In This Chapter
Good grooming is a part of caring for your dog, but most of what you do is maintenance work — that is, just keeping your dog clean and healthy. If you start with a clean dog and maintain a clean and healthy coat, you prevent headaches and disasters later.
This chapter covers the proper
techniques for brushing, combing, bathing, and drying your dog. You can find
out about other grooming basics, like clipping your dog’s toenails and cleaning
his ears and teeth, in Chapter Caring
for Nails, Teeth, Nose, Ears, Eyes, Face, and . . . Elsewhere.
Do-It-Yourself Canine Hair Styling
Brushing and combing form the
foundation of good grooming. Most dogs don’t actually need baths all that
frequently. They usually need them only when they get noticeably dirty or have
to go to a show. However, they must be brushed and combed often — usually twice
weekly or more often, depending on the breed and coat. Brushing and combing are
great for your dog’s skin and coat because they distribute oils from the skin
throughout the coat and get rid of bits of dirt, tangles, and loose hair. This
aspect of grooming is the one thing you really need to do, even if you hire a
groomer.
Tip
Always brush and comb a dog before you bathe her. Doing so helps prevent tangles and keeps your dog cleaner (bathing is covered later in this chapter).
Beyond pulling hairs: Making the experience pleasant
Brushing and combing can be
enjoyable or a total nightmare. Usually, dogs who hate to be brushed and combed
are the ones with long hair or thick coats that tend to mat easily. Owners
often don’t tackle the thick coat early or often enough, and these sessions wind
up being much more painful than they have to be. Brushing and combing don’t
have to become a hair-pulling event.
Tip
A few tricks can make brushing and combing easier for you and your dog:
- Start young. When your dog is a puppy, get her used to brushing. In many cases, dogs love the attention. However, even if you do start early, some dogs never quite take to grooming. In many instances, you may have to work through some bad behaviors, and in other rare cases, you may even need to muzzle or sedate the dog.
- Stick to a routine. Where on your dog you first start brushing, combing, and grooming doesn’t matter, but being consistent does. By following the same routine every time you groom your dog, you won’t forget to do anything, and your dog won’t have any surprises.
- Relax with your dog. Taking time to relax — both dog and owner — goes a long way toward calming your dog’s fears. Your dog may get nervous when she senses it’s grooming time, regardless of whether you’re breaking out a grooming table (highly recommended — find them online or at pet stores) or simply reaching for a brush and comb. Giving her treats, administering a good massage (see the “Massaging your dog” sidebar for advice), or just talking to her in a soothing tone helps relieve your dog’s tension before and during a brushing session.
Warning!
If you use a grooming table to groom your dog, never leave her on it unattended. She can hurt herself jumping off or even strangle herself if she’s hooked into a noose.
- Brush your dog after she’s exercised — when she’s a little bit tired. She’ll be calmer.
- Never hurry and always be gentle whenever possible. One bad experience can be traumatic and turn your dog off grooming entirely.
- Use the right tools. The right tools make the job not only easier, but less stressful and less painful. If you use the wrong tools, you’re more likely to pull on your dog’s hairs (tools are covered in the next section).
Massaging your dog
Massaging your dog may sound a little odd, but it’s
a great way to bond with him. If your dog has never been massaged, he may
find it a little strange at first. The first goal when massaging your dog is
to get him to relax. Start with gentle stroking movements in areas where he’s
normally accustomed to being petted. Don’t touch areas that your dog isn’t
quite comfortable with you touching, and don’t use a lot of pressure until
your dog gets used to it. Pick up a copy of How to Massage Your Dog, by
Jane Buckle (Wiley), or Dog Massage, by Maryjean Ballner (St. Martin’s
Press), for the basics of massaging your dog.
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Gathering the tools you need
Before you get started brushing
or combing your dog, gather all the tools you need for the session. Having
everything you need in one place and within reach makes the brushing and
combing session go much more smoothly; it can make all the difference between
an experience that’s pleasant and one that’s not.
Tip
If you live in a flea-prone area, make sure that you have a flea comb handy, especially during flea season (which begins in spring). Flea combs, along with all kinds of rakes, brushes, combs, and clippers, are available at all good pet stores.
Tools for long coats
If your dog has a long coat, you
need the following tools:
- An undercoat rake or long comb: To remove the loose undercoat hairs. Some groomers prefer using wide-toothed combs first and then changing to progressively narrower or finer-toothed ones. This strategy is good whenever your dog has really snarly hair. However, if you’re simply maintaining your dog’s coat, you can choose to go over him with a fine-or medium-toothed comb and then a slicker brush.
