Brushing Your Dog: The Key
to Getting that Beautiful Coat
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here for our grooming services
Brushing removes dead hair from the
coat before it mats, stimulates the skin and evenly
distributes the natural oils over the coat. This allows
the individual hairs to lie more smoothly, look shinier
and repel dirt.
Try to spend just a few minutes every day or so brushing
the coat instead of waiting until the coat is tangled
then trying to demat it. You and your pet will be
happier for it.
Puppies and brushes
Puppies, are constantly shedding their puppy coat.
They should get used to being groomed and handled
as soon as they come into the home. If your puppy
just "won't hold still long enough" to be
brushed, groom in short sessions and just brush a
small section at a time until the puppy gets used
to being brushed. Talk to him softly and treat him
gently. And as with all pets, remember to praise him
quietly if he's still. End the brushing session on
a positive note, like when he's being still.
What should your grooming session consist
of?
-
Remove all mats before bathing
your pet.
Getting a tangled, matted coat wet will cause the
coat to mat up even more. Water tends to tighten
the mat, shampoo gets caught in the mat and is hard
to rinse out, drying shrinks it into an even tighter
knot.
You can make the brushing and dematting process
easier on yourself and your pet if you dampen the
coat before brushing with a coat conditioner or
tangle remover. Brushing a dry coat will cause static
electricity that will damage and break off the ends
of the hair. Spray the coat well with the conditioner
and allow it to sit on the dog for several minutes
-- or apply it to each layer as you brush. These
are especially helpful when working with dogs with
long, flowing coats, such as the Maltese, Lhasa
Apso, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier and Yorkshire Terrier.
-
Brush your pet's hair layer
by layer so that it pulls the least on the skin.
Hold the unbrushed hair down, just above the section
of hair you want to brush. This allows you to brush
layer by layer, working in the direction of the
hair growth. If you find a knot of hair, hold the
hair at the base of the mat so that it doesn't pull
on the pet's skin as much.
Watch your pet's body language as you brush and
demat. No pet enjoys having their skin tugged at.
Try to brush a little more gently if your pet shows
discomfort. Brush burn is the result of applying
excessive force when brushing the coat, and can
be caused when hair is tugged too aggressively,
or from brush bristles harshly scraping the skin.
This abrasiveness causes the skin of the pet to
become irritated, and could lead to dermatitis.
So be firm, yet gentle, when brushing your pet.
-
Brush the head last.
Pets tend to object less to those things they can't
see. The head is a sensitive area for many pets,
and you want to keep the pet comfortable as long
as possible. Therefore, starting at the rear is
less stressful on the pet.
-
Combing: The final step
in brushing.
The final step in brushing is to go through the
coat using a fine/medium toothed comb, checking
for any mats that may still be in the coat.
Poodles and other "non-shedding"
breeds
Most people believe that Poodles do not shed. This,
however, is a myth, because Poodles do shed their
dead hair just as most breeds do. Poodles have a dense
undercoat that is course and curly. The dead hair
actually gets caught in the undercoat and is unable
to fall out through the coat. This causes the coat
to mat easily if dead hair is not removed frequently
by brushing.
Puppy Paradise grooming services
Need help with brushing? Don't worry! Stop by the
grooming department at a Puppy Paradiseand talk to
one of our professional groomers. They'll be glad
to answer any questions you have about grooming your
dog. Or bring your puppy by just to say "Hi"
and get acquainted with the grooming environment.
If you prefer to let the pros handle the grooming,
then you can make an appointment to get your friend
all spruced up and looking great in no time.
Click
here for our grooming services
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