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Cruisin' Canines

As you start to consider dragging up your window unit and putting it back in place, you probably start noticing that your dog has been shedding more than usual, too. If the constant shedding is starting to drive you crazy, you’ll love these helpful tips for managing spring and summertime grooming.

Keeping a dog comfortable during shedding season is relatively easy, provided you know how to keep up with the excess hair. One of the best tools for lessening the burden of excess shedding is the Furminator—particularly if you’ve got a dog with a double coat. This brush and ones like it help remove vast amounts of hair and fur, and can greatly reduce the amount of overall shedding. It’s important to start up a grooming routine to keep your dog as healthy and clean as possible.

First Step: Wash

Part of any successful grooming routine is bathing. Give your dog a bath at the start of shedding season, using a dog-safe shampoo to ensure it won’t irritate the dog’s skin. If your dog has naturally dry skin, you can use oatmeal shampoo for dogs, and you can also use dog conditioner as well for extra moisture. During the bath, check your dog’s paws for dryness or cracks, and use paw ointment if necessary.

Second Step: Brush

After your dog is clean and dry, it’s time to brush them. There are a variety of brushes on the market, and each is geared toward a different type of dog or different purpose. For instance, a boar bristle brush is good for all fur types; these brushes help circulate the hair or fur’s natural oils throughout the coat. A shedding blade can work well for the undercoat, as can the aforementioned Furminator. The shedding blade can be too pointy/sharp for some dogs, so it’s important to exercise caution. Slicker brushes are best for getting rid of mats and tangles, but again, exercise caution and don’t pull too hard. Rubber curry brushes are good for shorthaired dogs and are good for undercoats as well as stimulating circulation in the dog’s skin. Finally, wire pin brushes are best for dogs with longer coats or dogs with thick, several layer coats (Golden Retrievers and Sheepdogs or Collies, respectively). Brushing not only helps remove dead skin and loose hair while stimulating circulation, but it is also a good way to check for fleas and ticks. When you brush your dog, you can check to see if there are any fleas hopping around on the dog’s coat or buried underneath layers of fur/hair.

Third Step: Teeth and Nails

Finally, to finish the grooming routine, brush the dog’s teeth and clip or file its nails. Both of these are tasks that sometimes can’t be done at home, but groomers or vet offices typically offer these services for dogs that are a bit more fidgety.

What are some of your favorite grooming tips? Let us know in the comments!
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22 Responses

  1. I liked that you talked about how it would be a good idea to make sure that you wash your dog at the being of their shedding season. I have been considering getting a husky puppy and I want to take good care of him. Since he will have a lot of fur it does seem like a good idea for me to either get good at grooming him or find a good groomer to do it for me.

  2. I appreciate your tip about rubber curry brushes being good for shorthaired dogs. I have a little dog that often gets a little matted if he isn’t brushed properly so this is perfect. I’ll have to consider getting one of these brushes in the future.

  3. My dog keeps getting knots in his fur and I have been wondering how I can better groom him. Maybe I should get some of those sheers like you said. I’ll have to consider your tips so that Baxter can look clean and tidy!

  4. Spring can be a difficult time for us dog owners. It’s usually the time when our dogs start shedding. My dog is a heavy shedder and I’ve invested in a heavy duty grooming kit and it helps me out a lot! Thanks for your useful tips

  5. Thanks for mentioning how you should consider how dry the skin of your dog is when bathing them. I can see how anyone looking into this would also want to take the time to understand their pet to make sure they care for heir skin the best. It is important to understand that doing some research can help you know where to find the best professionals to help you care for your animal.

  6. Thanks for the tips on grooming your dog during the summer and springtime. I had no idea there were so many different types of brushes that you can use for your dog’s hair. In my opinion, everyone should get their dog groomed professionally every now and then for a complete cleaning.

  7. My wife and I just got a puppy, so thanks for these grooming tips. I like your point about giving your dog a bath first and using extra conditioner if they have dry skin. We’ll be sure to do this so his skin doesn’t crack or split from the dryness.

  8. My sister’s been busy lately and she’s not able to groom her dog properly last month. It was suggested here that her dog needs to be washed, brushed, and have the nails clipped. Furthermore, it’s recommended to hire professionals for quality pet grooming services.

  9. It’s great for me that I got information on dog grooming from you.
    Our little puppy has short hair, so I guess we should be brushing her every week, or so.
    I don’t think we have brushed her once, so I know we need to do better with her grooming!

  10. Thank you for your tip to brush my dog’s teeth and file his nails. I have been trying to do some DIY grooming for my dog but I am having trouble with the nails part. I think I will stick to using a professional dog grooming service.

  11. I found it helpful when you said that it is easy to keep up with your dogs shedding season if you have the proper brush. My aunt recently got a dog. She might be interested in knowing that a proper brush can help with hair shedding.

  12. Over the course of the summer, my dog has rolled around in the dirt and it’s made him quite dirty. Thanks for saying that he should get a bath at the start of shedding season so that he won’t be prone to skin infections. I think that a good groomer has good shampoo products to use on pets, so I might just take him to one.

  13. As you’ve mentioned, my dog is shedding more than usual lately, and he’s starting to leave a huge mess in my house. I think I’ll take him to a pet grooming service so he can get his fur trimmed. This way, he will be able to prevent scratching himself.

  14. I found it helpful when you mentioned that there are different types of brushes that are used for specific types of dogs. My dog recently rolled around in some dirt, and now he has a bunch of knots in his fur. I think it would probably be best if I took him to a professional groomer.

  15. It is interesting that this post assured us that one of the benefits of dog grooming is that it helps maintain their coat. My wife shared that she is looking to have our dogs groomed. I will definitely look into available groomers to have our dogs groomed as it would benefit their health tremendously.

  16. I appreciated it when you shared that it is important to start up a grooming routine in order to ensure that your dog as healthy and clean as possible. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is planning to adopt a dog so she can have company since she has been living alone since a few years ago. I will advise her to take her pet for grooming every once in a while.

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