Grooming your pooch is an obvious must. He can get dirty by playing in your yard, running through mud or simply from the natural oils his skin secretes. If he is not bathed, his skin can get clogged and his fur matted with debris and dirty, making his physical condition dangerous and greatly uncomfortable for him.
Grooming, however does not need to be a nightmare for the two of you! You can seek the services of a groomer, through doing your own grooming is not only cost effective but also helps build a trusting relationship with your dog.
When your dog does not actually need a bath, make a training game using the bathtub. You can start off just by having her to sit, lay down, or perform tricks beside the bath tub for some yummy treats. Then, move to her inside the bath tub with no water and do the same. This lets her associate the tub with fun activities. Once she’s comfortable, add some lukewarm water, about an inch deep to the tub and just hand her small little treats without making her do anything. She will become happy to have a bath in no time!
If your dog is double coated or has fluffy fur, you will need to provide daily to weekly brushing to keep him from getting matted! You should sit with your dog in a comfortable place and position. On your living room is a great start, or maybe he’s most comfy sitting in his bed. Use a dog comb or brush to gently run over the top coat. Do this a couple times while calmly talking to him. Keep the sessions short and relaxing. He will eventually see brushing the same as you do a professional massage!
Keeping those nails at a comfortable length is not something you can skip out on! Nail trimming can be the most difficult tasks a dog owner needs to do. Many dogs don’t like to have their feet touched and even more dislike the feel of pressure put on the nail as the clippers cut through the nail tip. You can ease your dog into this by picking up his paws, one at a time and gently squeezing the paw. Give him a treat each time he lets you do this. Then, move on to squeezing each nail and treating each time. He will no longer fear that odd sensation of a pedicure!
If you take things slow and easy with your dog, and make each grooming session a positive experience for you him you will have a clean, beautiful friend you can be proud of. Compliments are sure to ensue!
