The Benefits of Brushing Your Dog
There are many benefits to brushing your dog on a regular occasion. Your dog’s coat will stay in tip top condition free from tangled and knotted fur. Also, as you brush him, you will be able to notice any irregularities in the dog’s skin. It will even give you time to bond with your dog. Brushing your dog on a regular basis will not only make him look better, but he will feel better as well.
It is a good idea to start brushing your dog right from the day you get him. You should perform the task at least one time every day. This will ease him into being handled as well as brushing. Each time you give him a brush, it needn’t be for a prolonged period. Young dogs are much like children in that they hate keeping still so don’t punish your puppy if it keeps moving about. This will have the effect of making your dog hate the process of brushing right from the beginning. Instead, keep a good abundance of patience and eventually your dog will act the way you want it to when being brushed.
If your dog has long fur, you should brush him each day so that his fur doesn’t become matted or tangled up. On the other hand, a kind of dog with short fur could only require a brush once per week.
An important consideration is the type of brush you’re going to be using on your dog. For dogs with long fur, a pin brush will do the job best. Whereas for dogs with short to medium fur a bristle brush would be better.
The best thing to do is to set a routine that you’re going to stick with. This will help your dog get into a pattern, and because he knows what to expect he will act better towards the process. Again consistency in the way you approach brushing the dog is a must. As long as it remains the same each time, your dog will have no problems with it, whether you begin from the head or the feet.
When you brush your dog’s hair, you should part it and then brush from the roots. Keep away from letting the brush stroke against your dog’s skin as this might cause irritation. If you notice that your dog has got a tuft of hair that is particularly tangled up, instead of struggling to brush through it, cut it out, thus causing less pain to the dog.
Brushing your dog is the perfect time to check his skin for any injuries or infections. This way you should notice any lumps early enough to get them checked out for cancer at the vet.
Most dogs love being brushed. And if you do it correctly, it will act as a way to calm down your dog and give him affection. As you build brushing into a good routine for the dog, he will become more trustful of you since he knows what to expect. When your dog has behaved well during the brushing session, remember to give him a reward by patting the dog and giving him some praiseworthy words.
Content written by Kerri Cooley of www.ohmydogsupplies.com, check out our complete variety of orthopedic dog beds online.