Grooming can be a never ending task when you own a long haired dog. However, the benefits of taking the time to do it are huge. You should really set up a schedule to groom your dog regularly, and depending on the breed this could mean twice a week. If you set aside 30 minutes of grooming time twice a week you will significantly decrease your dogs shedding. If you find your dog has gotten into something outside, like burs you should stop and get them out immediately, this will save time in the long run.

Grooming is made up of a few different things. The first of which is brushing. You should give you dog’s whole body a good brushing. Start with a brush and brush the entire body. Once you finish that you can move to a comb to get rid of any remaining loose fur. Make sure you check your dog’s skin to make sure they do not have any ticks or fleas, or any other skin problems.

Bathing is the next step to grooming your long haired dog. You always want to make sure you have brushed your dog well before you give them a bath. This gets out any tangles and makes it easier. Never use human shampoo on a dog. You should always use a dog shampoo. They are specially designed for the skin of a dog. You don’t need to give your dog a bath very often, but it is nice to help them stay clean and take good care of them.

One issue with long haired dogs is matting. This can be avoided by good grooming. In fact, you should brush your dog daily to help keep his fur clear and free from mats. If your dog does get a mat, the best way to deal with it is to work through it with a metal comb. Using scissors to cut it out is not recommended, as it is very easy to cut the dog’s skin when trying to cut out the mat. Just slowly brush through it and it will come out.

Cutting your dog’s nails is another important part of grooming. A dog’s nails will just keep growing and can grow into the dog’s foot. This is very uncomfortable for your dog. Check your dog’s nails every couple weeks, and make sure you trim them. When trimming your dog’s nails you need to be careful to not cut them too far down or you will cut the quick. If you cut the quick it will cause bleeding. You can make the bleeding stop by applying styptic powder or using a styptic stick.

You also need to check your dog’s ears regularly. They may not only get dirty, but they may get mites. Both are easily remedied but can cause problems if they aren’t taken care of in a timely fashion. Use a cleansing solution on a cotton swab and just wipe out your dog’s ears.

Grooming is an important part of any long haired dog’s life. It takes time and you have to stay on top of it to keep problems at bay. If you find you don’t have time to groom your dog as often as you should you can always take them to a groomer. These are professionals who can do all the things we’ve discussed in this article. Whether you do it yourself or have someone else do it, grooming is a must when you own a long haired dog.