How to properly brush a dog?

Regular dog grooming is as much a manifestation of your love and responsibility as proper nutrition or fun walks. And the key word here is regular!

Wool helps the pet survive the cold and heat. But in order for her to cope with the task, she must be properly looked after. The coat must be clean, dry, without tangles, otherwise problems may occur.

Dogs have different types of coats, which need to be cared for in different ways. Alas, there are dog owners who have never picked up a comb and ran it through their fur. Don’t join their ranks!

Well, it’s like brushing your teeth in the morning and combing your hair for a man. This is a necessary hygiene, not observing which you can spoil your appearance and undermine your health.

Tangled, lifelessly hanging strands do not warm well in winter and create the effect of a greenhouse in summer. An untidy coat can turn into a dense hard cover that can disrupt blood circulation, hide skin damage and dermatological problems: dermatitis, urticaria, irritation, dandruff. With such wool, it is more difficult for owners to detect a tick on a dog, to cope with fleas

Together with dead hair during combing, dust, debris, dandruff, excrement and insect eggs that have fallen on the dog during walks are removed. With regular procedures for cleansing wool, the unpleasant smell of “dog” also disappears.

The molting period in dogs proceeds differently, some breeds molt not two, but three or even four times a year. Accordingly, combing will help keep our house clean and less likely to use a vacuum cleaner.

Another benefit of combing is the massage the dog receives. Firstly, the teeth of the comb carefully massage the upper layer of the epidermis, providing blood flow to the hair follicles. And secondly, your pet’s muscles relax, blood flow improves, and the nervous system calms down. And all together it has a positive effect on immunity.

And another important point. Brushing helps bond the dog and its owner. Both of you are having a great time – peacefully and with great benefit. After all, you not only run the comb along the back of the dog, but you can stroke it, pat it behind the ear, and hug it. In general, once again give the dog what she loves and expects from you.

Well, now let’s move on to practice.

As we have said, it all depends on the type of coat of dogs. But the owner of any breed needs to learn the main rule: you can’t comb dry hair. 

Before the procedure, use a combing spray to moisturize the coat.

• If these are long-haired dogs – collies, Caucasian shepherd dogs, huskies – then they comb out every two days, and during molting – daily. These breeds also form tangles. To get rid of them, you must first disassemble them with your fingers, and then comb them out using a special tool for unraveling tangles. If this fails, you need to contact the groomer: he will help return the coat to a well-groomed appearance.
• Breeds such as the Bulldog and Boxer have a short coat without an undercoat. It needs to be brushed every 2-3 days.
• But the Rottweiler and others like him have a short coat, but with an undercoat, it is combed out once a week. During molting – daily.
• The hygiene of long-haired decorative dogs – Yorkies – is individual, here you first need to consult with specialists.
• Wirehaired breeds such as terriers require regular trimming. We regularly comb out areas of the body with decorating hair (paws, belly, beard, tail).
• Terriers, Schnauzers, Griffons, Wirehaired Dachshunds, Drathaars, Irish Setters and Cocker Spaniels need one more additional hygiene procedure – trimming. It lies in the fact that dead hairs are removed by plucking, thereby ensuring the growth of new hairs with the correct structure. How often to trim depends on the condition of the coat of a particular dog. On average, trimming is carried out 1 time in 2-3 months.
• There is such a thing as shearing breeds. These dogs need regular grooming. These are Yorkies, Cocker Spaniels, Poodles. A haircut helps to maintain not only a well-groomed appearance, but also the purity of the coat: short hair is less dirty, it is easier to notice ticks, fleas or signs of skin diseases on it.

• Brush with metal teeth

Suitable for combing dogs with long and medium hair, you need to use a brush with metal teeth. But we do not recommend using it to parse tangles.

• Slicker

For pets with very thick soft hair. With its help, you can unravel small tangles.

• Rubber tooth brush (glove)

Helps care for short-haired dog breeds. It not only removes dead hairs, but also perfectly massages the skin.

• Furminator

This is a versatile tool. It allows you to care for a variety of coat types, but is only suitable for pets with an undercoat.

1. Comb the wool in the direction of growth

2. We start from the head, after which we sequentially move towards the tail

3. We comb out all parts of the body, even if the hairline in certain places is insignificant

4. We massage the skin and hair of the pet with a mitten with elastic teeth once a week

5. Stubborn tangles are not untangled through force. This problem can be solved with the help of special shampoos, including dry ones, and a spray for unraveling tangles.

Then you need to make every effort to trust you and understand: this is a very good procedure. If you have already taken an adult dog that has not been accustomed to hygiene procedures since childhood, it does not matter! This can be learned. Yes, not immediately and not quickly.

The main thing is not to scare your pet and not yell at him (you never need to yell at all!). First, introduce the arsenal of combs and scissors. Let him smell them. Let him understand that it is not terrible. And when he smells, reinforce his mood with praise and a treat. Do this a few more times. Then slowly begin to drive the comb through the dog’s coat, talking affectionately and encouraging him with a treat.

Accustom to combing gradually. Today it is 1-2 minutes, in a week – 5-7. If you do everything right, then soon during combing the dog will sleep sweetly or just “go crazy”. Working advice: first go through the coat with a massage brush, and only then take a comb.

During the procedure, you can tell your dog your news, such as how the day went and what you are going to do on the weekend. She will listen to you! Brushing will bring you closer to your dog and become a regular activity that everyone enjoys. Then the coat of your pet is simply doomed to always be perfect.