Your dogs coat is one of his most valuable assets, it keeps him warm in winter, and his moulting keeps him cool in spring and summer.
1. His coat protects his skin from many cuts and scratches, it is next to his skin were the essential oils are kept, without these oils the dog would be prone to illness.
2. From a very early age his mother has groomed him, it has been proven that his mothers tongue stimulates the blood flow, helping with aspects of the pups growth.
3. So your dog was taught the skill of grooming by his mother he will continue to do this for the rest of his life.
It is a natural part of a dogs life to self groom, if he was to live in the wild with a pack of dogs they would groom each other, as do wolves.
It is the only way the dog can keep his fur healthy, it helps to remove snags, clears debris out of the fur and most importantly can get rid of parasites. These are very dangerous to the dog they can result in serious illness as they bore into the pets skin, and they will in human skin as well folks if given the chance.
When living in a house with as far as the dog is concerned us pack members, they need help to keep their coat healthy.
Buy a soft dog brush and a flea comb, there are dozens of brands to choose from.
Always brush with the grain of the coat, the purpose of this grooming is to get rid of the dead hair before, it covers you, your visitors and your furniture.
If you can it is better to start grooming your dog at an early age, because not all dogs like the thought of being brushed, and they may snap at you.
When I have had a pet who does not appreciate what I am doing for it I find the best way before grooming is to take him for a long walk. Let him run himself silly the more tired he is when you get home the better, feed him and give him a drink of water, the dog will be more relaxed this way.
When he is laid down place the grooming tools next to him, let him have a sniff but don’t use the brush just yet.
Stroke the dog full length of his body you will see him get even more relaxed, try not to let him see you pick up the brush, using light light strokes start to brush him.
Strengthen the brush strokes remember the idea is to get rid of dead hair but if he is getting agitated stop, eventually he will realise you are not going to hurt him just persevere folks, he will come around I’m sure my bulldog has a smile on his face when I am grooming him.
If his coat seems to have lost some of its sheen, have a careful look at his diet before rushing to see the vet.
Sometimes dog food manufacturers change the ingredients, and it could be he is just missing something.
I often tell our clients to mix a spoonful of vegetable oil in the dogs food a couple of times a week, you will be amazed how quickly he will get a nice sheen back.
Apply flea powder at regular intervals, if your dog has fleas so does your house so prevention is the best cure.
So now you know, go on get your dog used to grooming folks it is not only relaxing for him, you are doing a worthwhile job, and keeping your pet healthy at the same time.