Keeping A Puppy Nicely Groomed

Grooming your puppy is about a lot much more than just keeping your puppy looking his vert best. Taking care of his fur, skin and nails is also good for his well being. For that reason, you need to begin frequently grooming your puppy as soon as he comes into your house. At first, he may be resistant to becoming physically fussed over. But if you do it gently, with lots of praise and warmth when he holds still and of course a special doggie treat when he lets you finish, soon it will become a routine that he really looks forward to. And the results will please you so much that you will look forward to it, too.

Get a good quality brush and comb from your local pet supply store and set up a schedule of brushing your puppy’s coat once or twice a week. Breeds with longer and curlier hair will require more brushing, whilstmay get by on less. Brushing and combing cleans dirt and loose hair and dead skin from your puppy’s fur.

This may prevent the “matting” of the fur into hopelessly knotted clumps of hair that need special conditioners to unravel and in the worse instances must be sheared off. Brushing also stimulates the blood vessels beneath the skin, making the skin healthier and also the coat above it much more lustrous.

Regular baths are also a part of good puppy grooming. Just how regular, of course, varies greatly from puppy to puppy. Lengthy haired breeds again require more such attention than shorter haired breeds. Life style issues play a large component in that choice also. Puppies with a vigorous outdoor life will get dirtier than the more indoor-oriented “lap dogs,” and therefore will need much more baths. And lastly, there’s the simple question of what puppy owners think about clean (and just how much of a “doggy” odor they can live with). A minimum of one bath every month or so is reasonable for most puppies.

Keep your puppy’s nails trimmed. When carried out properly, it’s no more painful for the puppy than clipping your own finger and toe nails is for you. Ask your veterinarian to show you the correct technique. Like all habits you wish to ingrain for a lifetime, start trimming your puppy’s nails when he is very young so he gets used to what can be an awkward and tedious procedure for the both of you until it becomes yet one more part of a normal grooming routine.

Pet Place provides resources on how you can choose which puppy to buy and how to take care of puppies.