Grooming is not just about maintaining your dog’s level of cleanliness, and it is not just about keeping your dog good-looking. Grooming is about maintaining both your dog’s physical health as well as her appearance.
To do this you must begin training your dog to endure grooming while she is still a puppy. If you wait too long to begin the grooming sessions, your puppy may not be agreeable to it later on, especially when it comes to ear cleaning and nail clipping.
This is especially important for long-haired dogs, which require more intense grooming sessions as compared to short-haired dogs. It takes more time to brush their long fur and they need to get used to staying still for this starting at an early age. That is not to say dogs with short, clipped fur do not require grooming.
Brushing, for example, is beneficial for all kinds of dogs no matter what breed they are, helping to remove dead hair, dirt, and dandruff. Regular brushing also helps to bring out the natural oils in the dog’s fur. As you brush, the natural oils are spread all over your puppy’s fur giving the coat a healthy sheen.
You can begin grooming a puppy when she is as young as three weeks old. Experienced breeders will even begin acquainting their puppies with grooming before they go to their new homes so that by the time they are picked up by their owners, they are already used to it.
Another benefit of grooming is that it allows you to check your dog for any abnormalities. This includes skin problems such as ticks, fleas and dry patches, or issues with their nails, teeth, ears, and eyes such as infection or inflammation. When found at an early stage, these problems can be treated right away, before they have a chance to become more serious.
Simply put, grooming helps keep your dog happy and healthy, gives you and your dog a time that is set aside just for the two of you, and helps you to save on veterinary bills. So don’t delay, start grooming your puppy early.
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