- Detangler solution and a mat splitter or mat rake: For tangles and mats (use electric clippers in extreme cases).
- Shedding tool: For removing the soft undercoat when the dog is blowing coat (shedding profusely).
- Slicker brush: For removing hair and stimulating the skin and coat.
Tools for short coats
If your dog has a shorter coat,
you need these grooming tools:
- A Zoom Groom or short curry brush: For removing hair and polishing the coat
- A short-toothed comb: For removing hair and getting through any tangles
- Slicker brush: For removing hair and stimulating the skin and coat
Brushing up on basic techniques
You can work from tail to head or
vice versa. Just start at one end and work your way to the other — and don’t
miss anything in between.
Various methods of brushing
include line brushing and combing — that is, parting the fur and combing
and brushing out each section (which works well on long coats) — and spiral
brushing, in which the dog’s hair is brushed and combed in a circular
pattern. Spiral brushing works well on any coat.
Remember
Regardless of the method of brushing and combing you use, you need to brush all the hair, not just the top coat. That means getting down to the skin and brushing upward.
You can brush out your dog’s coat
in a variety of ways. One common way is to brush backward against the lay of
the fur and then brush it back into place (see Figure 2-1). Brushing that way
usually loosens and removes hair and stimulates your dog’s skin. Some breeds
have hair types that don’t go well with this method. Breeds with corded hair,
in particular, just can’t be brushed backward, so make sure that you remove all
the tangles as you go.
Dealing with the dreaded mat
Because brushing or combing out
mats and tangles can cause any dog a great deal of discomfort, don’t keep
pulling on them after you find them. Instead, follow these instructions to
gently remove tangles and mats:
1. Spray the mat with
detangler solution and use an appropriate comb to slowly work the hairs in the
mat free.
Work from the outside of the mat (where the hair isn’t tangled) and slowly untangle the hair. Hold the base of the mat (closest to your dog’s skin) as you work, to avoid pulling your dog’s skin.
2. If the mat doesn’t come out
with the comb, try using a mat rake next.
Mat rakes are equipped with sharp teeth that work at cutting through the mat. You use the mat rake the same way you do a comb, but you simply rake along the lay of the hair. The teeth will cut through the mat.
Figure 2-1: Brushing against
the grain to remove hair and stimulate the dog’s skin.
3. If the mat rake doesn’t cut
it (so to speak), try using a mat splitter — but don’t put away the rake just
yet.
Start by splitting the mat of hair in horizontal or vertical strips and then using either a mat rake or a comb to tackle those smaller pieces individually. Watch to make sure that no skin is pulled up into the mat.
Warning!
Be careful when using mat rakes or mat splitters. They’re quite sharp and can cause cuts if used improperly.
4. In the worst conditions
(that means the rake and the splitter have failed), use electric clippers (any
blade should work) to slowly shave away the mat.
Be aware that this step should be considered as a last resort and that it can leave a bare patch that will ruin a show coat until it can grow out again. You can also ask a professional groomer or veterinarian to help you get rid of the mat.
Warning!
Whatever you do, don’t use scissors to cut out a mat! No matter how careful you think you are, accidentally cutting your dog’s skin is all too easy, and that means a trip to the emergency vet for a suture.
Heading down the right grooming path
If your dog’s coat or the hair on her face is short, use a soft slicker that’s made specifically for the face — and even then, brush gently. The skin and hair around a dog’s face are particularly sensitive. Also be especially careful when working around a dog’s eyes with a dog comb or brush.
On the other hand, if your dog
has long hair on the face, such as the fall (hair over the eyes) or
beard found in breeds such as the Old English Sheepdog or Soft-Coated Wheaten
Terrier, lift the hair by putting your fingers behind the long hair and gently
comb it out. You need to place your fingers behind these long facial hairs to
protect your dog’s sensitive skin and face from the comb.
Tip
If you find mats or tangles around your dog’s face, don’t spray them with detangler solution, because you risk getting some in your dog’s eyes. Instead, dip a washcloth into the detangler solution, gently rub it into the hair, and then gently comb out the tangle, starting from the bottom of the hair. If the mat is really stubborn, use an electric clipper with a guarded blade to clip out the mat while also guarding your dog’s face and skin (and keeping her reassured and still) with your other hand.
