Dog Grooming and Hygiene: what you need to know.
Why, in Brisbane of all places, is it important to maintain good grooming and hygiene practices for your dog? Well, there are plenty of reasons.
Brisbane is blessed with a warm, tropical climate where we able to spend a lot of the year outside with our pets at the park or at the beach. For us humans, it’s pretty easy to take off our sweaters if we are feeling stuffy, but the same can’t be said for our canine companions! It’s important to ensure your dog feels comfortable in warm weather through appropriate haircuts. These include, but are not limited too:
- Haircuts that keep the main coat light and short, while allowing your dog to keep the fur on it’s face (great for smaller dogs!)
- Haircuts that trim the hair about an inch or two from the skin (for dogs with longer coats)
That way, your dog will be kept cool and happy in the hot Brisbane weather. Grooming can sometimes be expensive, but it’s definitely worth the money. While every dog is different and lives with people that have diverse lifestyles and outdoor interests, one thing is certain – your dog will experience the sun! An expert dog groomer can tell you the best kind of cut for your dog; grooming at home can sometimes lead to extra short cuts that encourage sunburn on your dog’s skin. Yes, they get sunburn just like us and can even develop skin cancer! No dog owner wants his or her dog to go through the pain of that, so that’s why professional dog grooming is all the more important. One frequently recommended dog-grooming tool for warm Brisbane weather is the ‘furminator’, which helps remove the undercoat. Some aspects of dog grooming and hygiene depend on the life style of your dog – whether they love the outdoors or prefer to stay inside, or other things like the amount of hair they shed.
- Baths are definitely good for dogs but bathing them too much can disturb their balance of natural oils.
- Dogs with long hair need regular haircuts, otherwise their fur will get matted and knotted which a) does not make for a cute pet and b) is very painful for your dog.
- Dogs that shed a lot of hair should get haircuts too. During summer and as the warmer Brisbane weather begins, dogs start losing their winter coat and should be brushed frequently.
- Smaller dogs may tend to get goop in their eyes, so if they do it is important to clean them every day so they are not irritated.
- Living in a warm area like Brisbane, active, outdoor dogs are all the more common. So it’s paramount your canine companion has their nails kept short – long nails can change how they walk and damage their body. Plus, broken nails are very painful for dogs.
As we said before, every dog is different. What grooming techniques work for one dog may be disastrous for another. Dog groomers can help you with understanding what works best for your furry friend, and we can guarantee you that your dog will love you for it!