Dog Grooming Helps Promote Good Dog Health

As mentioned above, it all starts with good dog grooming. If you want your dog to have a healthy coat of fur, you should groom him every day. You do not have to bathe him every day. A bath every

four to six weeks is generally recommended to keep a dog’s skin and coat healthy. Bathing a dog too often will remove the natural oils in his skin and coat and have a drying out effect to his skin.

Bathing a dog can be a tedious dog grooming process where you can end up getting wet along with your dog, but it can be quite fun once you get the hang of it. Bathing your dog at home in the tub or shower is always and option. Or, you can take your dog to the groomer and have them bathe your dog for you, or you can go to a do-it-yourself dog wash.

When you bathe your dog, use a hose or a detachable shower head and wet him thoroughly with warm water. Next, apply dog shampoo and work up a lather, starting from his chest to the top of his head, down his back and tail and then to his legs. Be careful not to get any of that shampoo in his eyes or ears.

Also, be sure to use a dog shampoo for your dog rather than your own shampoo. Shampoo for human hair only works on human hair; it is actually harsh and irritating to doggie skin. Dog shampoo, on the other hand, is specifically formulated for dog grooming, designed to suit the sensitivity of the skin and fur of dogs. For an added sheen and softness to your dog’s fur, a dog conditioner also works wonders.

Next, rinse your dog after shampooing and conditioning his fur. Rinse your dog thoroughly and make sure that there are no leftover soap suds on your dog’s skin, or else the soap may cause some irritations. He might also end up licking at the leftover soap on his skin, and that is always a cause of concern that merits a vet’s attention if it does happen.

Once you are done bathing your dog, dry him thoroughly by patting all the excess water out of his fur using a towel. If your dog has short hair, you can leave him to air-dry his fur out completely. But if your dog is the type that has thick or long fur, you may need to dry his fur out with the use of a hair dryer. It is very important to never use the high heat setting of your hair dryer on your dog or you can burn your dog’s skin. Set your hair dryer to cool or warm when drying your dog’s coat.

Dog grooming does not end with bathing, however. To give your pooch the full dog grooming home-style treatment, you need to make a ritual out of combing or brushing his fur once it is completely dry. Brushing your dog’s fur will remove the snags and tangles if your dog has long hair. And, prevent the coat from developing mats.  Brush your dog every day, even on days when you are not giving your dog a bath.

Of course, you can always give your dog some delicious pampering and save yourself all the mess of a bath at home by taking your dog to a dog grooming salon.

Remember that a shiny coat is not just for the sake of aesthetics on a dog. A shiny coat for a dog is a strong indicator of a good dog health. As much as good dog grooming can do the job, it is not enough.

Good nutrition also plays a large role towards promoting good dog health. If a dog gets all the nutrients that his body needs, then definitely he will get a shiny coat. If you love your dog, you will not skimp on the cost of dog food. True enough, not all dog foods are good for your dog and there are some cheap dog food brands out there made up of cheap, low-quality ingredients and fillers such as beet pulp. So you can be sure that your dog is eating good food, read the ingredient label and do not skimp on buying quality dog food. Or, you can always cook up your own dog food to feed your pooch.

If after regular dog grooming and regular feeding of high-quality food and your dog still does not display a shiny coat, it means that there is some other issue that is wrong with his system such as food allergies causing skin issues.  Your dog may not be in such a high level of good health as you may have guessed. In this case, it is time to go to the vet.