Grooming:
There are several grooming tasks that you should do regularly in order to maintain your puppy's health and maintain a beautiful coat.
Brushing:
Try to give your puppy a quick brush on a daily basis. Each type of coat requires special grooming tools, but the principles of hair growth and the factors, which produce a healthy coat, are the same. Brushing is a necessity since it removes dead hair and cleans the skin and living hair. Teach your puppy to sit or stand quietly while you brush. If he squirms, is obnoxious, or bites at the brush, you are making the session too long. Praise him when he is quiet and cooperative. Perhaps, periodically reward him with a treat. Begin with very brief brushing sessions -- maybe five to ten seconds and gradually increase the time. You can also get into the habit of brushing your puppy prior to eating, going out, etc. so the act of brushing brings about a real life reward. If he will not sit still for brushing because he sees his food dish, put the bowl away and try again in a few seconds. Keep working on this until he gets the idea that he must be still and accept the brushing in order to get what he wants -- his dinner.
Bathing:
You can start bathing a puppy as young as 7-8 weeks. How often you bathe your puppy depends not only on how frequently he gets dirty, but also on the type of skin and hair he has and the kind of shampoo you use. It is best to bathe him in a bathtub so that he is physically contained, comfortable, and warm water is available. Line the bottom of the tub with rubber mats or a terry towel to give your puppy solid footing. It helps tremendously to have a removable shower head, which can be detached, brought down to the puppy's level, and manipulated to spray in the desired direction. Use a shampoo specifically designed for puppies, so that if it does get in their eyes it will not cause discomfort. Later, when your puppy is trained to be bathed without fuss, you can switch to regular shampoo or flea shampoo. A cream rinse, used according to directions, can be used after the shampoo to make comb out of longhaired puppies easier. Obtain some expert information about what is best for your particular puppy.
Ears:
Try to get into the habit of checking inside your puppy's ears on a regular basis. Ears are a common haven for ticks, mites, and infections. Frequent care is required for puppies with hanging ears. Your puppy's ears should be clean, pink and odor-free. If you see normal surface dirt, you can clean them by wiping them out gently with a moistened cotton ball. Be very gentle, wiping out only what you can visibly see. Don't go deep into the ear canal. You can seriously hurt or injure your puppy if you do so. The folds or crevices can be cleaned using a cotton swab moistened with water, mineral oil, or isopropyl alcohol. If you ever see that your puppy's ears are red, inflamed, swollen, sore, or if there is a foul smell or discharge, your puppy probably has an ear infection. We recommend that you take your puppy to your veterinarian for a thorough examination. Ear infections are relatively common, and are easy to treat if noticed early. But if you ignore it, it can rapidly worsen to a serious condition.
Mouth and Teeth:
Attending to your puppy's mouth and teeth now will get him used to having his teeth and gums brushed later on. We included putting your hand in his mouth as part of dog massage earlier in the course. You can gently rub a recommended dental care product across your puppy's teeth and gums using your finger.
Nail Cutting:
Cutting your puppy's nails should be a regular part of your grooming routine. Most people neglect nail cutting because they do not know how to do it, or are afraid. As a result, the nails grow very long, and are uncomfortable and unhealthy for the puppy. Your puppy's nails should be short enough so that they do not 'click' on a tile or wood floor. If you allow your puppy's nails to become too long, it causes the puppy to stand abnormally, sometimes causing pain. In extreme cases, nails can grow in a complete circle penetrating the pad.
There are two types of nail clippers, guillotine, pliers or nail grinders. Select the style you feel most comfortable with.
Nails are 'alive', meaning they contain blood vessels and nerves. Only the tip is dead. Light colored nails are the easiest to trim since the blood vessel can be seen as a pink area coming to a point. Cut the nail just beyond the point where you see the pink end. If you cut into the vessel, it is painful and will bleed. Put a little bit of styptic powder on the nail and it will immediately stop any bleeding. Black nails are more difficult to trim. The best rule to follow is to cut the nail just beyond the point where it starts to curve downward. Once you learn how to cut nails, and teach your puppy how to have his nails cut, nail cutting is a very simple procedure, and you will be able to maintain his nails properly.
