Regularly grooming your dog can have incredible benefits, both for you and your pet. Unfortunately, grooming your pup is rarely as easy of a task as you’d hope. However, whether you groom your dog yourself or you have a professional take care of this task, there are a handful of specific grooming habits you need to make sure to work into your schedule.
Bathing
With the exception of times when your dog needs a good bath after getting dirty, most dogs only need a bath every 2 – 4 months. Anything more frequent than that could dry out your pup’s skin and do damage to his or her fur. When you do give your dog a bath, make sure that you’re using shampoo that is designed specifically for dogs. Human shampoo can contain chemicals that are damaging to a dog’s skin and coat, so you want to make sure that you are picking a product that will help your dog’s coat look its best!
Brushing
Unlike bathing your dog, which should be done infrequently, brushing your dog frequently is a great way to keep their coat looking great. Brushing your dog will help remove dead hair, can reduce shedding indoors, and can help prevent your dog’s fur from matting, especially in medium and long-haired dogs. There are lots of different dog brushes you can use, including specialized brushes that are meant to help address problems like shedding, which can help to enhance the benefits that you’ll get from regularly brushing your dog.
Trimming Your Dog’s Feet
Your dog’s feet are the part of their body that is likely to get dirty fastest, which is why keeping their paws neat and trimmed is so important. If the fur around your dog’s paws grows too long, they are more likely to have mats in their fur, get foreign objects stuck in their fur, and drag dirt and other debris into your home.
Cleaning Your Dog’s Teeth
Not only will regular dental care help your dog’s teeth look great, but it can also prevent significant dental problems down the line, including gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth extraction. Additionally, regular dental care will keep your pup’s breath smelling great, too!