A Tangled Pooch

How many of us dog owners brush and comb our pooch’s coat on a regular basis in-between grooms?  If you said, “never”, “not often”, or “not enough”…then you may have come across the issue of bunches of itty-bitty knots or mega-tangles in your pooch’s coat.  These knots or tangles (better known in the grooming world a “matt”) can be very obvious or not obvious and/or unsightly, but above all, an eventual painful obstacle for your pooch to a good grooming.

De-tangling (also known as de-matting) your pooch’s coat is an appropriate and necessary step to grooming your dog.  The de-matting process will take place well before the dog is bathed.  Bathing a matted dog will only make the matts worse upon drying and this will result in even more discomfort for your dog. Attempting to dry a tangled and knotted coat will result in the knot drying and result in possible pulling at the skin, if it has not already done so, causing not only irritated skin and discomfort, but poses a hazard to your dog during the grooming process. 

During the grooming process…should clippers come into contact with one of these knots of fur while trying shorten the fur, the clippers could cut into the dog’s skin presenting a new and more serious risk.

To help find the presence of matts, one should be able to run a small tooth comb through the pooch’s coat from head to tail, chest through belly as well as the underarms, hindquarters through the tail including under the tail.  The inability to do so will likely hinder not only the grooming process but the bathing phase as well.  Though, in most cases, de-matting is possible…it does come with risks and concerns…not to mention extra charges.  The added charges depend on the condition of the coat and the degree of the severity of the matts that are found. Charges are added because of the risk to the pooch, the risk of a possible dog bite to the groomer (dogs fight the process), extra wear-tear on equipment, and the time it takes a groomer to dematt or detangle a dog…so do not be upset with the added charges. They are fair and necessary charges.

Any and all grooming shops will have thier respective de-matting fee structure.  Please inquire as to thier de-matting fees and how those charges are incurred.  They may be accessed as a base rate or upon intervals of time.  In either case, be sure to ask your groomer about their particular grooming process and fees.   Ask your groomer how you can help keep your dog’s coat matt free with regular brushing including a thorough comb-through with a small tooth comb, so that when your  pooch comes in for their regular grooming you will not be surprised with… a tangled pooch and the added charge!

Dog Immuse System

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Depending on the strength of your dog’s immune system, your trips to the vet can be more frequent or less frequent. Some things about your dog’s immune system you can’t change because when your dog was born, he might have inherited a very weak or a strong immune system. If your dog has an immune system which is weak, your dog’s immune system can be strengthened to help prevent your dog from getting sick. There are three main causes why your dog’s immune system may become weak. Stress, no exercise, and a poor diet. Any or all three of these situations can cause your dog’s immune system to weaken and your dog to become ill more often.

Your dog’s diet may need different things depending on what the size of your dog is, weight, and the age of your dog. Some dog foods have been designed for particular age groups or weights. Dog food with vitamin C can help keep your dog’s immune system strong. Exercising your dog is necessary for him to become healthy and is good for his immune system. Walking your dog several times a week can help your dog maintain a health weight and keep his immune system healthy. Playing with your dog can also help reduce stress and you can also get exercise for your dog at the same time. This is a great way for getting exercise in, and it can get two of the things that cause a weaken immune system taken care of.

The amount of time you spend exercising and what you feed your dog will depend on your dog’s weight, age, and size. But the time you spend with your dog is all up to you. At least spend ten to twenty minutes a day with your dog to keep him happy and healthy. Keeping your dog’s immune system strong can help keep your dog healthy longer, and keep him alive longer.

Your Dog And The Sun

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Dogs that spend most of their time running around and playing outside have a high risk of getting sunburned and skin damage from the sun. This can be costly and lead to health issues later in your dog’s life. Short haired dogs or lighter colored fur will also increase the chance of your dog having issues with the rays of the sun. Keeping your dog inside might not be the best solution to the problem. Keeping your dog inside where he can’t run around will fill him with excess energy, and he might pick up a few bad habits if he gets bored.

There is clothings for dogs that will reflect the rays of the sun, or just regular clothing for dogs can help prevent some of the rays. But the clothing shouldn’t be too thick or keep too much heat in or else it could cause heat stroke or other problems. Another option is using some different sun screens which can prevent sunburn and other damage. Sun screen that is made for kids can also work for dogs most of the time. But sun screens with scents can sometimes cause irritation to your dog’s skin. There are also some sun screens designed for dogs that are less like to cause problems when applying it to your dog.

Even though there are ways to prevent it, there really is no way to keep the sun from posing some problems. There still is a chance that it can pose problems, but sun screens and clothing that reflects it will help prevent the chance of it harming your dog. So instead of leaving your dog locked inside the house the whole day so he is full of energy and is bored, try some sun screens and different clothings that can keep your dog safe from the rays of the sun.

Dog Hair

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Your dog’s hair is important to your dog’s health and how he looks. Dogs can sometimes get dry hair or experience increased shedding from shampoos which wash away oils your dog needs to keep his hair and skin healthy. This can be fixed by changing the shampoo you use or by adding different things to your dog’s diet.

