When the temperature starts to rise, appropriate grooming is important to ensure that your dog stays as comfortable as possible. Here are some tips from Andis Grooming Educator Kendra Otto:
Don’t Shave Double-coated Breeds
Some dog
breeds, such as Retrievers and Pomeranians, have a double coat (a soft
undercoat and a rougher topcoat), which greatly increases shedding as summer
approaches. You might be tempted to shave your dog, but this beautiful double
coat allows your dog to regulate his body temperature, so don’t shave it!
Instead, give your dog a haircut using a longer comb attachment with the
clipper or thin your dog’s coat using a de-shedding tool like the Andis Deshedder.
Keep Pad Hair Short
It is vital
that dogs have the hair between the pads of their feet kept short. Keeping
their pad hair short will keep them from bringing an outside mess into the
house and, most importantly, keep them from falling and hurting themselves on
slippery floors.
Keep Toenails Trimmed
Your dogs
should be walking on their paw pads and not their toenails! When your dog walks
on long toenails, it increases the possibility of a nail breaking off or
catching on something and getting pulled out. Toenails should be kept short
with a clipper such as the Andis Premium Nail Clipper every one to three weeks to prevent
premature arthritis in your dog’s joints.
Clean Your Dog’s Ears Frequently
Your dog
loves swimming in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Unfortunately, the bacteria found
in the water love your dog just as much! Make sure to rinse off your dog after
swimming and clean his ears to prevent unwanted bacterial infections. To
properly clean your dog’s ears, you should buy a quality dog ear cleaner (these
can be found at your local pet store). Make sure to use a large amount, as dog’s
ear canals are quite long. Hold the flap of the ear upright and point the tube
downward to fill the ear with the cleaner. Massage the cleaner into the base of
your dog’s ear for approximately 20 seconds. Your dog will then shake the
cleaner out.
Brush Your Dog
Maintaining
your dog’s coat is an essential part of keeping your dog’s skin healthy. The
key to keeping your dog free from skin problems caused or aggravated by knots
and tangles is to brush, de-shed, rake, and comb your dog regularly. It is especially important to make sure you are
brushing your dog on a regular basis if he is being bathed frequently or loves to
swim.
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