Grooming your Dog can be safer than you think!

These are tips based on the experineces at our Perth Dog Grooming Clinic and will provide some guidance to dog owners everywhere.

Unfortunately, not many people these days, see that proper grooming of their dog takes practice and is an art. Instead, they tackle areas like scraggly hair on the feet to keep their pets from tracking in mud. Other areas of the dog do not usually get groomed. Dog owners forget they can hurt their dogs in their effort to remove undesirable hair growth on the dog.

When grooming the coat of the dog, it is important to style to the breed. Dog breeds with longer hair need to be groomed in a particular way. Dirt can build up in the coat of the dog and cause skin irritations and other skin diseases. Coats that haven't been cared for correctly can be a haven for parasites and other sinsects.

You also need to trim your dog's toenails correctly to keep them from breaking accidentally and making walking painful. Nails will continue to grow and curl into the paw making it painful for the dog. Long claws will often catch on hard surfaces, causing them to split or break.

Injuries are common during the process of clipping a dog's nails - the inside of the nail may bleed when cut. Since the quick of the nail is the source of blood and the location of nerves, it's what keeps the nail healthy and growing. This area is located well back in the nail, but if the nail's been cut too short or splinters, the quick may be exposed. If the quick is exposed or damaged, this can be quite painful for the dog.

The sharpest clippers available are needed to effectively trim your dogs nails. Nail clippers purchased from a reputable pet store must be used for dogs. There are a number of great new nail clippers out there that are made to keep pain and damage to a minimum.

Clipping your dog in winter should be avoided. Your dogs coat provides insulation to the dog in cold and wintery environments. Remember that humans aren't the only ones to get frostbite.

Never cut your pet's hair too short in the summer, either. The dogs coat also acts as a sun screen to the suns harmful rays. The coat helps to maintain the dogs temperature in warm and cold conditions. A slight cut will be fine, but make sure you leave enough fur to protect your dog.

Unhealthy dogs, need the protection of their coat and so any grooming should be minimised. The reason for this is because grooming can cause additional stress and so, must be done when absolutely necessary.

Taking your dog for regular walks is a good way of keeping their nails short naturally. This allows the nails to gradually be worn down. It naturally controls the length of the nails, keeping you and your pet from needing to deal with nail clippers.

To get the best results, you are always best to secure a professional dog groomer, who can clip and style the dog to suit it's breed.


The Perth Dog Groomer
Perth's Leading Dog Grooming specialist