One of the items that can increase the health of your dog’s coat is adding a raw egg to the diet. There are a few minor risks to this process, but is the easiest to do. Don’t feed your dog too many egg whites at a time or he may get sick. The other risk is salmonella. This risk is one in tens of thousands, but there is a small chance it could happen.

Fish oil is another thing which can be added to your dog’s diet to make your dog’s hair healthier. This is also another easier way to make dog’s hair better, but like the raw eggs, may take a little time to show the improvement.

If your dog can stay still for a long time while taking a bath, and you want to have an instant improvement, try using olive oil. Wet down your dog’s hair in a bath tub, put olive oil on your dog’s hair and rub it in, let it sit for about fifteen to thirty minutes, and wash the extra oil off of your dog’s coat. This way can be the biggest pain for dogs who don’t like to take a bath, but it is the fastest way to get an instant result.

The last thing that could make your dog’s hair better, is to change your dog’s dog food. Some dog foods will have more ingrediants to increase the health of your dog’s hair, but it can cost more because of the contents. This method will also take some time to show.

There are many other ways to make your dog’s hair healthier, but these are a few of the ways that are fairly easy and don’t cost a lot of money to do. But if you don’t have the time to do any of these, you could always drop your dog off at a local groomer, which can give your dog a bath and save you time.

Why Your Dog Eats Grass

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Sometimes when you take your dog out to the dog park or into your backyard, you’ll see your dog eating grass. But why does he eat it you might wonder? Dogs, both young and old, well trained and not trained,  healthy and sick, eat grass sometimes. Most of the time, your dog’s stomach is not settling well and grass will help remove that food or whatever he just ate by vomiting. If you’re going to let your dog eat grass, try to keep him from coming inside and vomiting. If you don’t want him to do that, try to limit his ability to eat grass outside. Or you may end up with a mess or two.

Your dog eating grass can be good, and yet bad at the same time. If your dog has not been feeling well after eating something, this will help get rid of it. But if your dog goes and eats some grass that has just been covered with fertilizers or any other type of products made from chemicals, it can lead to worse things if eaten. So if you happen to let your dog eat grass as a usual practice, make sure you know it’s safe for him to eat it. The best place, if your going to let your dog eat grass, is in your back yard. This way, you’ll know if it’s safe for him to eat the grass or if it isn’t.

Your dog eating grass isn’t a bad thing, it can be a good thing. It is a natural instinct for your dog to eat grass. Just watch out for your dog eating grass that could be poison to him, otherwise he should be fine.

Submissive Urination And How To Stop It

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Some dogs will get excited when you come home or go to greet him, and he will roll over or squat and pee. This is good and bad. It shows that you are more dominant, but your dog still pees on the floor. Submissive urination can sometimes lead to your dog thinking that it’s alright to pee in that spot. There are a few ways to deal with this situation, and there are many different things that will cause your dog to do this.

Loud sounds (especially yelling), making eye contact, and/or bending over to pet your dog are a few of the things that can cause your dog to pee from submissive urination and should be avoided at all costs. One of the things that you should do when you open a door to greet your dog is to walk past your dog and try to walk to a spot which your dog can pee in. Call your dog to come to you once you are at one of those spots. There you should try to get your dog to go to the bathroom so he will not pee from submissive urination.

Another way to prevent it is to not let your dog drink too much water. Especially if he has been stuck in a room for hours and needs to go to the bathroom. But remember to not yell at your dog if he does pee out of submissive urination. This could also lead to him peeing again. And don’t stop to pet your dog if he has been in a room for hours. Just walk away to a spot which he can go in and call him to you so he can go to the bathroom before you pet him.

There are many other ways that you can train your dog to prevent submissive urination in a spot which your dog shouldn’t go in. These are just tips on what can cause your dog to do this, and how to prevent it. So if you find another way that works, stick with it.

 

Potty Training Your Dog

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Training your dog to go to the bathroom in the right spot is one of the important things that a pet parent has to teach to his dog. Getting your dog to go outside instead of inside on the furniture or the floor can save you the time of cleaning and save money on supplies to clean it up. But in the beginning of training your dog where to go potty, you will need some supplies to get out stains just in case. It is best that you train your dog yourself so he is familiar with his surroundings and will have a better idea on where to go. But if you can’t teach him yourself, you could take him to a local boarding place that offers training courses that will teach your dog to go outside to use the bathroom or other tricks.

If you decide to teach your dog yourself then you should start off with taking him outside or to the spot where you want him you go to the bathroom. You can tell if your dog needs to go out if he starts to sniff around a lot. This tends to be a sign of needing to go to the bathroom. Once outside or at that spot, you will probably have to wait a second or so for him to find a spot. Once your dog is going to the bathroom in a good spot, you should reward him with a treat or praise him. This will speed up the the learning process. After a while, your dog should remember where to go, and it will be much easier to get him to go.

The best way to train your dog is to teach him yourself when it comes to potty training him, or when it comes to teaching him any type of trick. But yet if you can’t train him yourself, you could find a boarding place that may offer training which may take a bit longer for your dog to learn if your not training him, but will save you the time of having to wait and train him.

