Grooming Tips - Helpful Hints

HAIR CARE AND TRIMMING

While most young puppies do not need an actual "Hair cut", it would be a good practice to trim excess hair in various places.   You may at this point decide to establish yourself with a groomer, or if you choose to do this yourself, consult your groomer for the best tools and tips possible.   Longer haired breeds of dogs will need trimming around the pads and under their tail to help prevent fecal matter from gathering and potentially becoming a health risk.  You may even use a regular pair of scissors to round the puppy's feet up trimming excess hair and if you trim the underside of their pads, be very careful and trim slowly.  It is very easy to poke or cut a pad if a puppy is wiggling, one more reason to begin early on getting him or her used to the sound and feel of scissors being used.  Trimming under the tail can also be problematic if your puppy is not accustomed to the discipline of groom time.   Be very careful while trimming hair in this area, you can seriously injure your puppy if you are not cautious.  

Another place that can be trimmed lightly is around the eyes if your puppy has excessive weeping.  It is recommended if you trim in this area to comb the hair away from the eyes first then very carefully trim a small portion at a time making sure to never point the tips of your scissors towards the eyes.  Also, do not lay your scissors flat against the dog as you can easily cut skin as well.  Use a "light hand" and if you feel you are possibly trimming away anything more than hair, stop immediately and recheck your position.

It is recommended to brush your puppy daily to remove debris and keep the hair from tangling.  Sometimes dogs pick up foxtails between the toes, and if you do not brush or check their feet, they can embed into the skin and cause infections and or some severe problems.  If you find your pet constantly licking at his feet, check them, check between the toes, mats can also accumulate here if not brushed.  Terrier type breeds with wirey hair may not appear to need brushing however it is still a good practice and gives you quality time with your pet.

Nail trimming is also essential and can be done when necessary.  One of the problems with some dogs is most people do not know how far back they can trim when the dog has black nails.   The best thing to do would be trim small amounts at a time.   Generally puppies have quick growing nails and they can sometimes snag on carpets or clothing and create problems.   Trimming back a small amount at a time when necessary will help.   If you will examine your puppy's nails, you might even see where the nail has grown beyond the quik.   It is usually safe to trim the excess off beyond this.  You may even use a nail file to help round or soften the tips.  Dogs generally do not like having their nails trimmed, but if you practice early on, he or she will be come accustomed to it.  Plenty of praise while a dog behaves also helps incredibly.     If for any reason you trim too short and cause bleeding, you may stop the bleeding quickly by using a grooming aide called "Quick Stop" and if you don't have the product, you can use finely ground table pepper.

BATH TIME

Bathing is also another essential part of a dogs life.  While some veterinarians do not recommend frequent bathing, groomers often recommend the opposite.  Our groomer recommends timely bathing for even dogs that develop allergies.  Veterinarians argue that frequent bathing causes dry skin while an observation made by groomers find that more frequent bathing helps relieve itching from dirt or weeping that dogs with allergies sometimes have.  If your dog has dandruff or dry skin, check the food ingredients to see if there is a high percentage of grain.  Increasing the protein level may help in relieving the skin of excess dryness. 

Bathing can be a nuisance or a pleasure depending on how you train your pet.  When praised after bathing or making it a fun "game" a dog will usually not run and hide under the nearest bed but rather welcome the idea.  Starting a dog out young with bathing is also a good grooming practice.

Using a mild shampoo at first is recommended, baby shampoo is excellent or you can purchase puppy shampoos at your local dealer.  Cream rinse is usually a wonderful plus, it makes the hair softer and easy to brush.

Always brush before bathing.  If you bath your dog with tangles, the tangles will become tighter when dried.   Good prevention against tangles is daily brushing.

Flea baths and Flea and Tick baths are not recommended for young puppies.   If you have noticed any fleas on your puppy you can easily increase the soak time while lathered up in shampoo and rinse these off.   You may also follow up by washing or changing your pets bedding to help prevent any re-infestation.   Sometimes other pets may bring in fleas or ticks, good grooming habits will help prevent and control these issues.   Chemicals are just as unhealthy for animals as they are for humans.

Flea sprays and powders are also not recommended for young puppies, bathing is.   Treating carpets with sprays and or foggers can also harm your puppy and can also cause death.   It is not recommended to use with or around any young puppies.  Again, frequent grooming helps prevent the need to have to use these items.

Even if you decide to establish yourself with a grooming service, it is still recommended that the family participate in healthy grooming habits at home.   Frequent brushing and bathing as necessary will help keep your pet and family happy!