6 things you might be missing when grooming and looking after their dog

Dec 20, 2020

It‘s no surprise that some dogs just need more grooming and care, rather than others. However, you should know that a lot of it depends not on the dog but on you, the human which is doing the grooming. And sometimes, being attentive as well as grooming often enough isn’t going to cut it. You need to be smart, selective and insightful in the way that you’re grooming. There are some areas of grooming and some things that you can overlook. Something like leftover dirt on the side that you forgot to clean isn’t all that bad. Maybe a sheet or a wall gets dirty but that’s it. However, some other neglections could hurt the pet. Here are 6 things that you might miss and end up putting your pooch in trouble.

1. Leaving the hair too long

Hair that is very thick and long might look good for you, however it likely won’t do too many favours for the dog. First and foremost, it’s easier for them to get dirty and harder for you to clean. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. From a health-concern standpoint, leaving too much hair on the dog, if you’re not living in Alaska, Svalbard or anywhere cold, will result in them feeling severe discomfort during the day.

You know the struggle when you’re trying to go to sleep but it’s too hot, not to mention being an active and happy member. During the summer, your pet should preferably get a shorter trim which will result in more comfort and happiness for them. What is more? Ticks. Yup, those nasty little parasites are always ruining someone’s party. And when your dog has a long fur, it’s hard to find them and pick them out.

2. The ears

If there were stats about an area of the dog’s body which the owners overlook most when compared to its overall significance, the hears might be at the top or near it, at least. Ears for dogs are much more important than for us, humans. They have much more sensitive hearing and thus rely on their ears to understand the world around them.

This is the main reason behind why they need frequent cleaning. This doesn’t mean that you should clean them every day, but do it 2 times a week just to be safe.

Why so often? Well, because ear infections are quite nasty and very painful and you definitely don’t want your dog to do that. Residue staying in the ear for too long can just reduce hearing or cause inflammation that can lead to an infection. Don’t forget the ears then.

3. Leaving overgrown nails

If you think that the nails of your dog need little care and management – you’re mistaken. Whilst not being the most demanding part of the body in terms of looking after it, some owners have a tendency to not worry about overgrowing the nails. This is a wrong and it shouldn’t be this way.Once you hear those nails clucking and scratching the floor of your home, it’s time to take a look at them. If you don’t know, they hurt the pup and makes it troublesome for them when they’re trying to run or play.

If you’re already in such a mess, when the nails of your dog are too long, read this guide on how to trim dog nails that are overgrown. You might need to buy a grinder in order to do it efficiently and painlessly.

4. Setting up an unbalanced diet

Okay, this is quite a far reach when talking about grooming, but it’s actually quite related to it. As you may or may not know, food is super important to the skin and hair health of the dog. If you put them on a poor, unbalanced diet, the fur could lose its glow and begin to fall out. The same applies for the skin which could lose its properties due to a poor balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

That are reasons which are serious enough on their own to steer you towards setting and maintaining a proper diet for your pup. Make sure they get enough protein, enough fat, fibers, vitamins and nutrients with their food and snacks.

5. Showering them too often

If you shower a dog too often (with shampoos and other products), you end up damaging their coat. Most dogs are best off when you shampoo-wash them every 4-6 weeks. With some breeds, even rarer showering is sufficient enough. Don’t overdo it.

6. Dental health

Dental health is also crucial for the dog. However, a lot of people tend to have a lacklustre outlook on it. Dogs need to constantly reinforce and better their teeth. This is why you have so many chewy snacks that a pup just snatches and gnaws on. That’s why they always grab things with their mouth and bring to you. That’s also the reason why they interact with a lot of things by biting and/or tasting them.

What you can do in order to help with their dentures is to get chewy snacks that promote dental health, brush their teeth regularly or get a chewy toy/toothbrush as an alternative.