Why Regular Grooming Is A Must For Healthy Dogs
Many dog owners get so busy in their daily lives that they tend to slack off when it comes to performing regular grooming on their dogs. However, it’s important to make grooming a regular part of your dog’s activities, and doing so will be helpful for both you and your dog.
Regular grooming will help reduce the amount of hair that ends up on your clothes and furniture. It will also allow you time to bond with your dog since you will be brushing and petting him during the session. Grooming time is also an excellent opportunity to look over your dog’s body and spot any troubling signs like skin abnormalities or signs of possible infection.
We must caution you however, that dog grooming is unlikely to work miracles when it comes to a dog who does a lot of shedding. The length of the dog’s hair and the amount of shedding should play a considerable role when you choose a dog breed. Some dogs will shed much more than others. For example, if you have a Komondor (or even a Golden retriever), it will be much more demanding than a short-haired Chihuahua.
Make sure to consider a dog’s future grooming needs when it comes time to choose your puppy. You have to remember that the dog will have certain characteristics by nature, regardless of how often you brush his hair. With many dog breeds, you need to be comfortable with some level of hair if you plan to keep your dog inside the house.
What kind of equipment will you need for your dog grooming? How much will all this cost? Well, that really depends on your particular goals. If you intend to participate in dog shows and are really serious about winning trophies, you can expect to have all kinds of expensive instruments including scissors, nail clippers, nail files, forceps, and many other items. You can easily spend hundreds of dollars just for a professional pair of scissors!
Having A Budget For Dog Grooming
Of course, most dog owners will not be able to spend this kind of money and will really have no need for this kind of professional grooming supplies. Nevertheless, you want to buy a pretty good piece of equipment that will last a long time and provide some good grooming for your dogs. For example, a good brush will typically have a comfortable handle made of wood with sturdy bristles, and metal combs are also available.
Nail trimming is an important part of your grooming activities, or at least it should be. Many people avoid this because it’s no fun for the dog owner or for the dog itself. However, doing a little bit of nail trimming each week can go a long way toward preventing problems and discomfort for your dog. An electric nail grinder tends to be more comfortable for your dogs as long as they don’t freak out over the noise.
This can save you the expense and inconvenience of having to take your dog to the veterinarian every time he needs his nails clipped. Even worse, many dog owners might simply wait until their next annual appointment which would leave the dog with long nails for quite a while.
Dog Breeds and Grooming: The joys and travails of dog shedding
This includes taking into account the dog’s exercise requirements, temperament, willingness to obey, and of course, shedding and grooming. It’s important to realize that every dog who has fur is going to shed at some point, and virtually every dog has fur, of course (one exception is the Chinese Crested who is a notable hairless critter). There seems to be a misconception among many prospective dog owners that certain kinds of dogs do not shed hair and are completely safe for allergies.
It’s certainly true that some dogs will lose far less hair than others, and these breeds will make less of a mess inside the house and will pose less of a problem for people with allergies. However, if you are particularly sensitive to dog hairs (either because of allergies or because you demand an impeccable living room), then you might want to think about a different kind of pet for your family.
Does that mean that you don’t have a choice to make when it comes to managing your dog grooming needs? No, of course not. Different breeds will have very different requirements for their grooming depending on the length and quality of their care. A boxer has fur which is much shorter than that of the Golden retriever, who in turn has shorter hair then the Collie.
Grooming A Komondor
At the far end of the spectrum, the Komondor has extremely demanding hair and looks to some cynical observers like a huge mop (due to its long cords of fur that reach to the ground). You may be surprised to learn that some breeds give up so much hair that their dog owners have decided to turn this fur into clothing like sweaters!
If you’re about to decide which kind of dog to purchase, keep these grooming needs in mind. You can reduce the amount of hair that ends up on your couch by brushing frequently, but many breeds are still going to leave significant amounts of dog hair throughout the house.
If you have a lower tolerance for the appearance of dog hair on your furniture and clothing, you might want to consider a dog that has shorter and darker hair. Of course, learning to use a lint brush on a regular basis can also be extremely helpful!
I would caution you, however, against making your decision solely on how much hair your dog sheds. For example, my family has fallen in love with golden retrievers, and I can’t see myself purchasing any other type of dog (though perhaps my future spouse and children would think differently). I’m willing to handle a moderate amount of shedding and grooming in exchange for a wonderful personality and a downright beautiful dog.