Not Just for Looks: Regular Grooming Helps Keep Your Dog Healthy

When I first launched Klaws, Paws, & Hooves eighteen years ago, I offered clients full-service grooming. Although I no longer groom for others, I am happy to consult with clients on grooming tools and techniques they can use at home. Attending to your canine kid’s coat can strengthen the bond between you as well as cut down on potential vet visits!

Most dogs enjoy being groomed. Be sure to do it in an area free of distractions (such as playing kids or other dogs). Choose a place that’s easy to sweep up, such as the back deck, the garage, or a bathroom. If you’ve adopted a dog who is uneasy about grooming, start with one-minute sessions of rubbing him with a towel or running a brush lightly along his back. Include plenty of praise and treats as you work on him. End the session with a reward of a treat or toy, and you’ll gradually be able to lengthen your sessions and accomplish more.

How often you brush your dog, and the type of brush you use, depend on the dog’s coat. If you got your canine companion from a breeder or a breed rescue group, follow whatever guidelines they gave you. You can also network online or in person with fanciers of your breed to learn tips for keeping your dog looking and feeling great. 

Most dogs are  double-coated, with a top coat of water-repellent, stiff guard hairs over an undercoat of softer, shorter, insulating fur. The undercoat is usually shed in the spring and again in the fall, when you’ll see tufts of hair coming out from your pooch’s sides and around the base of her tail. 

Single-coated dogs have just the top coat and generally require less maintenance.

The length and texture of the coat also plays an important part of figuring out how much grooming your canine companion needs.

• The flat and smooth coat seen on boxers, Dalmations, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Boston terriers, and dobermans can be kept in great shape with a simple brushing once or twice a week.
• Corgis, Aussie cattle dogs, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, and other short-haired breeds also need brushing just a couple times a week, but with a strong brush to work out the dead hair.
• Silky dogs such as Afghans, cocker spaniels, shih tzu, and Yorkies require brushing with a hard brush or comb at least every other day to prevent tangles.
• Old English sheepdogs, bearded collies, English and Irish setters, and border collies are among the long-haired canines which need daily brushing.
• Curly coats worn by pooches like poodles, bichons, Portugese water dogs, and Irish water spaniels need to be clipped every couple of months. Although they don’t require regular brushing, they should be checked for matting.

Mats are just dirt or debris (such as plant matter) mixed with oil from the dog’s coat. If you do encounter a small  mat, use your fingers to work it out along with your brush. Deal with a mat as soon as you find it, so it doesn’t get bigger. Large mats or mats close to the skin may need a professional groomer to safely work them out.

Even if your dog’s coat doesn’t require much attention, I recommend checking your furry kid over every time she comes in from a walk in a field to remove burrs, etc. Even if you have all your grooming done by a professional, or your dog is a couch potato, inspect her coat once a week at minimum. 

Give her a brushing or take a damp towel and run it over her fur -- first back to front, then front to back. This will take care of any loose hair that you might have missed. Also gently wipe her face, ears, paws, and tail. (I’ll talk about caring for her ears, paws, and claws in more detail next month.)  This weekly once-over gives you a chance to find insect bites, hotspots or other lesions, and monitor lumps and bumps that might need the attention of a vet.

You can get more pointers on caring for your dog’s coat online. There are a number of short videos on YouTube. Here’s a good ASPCA article with information on which types of brushes and combs perform various functions on the different kinds of coats. And here’s more information on a variety of grooming tools, complete with visual aids.