If your dog has long hair on her
ears, you can use a comb to hold the hair so that your hand is between the comb
and your dog’s tender skin. If the ear fur is matted or in knots, use the
washcloth dipped in detangler solution to slowly try to comb out the tangles.
If the knots around the ear fur are too big (many dogs get them behind the
ears), use electric clippers — sliding your hand between the skin and the
clipper — to remove them. Or ask a professional to do it for you, to avoid
cutting the skin.
Warning!
If you don’t have grooming clippers, ask a vet or a professional groomer to remove the mat for you. Most are happy to do so at little or no charge.
Smoothing the ruffles on the nape of your dog’s neck
The ruff areas (the
longer, thicker fur around the neck, shoulders, and chest) of your dog’s coat
may also be sensitive, so start brushing them with a soft slicker. Brush
backward against the lay of the hair (if appropriate — otherwise, brush with
the grain). If your dog is shedding, the slicker brush may fill up quickly. You
can use the comb to dislodge the hair from the slicker and deposit the hair in
the trash. If your dog has a ruff, pay particular attention to it; you need to
use a comb or undercoat rake whenever your dog has a long or thick double coat
in those areas. Comb through the hair you just brushed before brushing it back
the way it should lay.
Brushing and trimming feathered forelegs
Short hair on a dog’s forelegs
usually doesn’t need to be brushed, but if your dog has feathering —
that is, long hair on the backs of the legs that runs from armpit to paw — you
have to comb it out. Feathering, like the hair behind the ears, has a tendency
to tangle more than the rest of your dog’s coat, so use a detangler solution
whenever the feathering on your dog’s legs is tangled and comb it out
carefully, or use a mat splitter or mat comb.
If your dog isn’t a show dog but
nevertheless has feathering that’s either too matted or too much of a pain to
brush out all the time, consider using a guarded clipper to remove the
feathering on each side, for a cleaner look. Be sure to keep your fingers
between the clippers and your dog to protect his skin, trimming the hair so
that it looks neat.
Belly-rubbin’ for laughs
The next step is to brush out
your dog’s chest and belly. Use a slicker to brush against the lay of the hair
(if appropriate — otherwise, brush with the grain), remaining keenly aware that
your dog’s underside is sensitive, especially around the belly and private
parts. If you can get your dog to lie down on one side, do so. Be gentle while
brushing near your dog’s privates.
Warning!
Don’t pull on any mats on your dog’s sensitive underbelly, and don’t use a mat rake, because one slip can cause problems in these sensitive regions. If you find any mats, take your dog to your vet or a professional groomer, who can use electric clippers to carefully remove them.
Sidewinding and backing up
Your dog’s sides and top are
probably the easiest areas to brush and comb. Take the slicker and brush
backward against the lay of the fur (if appropriate — otherwise, brush with the
grain), and follow up with a comb. Use detangler and mat splitters as required
for removing any mats.
No butts about it
As with the belly and underside,
your dog’s rear end can be particularly sensitive, but it’s also often the
first area where a dog may shed. Use a slicker brush first to find out how
tolerant of being touched your dog is, especially along the back legs, where
the fur may be feathered or in pantaloons, tufts of hair that make your
dog look like she’s wearing bloomers. Brush the fur against the lay (if
appropriate — otherwise, brush with the grain) and then follow up with a comb.
Use detangler solution and a mat rake if you run into any mats, but be
extremely careful around the base of the tail near the anus and around the
dog’s, um, equipment.
Handling those hind legs
Like the forelegs, your dog’s
hind legs shouldn’t require much brushing, but if your dog has feathering, you
have to comb it out. Feathering, like the hair behind the ears, tends to tangle
a lot, so use a detangler solution if needed and comb out the feathering
carefully or use a mat splitter or mat comb.
If your dog isn’t a show dog and
has feathering down his back legs, you can trim it just like you trim the front
legs. Removing the feathering makes your grooming job easier. Don’t forget to
use an electric clipper with a guarded blade, and carefully trim the feathering
back so that it’s nice and neat.
Shedding time
Some double-coated breeds shed profusely once or
twice a year. Others shed year-round. If your dog has little tufts of hair
that look like pieces of cotton candy scattered throughout his coat, he’s blowing
coat, or shedding. You can pluck out these tufts of hair, but most dogs find
that annoying. A better solution is to use a shedding blade or an undercoat
rake.
