As each season changes so does your dog. Long coats, short coats, double coats they all change! You will find fur in corners on your floor, all over your clothes, on your beloved comfortable couch and floating in the air. It’s nature at its best and part of the cycle of life.
What to do:
Well, you can never get rid of shedding no matter how hard you try, But you can help slow down to a comfortable minimum how much your little, or big guy leaves all over your house. If you would like to try and do this yourself at home, here are a few tips:
- First use a good slicker brush and comb on your dog, then it’s time for a bath, you should go buy professional grade products from your groomer, remember NO HUMAN SHAMPOOS OR BABY SHAMPOOS that’s very important. Massage the shampoo in very well then after you rinse follow that with a good conditioner.
- Now the fun part begins, Depending on your dogs coat, you must comb and brush his coat as you are drying it (yes use a hair dryer). If you have a short coated dog (boxer, greyhound…the list goes on), you don’t need to worry much about this. Continuously brushing and combing as you are drying will help you keep mats from forming as well as rid your dog from his undercoat.
- Brush and comb your dog daily to weekly depending on the breed and coat style. You can buy a leave in conditioning spray for dog’s coats to help you with your ritual of brushing and combing. You can do this outside on your deck to keep the hair out of your house, unless you would like to vacuum for days.
- Brushing and combing a dog with a long coat or one with a double coat is a never ending battle and you must be prepared to do this very often to help out your dog as well as your house!
A Different Alternative:
If your dog sheds or knots easily, you might want to consider taking him in to see a professional groomer. Nothing can completely eliminate natural shedding, but if you bring him in to have a grooming every 3 to 6 weeks ,depending on your dogs shedding rituals, it will relieve the stress of cleaning your house every hour as well as keeping your dogs coat under control and manageable. Some breeds seem to shed all the time and may need professional grooming all year-round.
Company is coming and my dog is a mess!
Every year, it never fails. You are busy preparing dinner, wrapping presents, dressing your table, baking, whatever the case may be, it’s holiday time! But wait! You forgot about “Muffin” and she is a mess! Dogs in general are very social and love people, so when you are having some sort of gathering they will want to be involved. Of course remembering your little one among the long list of other chores you must get accomplished would be ideal and pre-booking your grooming appointment to have her groomed is best, but if you are running short of time and can not seem to get a last minute appointment, here are a few tips:
- Start with a good brushing to get rid of any loose hair. If your dog has long hair, it will take time to gently comb out any tangles. A leave in conditioning and untangling spray can help make this task more comfortable for your little friend. After generously brushing through the coat, use a slicker brush to make sure that all the knots and shedding hair have been taken out. Go over your dogs brushed hair with a comb to make sure all the knots have been taken out.
- Shampoo and condition. Your dog can not be ready for a party with out a good bath to smell nice. Please Do not use your hair products on your pet. Animal's skin and hair are very different from human's skin and hair, so only use hair products specially made for pets. Using a good pet conditioner after the shampoo will make the coat feel nice as well as help you out with maintaining it while drying. Towel dry thoroughly, brush, and then continue to dry with a hair dryer in combination with brushing and combing. If you use a standard home hair dryer, be aware that it is very easy to burn your pet. Hold it away from the skin and move it continuously from side to side while brushing to prevent one spot of overheating.
- Trim nails. To finish the groom you must provide your dog with a pedicure. Use only proper nail clippers made for your pet, and clip off a small amount at a time. Be prepared with a styptic product in case you do clip into the blood vessel or better known as the “quick”. If you do not have styptic powder you can use corn starch or flour to stop the bleeding.
- Add a special collar bow or bandana and your pet is ready for company! This entire process can take several hours, if you know you will be busy finalizing your preparations and you will not have time for this, you should make sure to pre-book your dogs appointment for grooming. However, don't wait for the last minute to make an appointment; Pet Groomers are extremely busy during the holidays. So make sure you call for your appointment well in advanced.
