How Seldom Should You Groom Your Dog?

How often should you groom your dog? Can it be done occasionally? Or does it have to be performed on a daily basis? Although it is a fairly straightforward question, how frequent you should be grooming your dog depends on your definition of the word ‘grooming’.

When you say grooming, there are plenty of things you can associate with it. And it is worth noting that each of them needs to be carried out at varying frequencies. Nevertheless, once you understand and learn everything associated with it, you will know how often it should be done.

But before anything else, let’s first define grooming.

What Is Grooming?

Grooming is a vital part of raising pets. It’s not just about keeping your pets beautiful and neat; it’s also a great way to bond with them. It’s more like a care routine that includes shampooing and bathing, trimming, and frequent visits to the vet or groomer.

Coat Brushing

Regardless of the length of the coat, every dog needs to be regularly brushed. But the frequency with which you have to do it depends on the type of his coat.

For instance, if he has short hair, you have to brush him at least once or twice a week. On the other hand, if he has a medium coat, you will usually have to get the brush out once every other day. Dogs with long and curly coats must be brushed every day.

Ear Cleaning

Some dog breeds are prone to ear infections. This is especially true to canines with massive ears that flop down or those with plenty of hair inside the ears because air cannot freely flow inside, making the inner part of the ear an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

That said, if your dog has healthy hears, ear cleaning can be done at least once or twice a month. Otherwise, you need to consult your vet first to know how often you have to attend to your canine pal’s ears.

Tooth Brushing

Keeping your dog’s teeth clean is basically as important as cleaning your own. If you fail to brush your pooch’s teeth, plaque eventually builds-up, which may result in gum problems and mouth ulcers. Hence, aim to brush your dog’s teeth once a day.

But if your dog isn’t really open to the idea of brushing on a daily basis, don’t force him. You don’t want to make brushing a traumatic experience for him. Just feed him with dry food. This type of diet tends to have less plaque because hard kibbles clean the teeth naturally.

Nail Trimming

Many dog owners seem a bit hesitant when it comes to trimming the nails of their four-legged buddies. They don’t want to hurt their babies in case they trim their nails way too far. Hence, they leave this task to experts.

If you are not confident with this process, you better leave your pooch alone. Do not confine him in a dog cage just to get this job done. Consult your vet or go to a professional groomer. He knows for sure how often you should have your dog’s nails trimmed.

Bathing

Bathing is an ultimate experience that many dogs love. Though it sounds like a good idea to do it everyday, it’s just that this grooming part must not be repeated very often.

Bathing your dog every now and then may only harm the skin. Doing so will remove the natural oils from its skin, causing the skin to dry, and then results in many possible complications like itching and irritation.

So it would be safe to skip several months between baths. Do not bathe your dog more than once every 2 months, unless the need arises. If possible, just brush your dog on a regular basis. Brushing will help eliminate any unwanted hair and dead skin, helping your dog look neat and clean.

Clipping the Coat

There are dog owners who are used to giving their pooches a trim, especially if they have long coats. However, if it is already very short, there’s no point of doing that at all.

Remember, coats are very useful as it keeps dogs cool even in a hot sunny day. So if you insist to keep his fur trimmed, you can at least do it once very two or three months. Still, this will depend on your dogs. But one thing is clear. You will know when your dog needs a haircut.

At the end of the day, if you are thinking about getting a new family member at home, but you are not sure how often he needs to be groomed, you better consult a vet, a groomer, or a breeder. He could give you a reliable advice regarding the frequency of a dog grooming task. With a bit of research, you can also come up with a game plan at ensuring the happiness, cleanliness, and healthiness of your dog. Hopefully, the eBook below can help you.

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