Grooming is not just about keeping your dog clean and attractive, it’s also about spending quality time with them. And it’s an excellent opportunity to check their body for lumps, scratches, skin problems and other issues like thinning hair.

Make grooming a habit

To make grooming something you are both willing to do, you should start by making it a habit when they’re a young puppy. If you wait too long, your puppy may not tolerate grooming, and feel especially miserable and reluctant, especially when it comes to cleaning their ears and clipping their nails.

Grooming for your dog’s coat and hair type

If you have a long-haired dog, it becomes even more crucial to start them young, because grooming takes much longer and needs to be done more regularly, compared to short-haired breeds. And it’s a common misconception that dogs that don’t shed hair don’t need to be groomed as much. Instead, they require daily grooming to loosen up any dirt or debris and to detangle any mats. If you have a dog that needs to be regularly groomed, they need to get used to staying still for a long time.

But, having said that, all dogs require regular grooming whatever their coat type.

The benefits of regular brushing

Regular brushing benefits all kinds of dogs because it helps to remove dead hair, dirt and dandruff. It also helps to release the natural oils in your dog’s fur or coat. As you brush, the natural oils distribute across your dog’s fur, leaving their coat healthy and feeling good.

Start grooming early

Puppies can be groomed from as young as three weeks old. If you get your dog from an experienced breeder, they may have even established the habit of grooming before you’ve taken your new puppy home. Hopefully, this means your pup won’t get a nasty surprise when you bring out your grooming tools at home.

Detect and heal issues early

Grooming also gives you a chance to check your dog for any physical issues like ticks, fleas and dry patches, or problems with their nails, teeth, ears, and eyes such as infection or inflammation. If discovered early, these problems can be treated straight away before they have a chance to develop into something more serious.

Start grooming today!

Essentially, grooming helps keep your dog happy and healthy, gives you quality bonding time together and can help save you the time, money and stress of visiting your vet. So, if you’ve been putting it off, don’t procrastinate any longer, start grooming your puppy from today!