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The grooming of your dog is not merely a matter of making him look presentable - there is the wider implication of keeping him in good health through a regular process of grooming. Lack of grooming can cause medical problems such as yeast infections caused by matted hair or a painful and irregular gait caused by the failure to clip his nails regularly.

Dog Grooming is therefore of the utmost importance for the overall health of your dog. And, of course, you want him to have a well-groomed look when your neighbors catch sight of him, don't you? The first aspect of grooming will involve brushing your dog thoroughly and regularly. This is the most important part of grooming your dog. Should you neglect this essential feature of dog grooming, mats will form which, over time, will become totally unmanageable. Specially when your dog is wet after a bath or having run through a shower, these matted areas become impossible to brush, and your dog will present an unkempt appearance. And aside from the cosmetic point of view, they represent a health hazard as bacteria may form between the matted area and the skin and cause a yeast infection.

What you have to keep in mind while grooming your dog is that the regular brushing that you give him must serve the dual purpose of removing loose hair from his body and also of distributing oils from his skin throughout his coat. If yours is a short haired dog, an ordinary hair brush or even glove will do, but if he is a long haired variety, you may need a pin brush or an undercoat rake to brush him properly. Next come the bath. Any book or article on "How to Groom a Dog" will tell you that this is the most difficult part of dog grooming. Prepare for it with care. It will take a lot out of you physically because you will have to bend over for a good half an hour at least while you shampoo your dog thoroughly and then rinse the soap off after which you will have to blow-dry him or towel him dry. Each dog breed has a uique dog coat, so the amount of time it takes to dry some dogs may take longer.

First, put your dog inside the tub but have a non-skid surface for him to stand on. If you don't, he will keep skidding on the soapy water and not only will he lose confidence and get frightened of the ordeal, but you will also have a major problem in keeping him still. You can get rubber runners which your local hardware store will sell by the yard and this will be the cheapest and the most effective way to keep him standing securely. Wet him down thoroughly with a shower head or a hose and then shampoo him. Take it by areas of his body, squirt the shampoo on that area and then use your hands to spread the shampoo. Remember, dog grooming requires your dog to be cleaned thoroughly with soap and water regularly and this is the way you have to do it. After shampooing, thoroughly rinse him till all the shampoo is washed off and then either towel dry him or use a blow dryer if his coat is too thick.

The final advice about grooming your dog is the clipping of his nails. Unless you do this at least once a month, nails can grow to enormous lengths, causing your dog's gait to get affected. Special dog nail clippers are available and you should use these to clip his nails, trimming a small amount of nail each month so that you do not hit a blood vessel. Dog Grooming is a serious and physically tiring business and you must be prepared to regularly undergo this exercise. A healthy and well groomed dog will however make you feel that it's been worth it.

All articles Copyright 2008 Animaroo.com