Grooming Shedding
Grooming isn't something we usually give a lot of thought to when choosing dogs, but we should. If you're a neat freak, a heavily shedding dog is going to make you miserable. Dogs with heavy coats can exacerbate human allergies, and some coats require extra care to keep the dog happy and healthy.
Double-coated, longhaired dogs are among the hardest to groom. Dogs such as Australian shepherds lose huge amounts of hair, especially when they blow coat (shed), which happens twice a year. If you don't keep up with the brushing, your house will be adrift with Aussie fur. Some double-coated dogs have fairly short and coarse hair. However, they shed their fuzzy undercoat almost year-round, leaving giant dust bunnies in their wake.
Another notorious shedder is the Lab. Despite their low-maintenance reputation, Labs shed throughout the year. Wear a pair of black pants when you pet your next yellow Lab, and you'll experience the bane of Lab owners everywhere: short, spiky hairs stuck to you in copious amounts. Even the most conscientious brushing won't prevent their hair from appearing just about everywhere.
Some of the dogs who shed the least are the setters. They have a single coat and although their fur is long, it is fairly thin, almost like human hair. They shed minimally hut need to be brushed regularly to avoid tangles in their feathering.
A dog can have a coat that is perfect for one person but a nightmare for another. For example, poodles don't shed much, so allergy sufferers find that they have fewer symptoms when they keep poodles. On the other hand, poodles require tegular brushing and clipping. Their tightly curled coats can quickly become matted if grooming lapses. For those without the time or money to maintain a high-maintenance coat, a poodle is the wrong dog.
All clogs should be brushed at least weekly. Breeds such as the Australian shepherd or the Belgian Malinois do best with daily brushing as a way to keep shed hair to a minimum. Unless they spend a lot of time rolling in (he mud-or in other less appetizing substances-clogs don't need a bath more than once a month. Dogs have natural oils that keep their bodies warm and their skin healthy. Too much bathing can wash away these oils and lead to dandruff and other skin conditions. However, clogs with severe skin allergies may benefit from weekly shampooing. Weekly shampooing can also help decrease allergies in owners.
Other regular grooming includes ear cleaning, nail clipping, and teeth brushing. Dogs with drop eats, such as Labs or golden retrievers, are prone to ear infections, so be sure to clean their ears regularly with a cotton ball and an ear-cleaning solution-never use cotton swabs or any cleaning utensil small enough to fit into the ear canal. Dogs who aren't walked on concrete need to have their nails clipped because they aren't worn down naturally from a tough surface. And ideally, you should brush your dog's teeth daily or at least weekly.
Cindy is a Certified Training Partner from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and an active member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers since 2002. Check out his latest website Dog Training Bible, which gives people help and advice with their dog training, and solved their dog's behavior problems.
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Recommended for pets with medium or long double-coats Removes loose undercoat or to untangle mats Regular use will promote a healthy and lustrous coat |
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An expert physician's strategic guide for women who suffer from (or live in fear of) losing their hair.In Women's Hair Loss: The Hidden Epidemic, Dr. Michael Lorin Reed draws on his 30 years of experience in treating female patients suffering from the unsettling and often devastating condition that is hair loss... |
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