Use these grooming tips if you have a longhaired dog and find it challenging to keep his coat clean, shiny, and mat-free especially as he may not be very co-operative when it comes to bathing, or having his coat trimmed.
If your dog is a collie, an afghan, or one of the other popular breeds of longhaired dogs, you know that it is quite an effort to keep your dog’s coat looking luxuriant and beautiful, and it is good to have a routine in place so that the job doesn’t become unpleasant for you or your best friend.
Having a clean, well-groomed coat helps keep your pet healthy and happy.
Daily Brushing is the Key to a Good Grooming Routine
- Brushing your pet’s coat every day is the best way to ensure that his coat is free of tangles, which leads to matting if left unchecked. A matted coat is a nightmare to untangle and it usually takes a professional groomer to deal with it.
- It is the daily brushing that makes all the other grooming tasks easier and so it mustn’t be neglected.
- Brushing simulates the skin and the growth of hair, and your dog will enjoy the attention and the feel of the brush against his skin.
- Invest in a long-toothed comb and run it through the hair after brushing it. Combing helps remove clumps of hair and the loose undercoat hair.
Trimming Your Pet’s Hair Controls Matting
- Trimming a dog’s long hair is best left to a professional groomer, unless your dog is very placid and will sit still on command. Trimming is the way to take care of any matting problems that you have been unable to control with brushing and combing.
- A longhaired dog can have problems walking and running if the hair around his footpads and claws is too long. Because this long hair can make him lose traction and cause him to slide and lose his footing, make sure it is trimmed at the same time his nails are clipped.
- Again, have the trimming and clipping done professionally if you aren’t comfortable doing this job yourself.
Having Your Dog Bathed Regularly is an Important Grooming Task
Your dog may not enjoy it but he needs to be bathed regularly to keep him smelling sweet, looking his best, and remaining healthy.
- Use warm water and apply a shampoo formulated for dogs starting at the top and working your way down through his hair by gently massaging the shampoo into it. Using your fingers, gently remove the tangles and any material or debris that has been caught up into the hair.
- After rinsing it, massage a cream rinse formulated for dogs into his hair and rinse again.
- Wrap a large fluffy towel around him to absorb the drips and then use a hair dryer to blow dry his hair or let it air dry if he doesn’t like the noise of the dryer.
- It is not easy to bathe a dog, especially a big dog with long hair, and you should feel free to call on a friend to help if you are nervous about it or else you can arrange professional bathing for your pooch.
Grooming a longhaired dog isn’t easy but you can keep his coat clean, shiny, and healthy with simple tasks like daily brushing and combing, as well as regular baths and occasional trimming with the help of a friend or a professional if needed.
You will be rewarded with a beautiful, well-groomed, sweet smelling pet.
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