Dog Grooming Tips from Pet Directions and Paw Tyme

Dec. 18, 2010 - PRLog -- Here are some great dog grooming tips from Pet Directions and Paw Tyme Dog Grooming & Spa.

WHEN SHOULD WE GET OUR NEW PUPPY GROOMED
It’s important to introduce your puppy to grooming at an early age - as early as 12 weeks so it becomes a normal part of his/her life and something he/she won’t be afraid of. We suggest that you start to brush your puppy’s hair daily and get him/her used to having his/her paws, nails, face and tail handled.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD MY DOG GET GROOMED?
It depends on the breed and how you want them to look. If you have a long-coated dog, your dog should be groomed every 4-6 weeks to ensure that his/her hair doesn’t get matted or tangled. If you have a short-coated dog, they can be groomed every 6-8 weeks. Dogs that are groomed on a regular basis tend to have healthier skin and their coat is in tip top condition.

DOES A SHORT-HAIRED DOG NEED TO BE GROOMED?
Even if your dog has short hair - like a Lab - they still need to have a bath, have their coat blown and brushed out to remove dead hair, and they still need their ears cleaned and nails trimmed. If your dog suffers from dry or itchy skin, or allergies, groomers have professional products that can be used based on your dog’s needs.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY DOG IN BETWEEN GROOMS?
The most important thing is that your dog needs to be brushed. If you bath your dog at home, it’s important to remember that you must brush/comb out the entire coat to remove all tangles/mats before and after the bath; otherwise, the tangles/mats will become tighter and harder to work out. It’s also important that when you towel dry your dog, you pat your dog down as opposed to rubbing the towel all over your dog - rubbing may cause mats to form.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE MY DOG’S NAILS TRIMMED?
It’s recommended that dogs get their nails trimmed every 4-6 weeks. A dog that constantly walks on hard surfaces like concrete will naturally wear down his/her nails and may never need to have his/her nails trimmed. Unattended nails, over time, may grow long enough to cause the entire tendon and bone structure of the foot and pastern to break down. The longer you wait to have the nails cut, the longer the vein or the “quick” inside the nail grows, making it harder to keep the nail short. On smaller dogs, the nail and dew claws tend to grow in a circle and if they are not trimmed they will continue to grow into the foot pad causing puncture wounds, which are very painful and prone to infections.

Karen from Paw Tyme Dog Grooming & Spa
http://www.pawtyme.ca
http://www.petdirections.com

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