The shedding blade looks like something you’d use
on a horse. It’s a flexible piece of steel with little sawlike teeth that
catch the hairs. You can operate the blade in a one-handed U-shape configuration,
or you can keep the blade straight and use two hands. The undercoat rake is a
rake with either long sets of teeth to pull out the hair out or a dual set of
teeth that work both the undercoat and top coat.
Shedding blades need to be used carefully on
thin-coated dogs because the blades can scratch the skin. However, if you own
a thick-coated dog, you’re not likely to have this problem.
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Tweaking that dratted tail
Depending on what your dog’s tail
is like — smooth and sleek, furry, or like a plume — you may need to carefully
comb it out. If it’s short, fuggetaboutit! Otherwise, if it’s long and furry,
you need to use a comb. If you find mats in your dog’s tail, use detangler
solution and a mat splitter or mat rake.
Getting pesky fleas to flee!
During flea season, which varies from one region
to the next, you’ll be using a flea comb in addition to the other grooming
implements. After brushing, go over your dog again with a
flea comb.
Talk with your veterinarian about putting your dog
on a systemic flea-control product that’s distributed throughout your dog’s
system either in topical (spot-on) form or pill form. The topical products
are usually applied between your dog’s shoulder blades and at the base of her
tail; you feed products in pill form to your dog. These systemics have
rendered other flea-control substances virtually obsolete, except when a dog
exhibits undesirable side effects from using systemics. Ask your veterinarian
what’s right for your dog.
When using any systemic, read the directions thoroughly
and follow them carefully. Otherwise, the product may be ineffective. For
example, some topical systemics can be ineffective if your dog gets wet
shortly after you apply them. Use common sense, and if you’re not sure, ask
your vet. Also, dosages and the amount of time the systemic is effective
vary, so always have a clear understanding of the product you’re using. These
flea products often control ticks, too. Talk to your vet for other possible
tick-control solutions as needed.
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Rub-a-Dub-Dub: Washing Your Dog
One of the old wives’ tales about
grooming dogs is that you shouldn’t bathe your dog unless she’s really dirty or
stinky. The story goes that if you do, you’ll remove essential oils and dry out
her coat. This story is so prevalent among dog people that it’s repeated as a
mantra by folks who should know better, namely breeders and dog experts.
At one time, dog shampoo really
was harsh stuff that could strip a dog’s coat, leaving it feeling pretty icky.
However, today dogs enjoy some pretty decent shampoos, conditioners, cream
rinses, mousses, gels, detanglers, and just about any other hair-care products
that humans enjoy, only formulated for dogs. You’re not hurting your dog’s coat
by bathing her.
Bathing, like brushing, doesn’t
have to be a pain, but it tends to be a pretty traumatic experience for many
dogs. Most dogs try to avoid a bath when they’ve had bad experiences with it.
Again, patience is the key.
Making bath time a pleasant experience
Because most dogs hate baths, getting
your dog to a point where he actually likes them can be rough. A few tricks can
help you smooth over those rough spots when bathing your dog:
- Start young. Get your dog used to bathing as a pup. Experience is key to preventing bad bath-time behavior. In many instances, you may have to work through the bad behavior. In fact, as with grooming, in some rare cases you may have to muzzle or sedate the dog.
- Use the right tub, and give your dog easy access. If you’re using your bathtub, putting your dog in it may be as easy as walking him in. With a groomer’s tub, you may have to use a ramp or stairs to walk a big dog into it, especially if you have a bad back (or a good back and you don’t want to have a bad back). Use the sink only for small or toy-size dogs. Don’t use the shower for any dog. And although you may be tempted to use an outdoor hose for bathing, don’t. It isn’t ideal because the water is usually too cold, and the dog will get dirty all over again from being outside.
- Keep your dog in place in the tub. Most dogs don’t like to stay still in the tub, so you may want to use a special tub or bathing “noose” (available at pet stores — a poor name for a useful tool) that attaches to the tub to keep him in place. Never leave a dog alone restrained by a noose.
- Don’t hurry, and be gentle whenever possible. One bad experience can be traumatic.
- Make bathing as comfortable as possible. To prevent a painful experience, gently put some cotton balls in your dog’s ears — don’t shove them into the aural canal at the base of the ear, mind you. The cotton balls help keep water out of your dog’s inner ears.
Gathering the tools you need
Before you start to bathe your
dog, gather all the tools you need. Having everything in one place makes the
bathing process much smoother and means all the difference between a pleasant and
an unpleasant experience.
