Grooming Your Pet

Grooming is an very important and vital part of dog care. Besides on depending on the breed, age, and health of the dog, grooming may be a daily activity for the pt owner to take care on.

As Many breeds or fur require significantly less grooming than this, but regular grooming can helps to ensure the dog is healthy and comfortable all the time.

It is important to note that while many dogs shed, and others are require grooming by a professional for every 6–8 weeks maximum.

The main reasons for daily grooming include:

Decreased chance of various health problems, such as thrush, scratches, and other skin problems
General cleanliness of the dog
Monitoring of the dog's health by checking for cuts, heat, swelling, lameness, or changes in temperament, all of which could be indicative of illness
Forging of a closer bond between dog and owner
Reducing infestation load of external parasites on skin.

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Basic Tools for Grooming

1) Curry or Curry Brush:designed for removing hair from brushes only. used for untangling knots in certain parts of the dog's body such as ears, paws or tail and used for dogs that have large amounts of hair. Using a currycomb must be done carefully as the action of this type of tool can harm the skin of the dog, if pulled too hard.

2) Shedding blade:used to remove dead hair from certain types of harsh coats.

3) Scissors and clippers:used to remove/shorten hair on certain types of coats or in sensitive areas.The typical pair of scissors for dog grooming is between 6.5 and 9 inches long, longer than typical hair dressing scissors. Some are designed with a blunt tip to prevent any injuries due to the dog moving around.

4) Stripping Combs/Knives: used to help grab the longer hairs on a harsh coat and pull them out by the root. Helps maintain a proper coat in many terriers and schnauzers.

5) slicker brush:before Grooming a dog it is bathed is important as it frees up and removes dead undercoat and matting, and allows proper penetration of water and shampoo to the ski

6) metal comb:helpful in the areas of the dog's body that are common spots for knots.

7) Dog brushes/teasels: perfect for breeds that have long and fragile hair, especially if the coat is getting properly taken care of.Common dog brushes are the bristle brush, wire pin brush, and the slicker brush.

8) Rakes:good in removing dead hair from the undercoat. The undercoat rake's teeth are especially designed to penetrate through the overcoat down into the thick undercoat to remove loose hair faster and easier than a standard comb. Rakes can also be used for untangling and dematting.

9) Coat King/stripping knives:useful in hand stripping for the removal of dead undercoat prior to clipping.

10) Stand dryers:a quick drying of the dog's coat.

11) Shampoos and conditioners

12) Bath tubs:for the comfort of the pet

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An example of GROOMING:

Source From: http://www.groomingbusiness.com/content/pomeranian-teddy-cut

Before

Step 1: Clean Ears
Swab the ears out with cotton. I prefer a non-alcohol-based cleaner, to avoid stinging the ear.

Step 2: Cut Nails
Cut the nails to the quick and file. I cut the nails prior to bathing; if a nail is cut too short and bleeds, it can be a mess to clean up on a clean dog.

Step 3: Bathe
Wash and condition the dog.

Step 4: Force Dry
Force dry the dog until it is 90 percent dry. Pomeranians can be cage dried and fluffed up later to save some time.

Step 5: Brush
Using a stand dryer, methodically brush through the dog, removing any dead hair and tangles.

Step 6: Comb
Using a steel comb, comb through the dog completely.

Step 7: Trim Pads
Trim the pads, using a 40 blade.

Step 8: Clip Sanitary Areas
Clip the sanitary areas with a 10 blade.

Step 9: Trim Feet
These dogs get cat feet. I start by picking up the foot and trimming the hair even with the pads. While the dog is standing on the table, round the foot with shears. Next, brush the hair on top of the foot upwards with a slicker brush. Then, with thinning shears, trim the hair off, making a compact foot. Trim the hair on the back of the hocks.

Step 10: Shape Rear
I start by shaping the rear, scissoring the pants to a curved shape.

Step 11: Scissor Back
Comb the hair on the back up and scissor to the desired length.

Step 12: Scissor Sides
Blending from the rear and working forward toward the head, scissor the sides.

Step 13: Scissor Underline
Scissor the underline of the body.

Step 14: Scissor Chest
Scissor the chest, blending into the underline and sides.

Step 15: Trim Tail
I choose to trim the tail because the dog is getting an all-over haircut; leaving it natural can look unfinished. I start by trimming the underside of the tail in a flag shape. Then, holding the tail up over the back, I trim either side of the tail.