How to Keep Your Dog Healthy

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Keeping your dog healthy is one of the most important responsibilities a dog owner has. Exercise is a important part of your dog’s health, however, where you live and the type of job you have can effect the amount of exercise that your dog can get. If you work eight hours a day, work down town or far away from work, or if you have a apartment where residences are built close together and you can barely find some grassy area, let alone walk your dog, he probably won’t get a lot of exercise. But if you live in the country area or have a large yard or any yard, he will get a lot more exercise. One thing you could do to get your dog to get more exercise if he lives in the city, is to drop him off at a local doggie day care center that will take care of your dog during certain hours like a babysitter. Usually they will let your dog roam around freely and get some exercise for him. Even though it costs some money, it save you the time and trouble of trying to do this yourself.

The next important thing that effects your dog’s health is diet. Your dog shouldn’t be fed a lot of people food or this can lead to a poor diet and to poor health. If you feed him too much, this will also lead to health problems. For smaller dogs you should feed them about a half a cup of food to about one cup of food twice a day to keep them healthy. For medium sized dogs, this will be about one cup to one and a half cups twice a day, and for large dogs, about one and a half cups twice a day should work. This is a good estimate of what your dog should eat every day.

The two important things that affects your dog’s health is exercise and diet. (These are also the two main things that effects people’s health.) Even though it can seem like a pain to get your dog exercise that he needs, it can also help you stay in good health, too. And as for diet, if the amount I recommended  here results in your dog gaining too much weight, cut down by about a half cup, and if he loses too much, add about a half cup until it is perfect.

Clipping Your Dog Nails

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Clipping your dog’s nails can be easy or difficult depending on how your dog acts. If you try holding your dog still and he keeps moving while you’re clippin his nails, you will probably need something to stop the bleeding if you cut too close to the vein which lies within the nail. If your dog is calm, you still may need something to help stop your dog’s nail from bleeding, but it will be much less likely to happen. Every once in a while your dog’s nails will need to be cut, and you will know if he keeps scratching you with them.

In a white or clear nail, you will see a pink area inside your dog’s nail. This is a vein with a nerve next to it (if you can see it inside the nail). This is a area not to cut. If you do this it will cause him to start bleeding if you cut it. If you can’t see the pink inside the nail because the nail is black, you should cut the nail just about where it begins to curve then you are less likely to cut that pink spot. You will see a little white dot if you look into the nail after you clip it. Once you see the white dot, stop clipping the nail or you will make the nail bleed.

There are couple different types of nail clipper for dogs. There are ones that are hand powered. Basically clippers that you control how far away, or how close you want it, and you clip it. These will have a higher chance of cutting too close to the vein, but can be a bit quicker if you use then right for cutting. The other types of nail cutters are the electronic type. One that will run usually on a battery as a power source, and have a lower chance of cutting too close to the vein. It takes a bit longer to cut your dog’s nails with this. It can also act like the hand operated ones with how close or far you want it, but the shorter you want the nail, the longer it takes.

It tends to take around four to six minutes to cut your dog’s nails if nothing goes wrong, and your dog behaves well. But if you happen to need your dog’s nails cut, get him a bath, and brushed, you could take him to you local groomer and save some time while your out working, or doing something else. This way you could get multiple things done, and you won’t have to deal with doing this yourself. And the groomer will usually do a better job because he has everything he needs there to groom your dog, and if anything goes wrong, he will be able to fix it usually with a powder called QuikStop. Even though it is a little extra cost, it is worth it to take your dog to a groomer.

Brushing Your Dog

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Brushing, one might consider this the biggest pains of grooming your dog, but it is the best way to keep your dog from getting hair on almost every part of your house. It is best to wait until your dog is at least around three or four months of age old to start brushing him to keep from hurting his skin as it may be sensitive. The difference between the amount of time you should brush your dog will depend on how long his hair is and how many times you take your dog out to the dog park and areas like that as grass and thorns may get caught in his fur.

For short-haired dogs that are taken out to the park about once a week or less, you should at least brush their hair once a week or twice a month to reduce the hair from getting everywhere. A good idea would be to brush your dog right after you get home from the dog park to reduce the dirt in his hair from spreading. If you take your dog out to the dog park three or more times a week, you should brush him every three to four days, or about four to eight times a month.

For long-haired dogs, you will need to brush them more often because long hair  can pick up more dirt after going to a place like the dog park. Long-haired dogs that go to the park about once or twice a week should have their hair brushed about every time after going to park. For long-haired dogs that go to the park about three or more times a week, they should have their fur brushed about two or three times a week.

Be careful of areas around the ears and the eyes, mainly the eyes if you happen to use a wire brush. And after brushing your dog, if you have the time, it would be a good idea to give him a bath to get rid of the extra dead hair and dirt that you couldn’t get out during brushing them. Now if you happen to be busy most of the time and don’t have the time to brush your dog yourself, you could take your dog to your local groomer to get him brushed while you are at work, or while you are away. This will save you the trouble of having to spend the time, and the groomer will probably do a better job because of he/she does this for a living.

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