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I’m going to opt for the easy answer on this one: how typically Do You Groom Your Dog? It depends. That’s probably not the answer you were trying to find and I can only offer you information based on what I’ve seen and done which is very limited in this area.
Why did this question arise? Well, I’d always heard that you shouldn’t wash your pet dog much a lot more than once a month because a pet dog does not produce natural oils and you’ll ultimately dry out his skin leading to skin conditions. recently Stetson has had a skin condition and our veterinarian recommend that I try and bathe him about every other week to keep his coat and skin clean. Of course, like a good parent I questioned my vet who told me that Stetson would be perfectly fine bathing every other week.
The kids waiting patiently for their pet dog grooming session.
That brings to question my entire pet dog grooming routine. So, after this revelation I wouldn’t to let you know what I finish with my dogs and find out exactly how typically do you groom your dog?
My pet dog grooming Routine
First of all I wanted to mention that my three dogs all have slightly different fur, but for the most part it’s a short coat. Stetson’s coat is a lot more coarse and he’s a pure-bred Labrador Retriever. Stetson sheds pretty much year round and like a lot of dogs sheds a lot more heavily during the summer months. Linus is a mixed breed (we think mostly Australian Shepherd) and he’s got very soft sligthly longer fur. He’s a seasonal shedder and fur falls off by the bushel about twice a year. Derby is a pure-bred Labrador Retriever and still a puppy. His coat is much shorter than Stetson’s and he’s been lightly shedding a lot of of the summer.
I know every dogs coat will be different and require a lot more or less grooming then my three dogs.
Anyways, on to my pet dog grooming routine for Linus, Stetson, and Derby:
Brush My Dogs Teeth – I try to do this twice a week. We’ve had vet assistants and doggy dental professionals come to our meetings and recommend anywhere from once a day to once a week. I think the majority of people don’t brush their dogs teeth at all.
Brush My Dogs coat – I try to do this twice a week also. This will vary greatly depending on your dogs coat. A long coat requires much a lot more attention and can typically require daily brushing if not more….unless you like the dreadlock look. Some dogs may require professional grooming and cuts as well. We have several pet dog brushes, but like the FURminator deShedding Tool
Trimming My Dogs coat – I have never trimmed my dogs coat either myself or professionally. None of my three dogs have a coat that requires trimming. Or family dogs (Golden Retriever, border Collie, Cairn Terrier) have all required somewhat regular trimmings, but lucky for me my three dogs do just fine without a regular hair cut.
Clip My Dogs Nails – I try to do this a minimum of once a week. I don’t think I’m cutting the dig nails typically enough. The real problem is I just don’t cut them short enough because I’m terrified of cutting the quick. I’m going to look into using a Dremel to grind the nail rather then the clippers to cut. We like the scissor style nail clippers and find them a lot more effective then the guillotine clippers. We use the Bamboo pet dog nail Clipper with Styptic and File
Ear cleaning – once a week. If you have a floppy eared pet dog then you need to keep a close eye on his ears. Stetson has had four ear infections in about 1 1/2 years. Derby has had one. thankfully (knock on wood), Linus hasn’t had one in nearly 4 years. The ear cleaning product we currently use was prescribed by our vet.
Doggy Baths – The controversial topic…how typically must I bathe my dog? This is probable the topic I’ve heard a lot of varying opinions. once a week, once a month, once a year. I’m opting for the safe answer again…it depends. long coats and short coats will require a lot more or less bathing. pet dog lifestyles like camping and hunting dogs who typically trot through the mud versus the toy pet dog breeds who never step foot outside a purse. As I discussed earlier my vet has recommended bathing Stetson every other week or twice a month. I’m going to do the same for Derby and Linus.
That’s the pet dog grooming routine. Am I missing anything. Is there something extra you do for your pet dog on a regular basis. how does my pet dog grooming routine compare to yours?
Top picks For Our Puppies
BEST PUPPY toy We Like: Calmeroos Puppy toy w/ heartbeat and heat Packs – best for new puppies. helps ease anxiety in their new home.
BEST pet dog CHEW We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks – all of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.
BEST pet dog treats We Like: crazy pet dog Train-Me treats – We use these as ounull