Puppy Club Fact Sheets
Grooming Your Puppy
Introduction
When you acquire a dog, you take on the responsibility for keeping it clean, tidy and well groomed. People often base their choice of breed on a glossy picture in a book or a luxuriant looking specimen on television. These dogs were probably the product of hours of grooming. Grooming isn't just for show dogs. Whatever your dog's coat type regular correct grooming keeps it looking and feeling good. Most dogs enjoy grooming sessions and they deepen the mutual trust and sense of companionship. Use the sessions to check your dog for any other problems, for instance it may need its claws clipping.
The Dog's Coat
There are five basic types of dog coat: long, silky, non-shedding curly, smooth and wiry. Each type has its own special grooming needs but the principles of hair growth and the factors which produce a healthy coat are the same for all of them.
Aims of Grooming
The main aims are to remove dead hair and to clean the skin and living hair. Moulting is loss of hair and a change of coat, which usually happens in spring and autumn, lasting 4 - 6 weeks. The new coat grows in 3 - 4 months. The poodle doesn't shed any hair at all. With changing weather patterns and central heating however the moulting season can seem to last all year!
Before starting to groom your dog get some advice from a book, grooming parlour or veterinary practice checking which are the correct brushes and shampoos. Certain breeds need to go to a grooming parlour to be groomed correctly and professionally.
Clipping a Dog's Nails
Trimming dogs' nails is often done at the same time as routine grooming. Although with care you can do this yourself we recommend that you use our nurses for this as it is very easy to cut into the quick which hurts and will bleed profusely. This is likely to upset you and your puppy!
Dog's walked on pavements will naturally wear their nails down faster than those walked on grass so individual animals may require different intervals between nail clips.
