Stop Bad Habits of Good Dogs

Grooming your dog should be a relaxing experience for you and your dog. But to insure that it is, there are several things that you should not allow to become bad habits. Once these simple mistakes are made, it can make the grooming procedures difficult at best.

Let's start with brushing. Taking out tangles before the bath will save time and pain for both of you. A wet mat will be much more difficult to detangle. Control of the dog is key to making brushing a pleasure. Set up a routine for your dog to know that it is brushing time. I often recommend to my customers to pull out the brush, turn on the TV, and gently brush their young puppy while he is lying down and as they watch their favorite shows.

The bad habit comes when you allow your dog to move around while you brush. Have him lie still on his side. Training him to stay still can be easily accomplished by beginning with petting your dog while he lies on his side. Introduce the brush and only brush where there are no tangles to pull. Once you have him confidant that he won't be hurt, he will love the attention and you can begin to untangle mats. Place the brush or comb at the ends of the hair and work to remove knots closer in until you reach his skin. Stubborn mats may require additional tools such as a mat splitter to separate the hair to comb through. If he gets up and wants to get away, you can use his leash and collar to secure him. Do not give into his heart wrenching whines as he will learn to use the smallest of discomforts to get you to stop by putting on the performance of his life. Never let him bite or play with the brush. It is not a toy.

Next comes the bathing. A clean dog is much easier to groom than a dirty dog. The mistake people make is to allow a longhaired dog to air dry. The coat will almost always mat up tighter than it was before bathing. Always rinse thoroughly. It is key to having a shining soft coat. If you have ever had your dog to a groomers, you have probably wondered what they do to make such a difference in the texture of his coat. It is no secret, really. Make sure to use a crème rinse and towel dry well before laying him down to be blown dry with a hand dryer. Brushing the coat while drying will guarantee that you find all the tangles, will thoroughly dry him, and will give his coat plenty of body. Everyone will think you spent a fortune at the groomers to achieve the same results.

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