the case with smooth-coated breeds, such as Bulldogs, Dalmatians and Pugs, who are known to have skin problems. Many people see these breeds as a wash-and-go pet. Spray the dogs down, shampoo, rinse and let them air dry. They need a gentle shampoo and conditioner, and they must be dried completely.
Medium Double-Coated Breeds
The medium double-coated dogs blow their undercoats a couple of times a year and more often if they’re an indoor dog. When these dogs are bathed, they release much of their undercoats and continue to do so for several days later. Some owners have these dogs shaved to get rid of the shedding. By doing so, the owner is not only ruining the dog’s top coat that will never grow back properly, but now the shedding will also be little short particles of hair that end up in the air and can be breathed in.
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Other owners of medium-coated dogs also shave them because they live in hot climates. However, the hair is actually protecting them from the heat. Shaving any dog and then exposing them to harsh elements could be harmful. Dogs actually cool themselves down through the glands in their feet and nose and, with extreme heat, through their tongues.
Long-Haired Breeds
The long-haired dogs have another completely different set of issues. If an owner doesn’t keep the dog’s coat clipped, combed and conditioned, he can end up with a painful full body mat, which usually has to be removed with a surgical blade.
If your dog’s coat is cleaned and brushed, nails trimmed and ears cleaned, you both will be happy and you’ll probably spend more time with him. Generally, dogs who are only bathed once a year tend to be neglected and unhappy, and are at a greater risk for health issues. Whereas the dog groomed by a professional pet groomer or at home tends to be included in the owner’s daily life and is probably better behaved because he’s not desperate for attention.
READ ALSO: Puppy’s First Grooming Experience
I need some self grooming tips or step by step grooming pics for yorkies thx u
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to choose the right shampoo for your dog’s coat. I have a long-haired dog, and I take her to the groomer fairly often, but I’ve never considered that maybe I’m not using the right type of shampoo. I’ll definitely look more into that so I can make the right selection to keep her coat healthy. Thanks for the great post!
I had no idea that dogs smell after a few days after a bath because their sweat glands are working double time to replace the oils. My sister’s dog always smells terrible when she gives him a bath. I’ll have to talk to her about using conditioner on him to help cut down on the smell.
It’s great that you elaborated on how we should be using pet conditioners because dogs lose natural oils when we shampoo their coat. I have three dogs and they’ve been part of the family even before my eldest was born. They mean a lot to us that’s why we give a premium to their well-being. Between managing my bakery and doing household chores, I can barely find the time to bathe my dogs. I’d be sure to drop them off for pet grooming this weekend. Thanks for the very educational read!
I like that this article mentioned that there is not such thing as a dog breed that doesn’t need to be groomed. My friend owns a Yorkie and loves grooming her, as she feels it helps them bond. I think she also enjoys giving her dog little piggy tails because she’s always been a “cutesy” type of girl.