Regular grooming of your puppy is very important. Not only are good grooming practices beneficial to the puppy’s well being; regular grooming will save you a lot of housecleaning time because you’ll have a lot less loose hair to deal with.
Some may look at summertime as a season when you can cut the puppy’s hair short. While that may help cut down on the loose hair that wafts around the floors of your home, it is not necessarily the best thing for your dog. Whether or not to cut a puppy’s hair in the summer is a rather controversial subject.
Some veterinarians and groomers recommend shaving the dog to help keep him or her cooler in the summer. Others claim that it can actually be detrimental to your puppy to cut the hair in the summertime.
While your puppy’s long hair may look hot and bothersome, some experts say that longhaired dogs benefit from the full coat because it helps to insulate the dog’s skin from sunshine. Some believe that shaving a puppy or adult dog increases the risk of skin cancer, especially in breeds such as chow chows that have double undercoats.
It is up to you as a pet owner to decide if cutting your puppy’s hair is a good idea. Consider the climate the puppy lives in and how much time the puppy spends outdoors when making your decision on whether or not to cut a dog’s hair.
Once the decision is made, it is a good idea to start grooming – brushing, combing, and bathing when necessary – your puppy as soon as you bring him or her home. By introducing your puppy to the necessities of bathing and brushing early, you will have less trouble when the he or she develops into a larger adult dog.
There is no doubt that regular brushing is important, especially in summer time. Remove the loose hair to avoid matting. This in itself will help keep the puppy cooler.
The grooming session is a good time to examine your puppy. On a weekly basis, be sure to look in the puppy’s ears and mouth and check the body for sores or lumps. Check his or her paw pads for cracks or injuries. Check for fleas and ticks at least once a day.
When brushing, start with a slicker brush, which is constructed of fine wires spaced close together. The wires are bent or hooked. These brushes are ideal for removing matted hair, as well as unwanted debris.
Pin brushes, which have a bed of widely spaced wires that resemble straight pins, are another alternative and they are good for working through tangles. Although the wires are often tipped with plastic, these brushes can irritate the skin of puppies that have short hair.
The final step in the hair grooming process is to use a bristle brush and/or metal comb. Bristle brushes work very well with longhaired dogs and will leave the puppy’s coat smooth and shiny.
When dealing with matted hair or tangles, be gentle. Work through a small section at a time. If the knots are severe, be sure to give the puppy plenty of breaks.
Be sure to praise the puppy throughout the grooming process. Offer treats as a positive reinforcement.
Related posts:
- Common Puppy Grooming Tools
- Time Savers – Grooming Early On
- Different Brushes to Use for Different Coats