Brushing:
Try to give your puppy a quick brush on a daily basis. Each type of coat requires special grooming tools, but the principles of hair growth and the factors, which produce a healthy coat, are the same. Brushing is a necessity since it removes dead hair and cleans the skin and living hair. Teach your puppy to sit or stand quietly while you brush. If he squirms, is obnoxious, or bites at the brush, you are making the session too long. Praise him when he is quiet and cooperative. Perhaps, periodically reward him with a treat. Begin with very brief brushing sessions -- maybe five to ten seconds and gradually increase the time. You can also get into the habit of brushing your puppy prior to eating, going out, etc. so the act of brushing brings about a real life reward. If he will not sit still for brushing because he sees his food dish, put the bowl away and try again in a few seconds. Keep working on this until he gets the idea that he must be still and accept the brushing in order to get what he wants -- his dinner.
Bathing:
You can start bathing a puppy as young as 7-8 weeks. How often you bathe your puppy depends not only on how frequently he gets dirty, but also on the type of skin and hair he has and the kind of shampoo you use. It is best to bathe him in a bathtub so that he is physically contained, comfortable, and warm water is available. Line the bottom of the tub with rubber mats or a terry towel to give your puppy solid footing. It helps tremendously to have a removable shower head, which can be detached, brought down to the puppy's level, and manipulated to spray in the desired direction. Use a shampoo specifically designed for puppies, so that if it does get in their eyes it will not cause discomfort. Later, when your puppy is trained to be bathed without fuss, you can switch to regular shampoo or flea shampoo. A cream rinse, used according to directions, can be used after the shampoo to make comb out of longhaired puppies easier. Obtain some expert information about what is best for your particular puppy.
Ears:
Try to get into the habit of checking inside your puppy's ears on a regular basis. Ears are a common haven for ticks, mites, and infections. Frequent care is required for puppies with hanging ears. Your puppy's ears should be clean, pink and odor-free. If you see normal surface dirt, you can clean them by wiping them out gently with a moistened cotton ball. Be very gentle, wiping out only what you can visibly see. Don't go deep into the ear canal. You can seriously hurt or injure your puppy if you do so. The folds or crevices can be cleaned using a cotton swab moistened with water, mineral oil, or isopropyl alcohol. If you ever see that your puppy's ears are red, inflamed, swollen, sore, or if there is a foul smell or discharge, your puppy probably has an ear infection. We recommend that you take your puppy to your veterinarian for a thorough examination. Ear infections are relatively common, and are easy to treat if noticed early. But if you ignore it, it can rapidly worsen to a serious condition.
Mouth and Teeth:
Attending to your puppy's mouth and teeth now will get him used to having his teeth and gums brushed later on. We included putting your hand in his mouth as part of dog massage earlier in the course. You can gently rub a recommended dental care product across your puppy's teeth and gums using your finger.
Nail Cutting:
Cutting your puppy's nails should be a regular part of your grooming routine. Most people neglect nail cutting because they do not know how to do it, or are afraid. As a result, the nails grow very long, and are uncomfortable and unhealthy for the puppy. Your puppy's nails should be short enough so that they do not 'click' on a tile or wood floor. If you allow your puppy's nails to become too long, it causes the puppy to stand abnormally, sometimes causing pain. In extreme cases, nails can grow in a complete circle penetrating the pad.
There are two types of nail clippers, guillotine, pliers or nail grinders. Select the style you feel most comfortable with.
Nails are 'alive', meaning they contain blood vessels and nerves. Only the tip is dead. Light colored nails are the easiest to trim since the blood vessel can be seen as a pink area coming to a point. Cut the nail just beyond the point where you see the pink end. If you cut into the vessel, it is painful and will bleed. Put a little bit of styptic powder on the nail and it will immediately stop any bleeding. Black nails are more difficult to trim. The best rule to follow is to cut the nail just beyond the point where it starts to curve downward. Once you learn how to cut nails, and teach your puppy how to have his nails cut, nail cutting is a very simple procedure, and you will be able to maintain his nails properly.
