Understanding Your Dog

In This Chapter Keeping the toenails trimmed Cleaning the ears Expressing anal sacs Brushing your dog’s teeth Keeping eyes healthy After you discover the basics of dog grooming — brushing, combing, and bathing — you have to tackle some tougher jobs, like brushing your dog’s teeth, cleaning his ears and face, trimming his toenails, and…

In This Chapter Tackling brushing and combing basics for any breed Bathing and drying your dog without bother Good grooming is a part of caring for your dog, but most of what you do is just maintenance work — that is, just keeping your dog clean and healthy. If you start with a clean dog…

In This Chapter Drilling your dog on essential grooming manners Helping your dog accept being touched in sensitive areas such as paws and face Establishing a grooming routine Handling troublesome dogs So you dread the idea of grooming your dog. All dog owners, at one time or another, have had a dog they just couldn’t…

 In This Chapter Deciding what equipment and supplies you really need Discovering optional supplies and equipment Finding the best bargains for groomer supplies Setting up your grooming room — what works and what won’t Your own doggie beauty parlor doesn’t have to be fancy or extravagant, but it does have to be right. Otherwise, you’re…

In This Chapter Discovering short-coated breeds Exploring the characteristics of medium-coated breeds Grooming short- and medium-coated dogs Getting a wash-and-wear dog ready to show Dogs with short or medium coats are the wash-and-wear dogs of the canine world. They’re the least grooming intensive, needing almost no clipping and minimal brushing when compared to long-coated breeds…

In This Chapter Knowing which dogs need to be clipped Choosing the right tools: Clippers, blades, and scissors Clipping your pooch Clipping a dog is one of the more daunting tasks for pet owners. If you have a dog who needs to be clipped or one who needs a touch-up here or there, this chapter’s…

In This Chapter Understanding parts of the dog and how they relate to good grooming Exploring how diet and good care can affect your dog’s health Discovering how haircoat, genetics, and other factors may affect your dog’s grooming So you’re well acquainted with the importance of good grooming for your dog’s health and well-being —…

In This Chapter Understanding why grooming is important to your dog’s health Tallying up the costs of grooming Determining which dogs (and coat types) need the most and least grooming Figuring out when to do it yourself and when to hire a pro I know that when I think of grooming, the vision of the…