When bathing your dog, you need
the following supplies:
- pH-balanced shampoo for dogs (and possibly a pH-balanced conditioner)
- Cotton balls for ears
- Bathing noose (if required)
- Washcloth
- Blow-dryer
- Towels for drying
Tip
You may want to look into a tearless variety of shampoo if you’re not used to bathing dogs. Read the labels to find a tearless shampoo.
Scrubbing bubbles: Bathing your dog
Thoroughly brush and comb your
dog’s coat before bathing her. If you don’t brush out dogs before you bathe
them, most dogs end up with nasty tangles and mats from those scrubbing
bubbles. The same is true for a dog who’s shedding heavily. Although warm water
loosens the hair, clumps of shedded hair tend to mat and later make for a
grooming nightmare.
Some dogs’ coats require a
pre-bath clipping. After thoroughly brushing out your dog and getting rid of
all the tangles, you may need to use the clippers to lop off frizzy or flyaway
split ends so they don’t become a tangled nuisance during the wash. You can
find out more about taking just a little off the top with the clippers in
Chapter To
Clip or Not to Clip: Dog Haircuts.
1. To start, place your dog in
a tub that’s an appropriate size for your breed of dog.
2. Thoroughly wet down your
dog’s hair with lukewarm water; use a washcloth to gently wet your dog’s face.
You may like a hot shower, but that temperature is too high for your pooch. Also, some bathtubs nowadays come equipped with sprayer attachments that enable you to focus the flow of water. They’re great for soaking your dog’s coat and for being gentle around the face.
Tip
While your dog is wet but before you apply shampoo is a great time to express your dog’s anal sacs, if you were planning to do it as part of your grooming routine (see Chapter Caring for Nails, Teeth, Nose, Ears, Eyes, Face, and . . . Elsewhere — if you dare).
3. Lather up your dog’s coat
with a good pH-balanced dog shampoo, except around the face and sensitive eyes
— which you must do separately with a wet cloth (see Chapter Caring
for Nails, Teeth, Nose, Ears, Eyes, Face, and . . . Elsewhere).
4. Rinse thoroughly, sliding
your fingers along your dog’s skin so that you get out all that soap.
Soap attracts dirt, and a dog with dried soap in her hair is prone to those dreaded mats.
5. Apply a good pH-balanced
conditioner or cream rinse for dogs.
Using a conditioner that prevents tangles and also keeps the coat from drying out is a good idea for most coat types.
6. Thoroughly rinse away the
conditioner.
With regard to attracting dirt and causing mats, conditioner residues are as bad for your dog’s hair as soap residue, so rinse even better than you did in Step 4.
7. Get out those towels and
start drying.
As you squeeze the towels into the coat, look for soapy water. If you find any, go back to rinsing. The next section provides additional advice about drying your dog.
Drying
After you’ve thoroughly rinsed
your dog, dry his coat as thoroughly as possible, first using towels. Blot the
coat. Meanwhile, your dog will shake off all that excess water and then shake
some more. After toweling off and allowing for a few shakes, you can move him onto
the grooming table, if you have one, for a blow-dry and style.
Some professional groomers like
to use cage dryers, devices that attach to the outside of a cage or crate and
force warm air inside to dry your dog. Cage dryers can be efficient, but watch
your dog carefully when using them. A dog can quickly overheat in a warm area
he can’t escape.
Warning!
Whenever you use a cage dryer, never leave a dog unattended in it. Dogs have overheated and died because the groomers forgot to watch them. Unless you’re planning to open a grooming shop (or you care for several dogs), skip the cage dryer and work with the hand-held blow-dryers only.
Tip
When using a blow-dryer, make sure you use one that’s made specifically for dogs (see Figure 2-2) or one that doesn’t use any heat. Hot air from human blow-dryers is much too hot and can hurt your dog’s skin and frazzle the fur. You can use a human hair dryer on the no-heat setting to dry small dogs, but blow-dryers intended for humans don’t have enough power to handle drying a larger, long-haired dog.
Figure 2-2: Use a blow-dryer
that has a no-heat setting, like this one, made specifically for dogs.
Always thoroughly dry your dog
before you let him outside.
When your dog is dry, you need to
brush him again. At this time, you can use mousse or other leave-in coat
conditioners if you’re getting him ready for a show.
by Eve Adamson, Richard G. Beauchamp, Margaret H. Bonham, Stanley Coren, Miriam Fields-Babineau, Sarah Hodgson, Connie Isbell, Susan McCullough, Gina Spadafori, Jack and Wendy Volhard, Chris Walkowicz, M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD
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