Grooming your lil’ tail wagger

Your pup looks cute and adorable and you will go to any extent to keep him that way. Regular grooming will not only keep them neat and tidy but will also keep them healthy.
Bringing home a puppy means different things to different people. Along with all the laughter and joy that a new puppy’s arrival brings, there are details like toilet training to take care of, vaccinations to get done, food & chewies to shop for, his bedding to be decided and so on and so forth. Among all these tonnes of things, a lot of times an important issue takes a backseat – grooming, which plays an important role in their pet’s well being.

Benefits of grooming:

Other than keeping your pup clean, comfortable and looking good, hands-on grooming also gives you a chance to inspect him regularly and make sure his skin, eyes, ears and nails are healthy. Grooming also helps stimulate the sebaceous glands that provide the oil that keeps the skin in good condition.

Brushing his coat:

Because grooming is so important, it is vital that you teach your puppy to tolerate it as soon as you bring him home. Even if he is only a fur ball right now, spend time brushing his coat. Practice lifting those puppy paws up and manipulating them. If he learns now that grooming is a part of everyday life, he will be more cooperative when he is an adult. If you wish to send your dog to a professional salon for grooming, that too should be done at an early age. Start with brushing your pup thoroughly twice a day. Short coated breeds are obviously much easier to groom than long-coated breeds. Make sure you brush the undercoat as well as the outer coat. Matts tend to form the most behind the ears and the underbelly and these areas need to be paid special attention to. It is always important to keep a long-haired dog thoroughly brushed. Different kinds of brushes and combs are available at all pet stores, so make sure you get the right kind of brush best suited for your dog’s coat.

Bathing your pup:

Consult the vet about how often to bathe your pup. Puppies need baths less regularly than full-grown adult dogs. Be prepared to be soaked to the skin yourself while you are bathing your puppy. Make sure you have everything you need close at hand before you put your puppy in the bath. You will need a water proof apron for yourself, specially formulated tearless puppy shampoo (available at pet stores), a towel and a hair dryer (especially for the long-haired ones). Pour a jug full of luke-warm water over him, taking care to see that no water goes into his eyes and ears. When you have soaked him completely, rub the shampoo thoroughly into his coat. Use your hands to work up a good lather all over the body, gently talking to your puppy as you do. After this, rinse him out completely making sure that no trace of shampoo is left on him. Let him shake off the excess water and towel dry him as much as you can. If you have a long-coated breed, it would be a good idea to get him used to the sound and feel of a dryer.

Cleaning ears and teeth:

Check your pup’s ears and teeth once a week. Gently clean his ears with cotton wool but never poke or prod into the ear canal. To keep his teeth sparkling and clean and to help him during teething, give him chew sticks, which are also a yummy treat. Get his nails clipped by his veterinarian or a professional regularly. Run your fingers through your pup’s coat everyday to check for ticks and fleas. If an infestation does occur, check with his vet about the kind of tick and flea shampoos best suited for pups. We hope all these tips will help you to groom your pup better. And remember the quality time you spend grooming him will help you establish a closer bond with him.
(Gauri and Urmila at Tail Waggers Pet Salon have been providing pets with the latest and best grooming facilities for the past 4 years. You can contact them at 9820127572 or 022-56067271.)