Big dogs, small dogs, cute white fluffy dogs, long legs, short legs, tail or no tail, protective, guarding or friendly lapdogs (who help the thief carry out the silver and noses out the spare cash). Just as dogs come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and temperaments they also come in a multitude of coat types. Long and short, single, double or triple, hair shedding 24/7, seasonally or never are examples. The size and temperament of a dog is important but equally so is its coat type.

            Wild dogs do not have long flowing impractical coats Dogs from colder Northern Hemisphere climates have double or triple coats that shed continuously, protecting them from extreme cold. Poodles, Shih Tzu, Cavaliers, Maltese and Pomeranians, are long coated breeds developed many centuries ago by Royalty or Emperors who had unlimited time, money and staff to care for their beautiful elegant coats.

            Working breeds such as Jack Russell, Cattle Dogs, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Golden Retriever or Labradors have short dense coats as they were developed to work in water or underground. They tend to shed hair constantly and often in greater amounts that long coated breeds.

            Dogs are man's best friend and responsible owners keep their dogs shiny, attractive and healthy. A dog coat that is matted, full of dead hair and smelly results in an unhappy, unhealthy and often flea loaded dog. Mats form when dirt collects in the coat making small knots, the dog scratches at this knot making it larger and larger as more dirt accumulates. Air is unable to circulate around the skin, fleas and ticks are in heaven and sores and rashes form.

            Heavily matted dogs are unable to move their legs or feet correctly due to constriction and pain from matts under legs, elbows and in some cases the full back. Many dogs become aggressive as they can only exhibit pain by biting. To find out how your dog feels with a matted coat, grab two big handfuls of your own hair and pull tightly. How long can you tolerate this for? Removal of these matts is a painful and dangerous process, despite a groomer's experience, pulling on the skin is required and the risk of accidentally cutting the dog is high, especially if they have become overly aggressive. In extreme cases full anesthesia is required in a veterinary surgery.

            The rate at which coats matt will depends on the type of coat. Poodles, Shih Tzu and Maltese rapidly progress from a knot that is easily removed to a total nightmare that only a good set of clippers and a qualified dog groomer can fix. The designer dog breeds are a particularly difficult problem due to the inappropriate combination of different coat types resulting in faster and harder matting. Most Spoodles that are not professionally groomed every 6 weeks develop full body matting.

            In the 21^st century dogs are an integral part of modern life, and can be owned by rich and poor alike. But our modern lifestyle means we have far less time to care for the coat needs of these dogs and often not the money to pay others to perform the required grooming.

            Dog grooming can be simplified into three main categories

            (1) Clip: (e.g. Poodles, Shih Tzu, Maltese and Cocker Spaniels). Due to their single coats they clip without damage to the correct coat type. They are clipped to reduce coat maintenance and not to keep them cooler. Silky and Aussie Terriers can fall into this group; however, they only need light face and bottom trimming for hygiene reasons.

            (2) Brush daily/strip fortnightly (e.g. Labradors, Australian Cattle Dogs, Kelpies, Corgis, Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, Samoyeds, Malamutes, Pomeranians, Golden Retrievers, Jack Russell, and Fox Terriers). Stripping involves the use of a stripping brush, available at all good pet shops, for about 10 minutes per fortnight to remove loose wooly undercoat that sheds constantly. This will result in a coarser coat with shedding reduced by up to 75%

            (3) Brush weekly and strip seasonally: (e.g. Border Collies, Belgian Shepherds, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Despite being long coated these breeds are seasonal shedders who benefit from weekly brushing with a slicker brush to keep the shine but coat removal only when "blowing" coat at the end of summer and winter.

            Dogs in group 2 and 3 above should never be clipped. Heat management in dogs is performed by exchange of heat via the tongue and the pads of the feet. In hot weather dogs pant and open their mouths wide to cool off. They often stand in water. They do not sweat from pores on their skin like humans and totally removing the coat to the skin will make the dog hotter as the insulating properties of a normal coat are removed. They can badly sunburn when skin not suited to sun exposure is bared. Continued clipping over time replaces the normal coat with the thick wooly undercoat that sheds, causes heat stress, and provides the ideal environment for fleas and ticks.

               How can you tell if your dog is fully brushed out? If you are unable to run a comb through the full thickness of the coat down to the skin then your dog is not fully brushed. The choice of the right brush for your dogs coat is essential. Different coats require different bushes and different techniques. Most good pet shops in your area are only too happy to provide information on the right brushes for your dog. Grooming salons are also a source of information on the care of your favorite friend.

It's Bath Time

Frequency

The frequency that you chose to bath your dog will depend on a number of factors:

•  Where it lives and sleeps
•  It's coat type
•  How picture perfect you want your dog to be
•  How often it swims
•  The presence of any skin conditions

           Dogs that live indoors and sleep on the owner's bed or couch are kept cleaner than those that live an outdoor life. If a good quality, appropriate dog shampoo is used you can bath your dog as often as weekly. The shampoo used must not dry the coat out or skin problems will result. Older dogs will require more frequent bathing as they no longer self groom as effectively. Coats that are oily and smelly and skin that is red and irritated indicate an underlying problem that should be seen by a vet.

           Incorrect diets, heavy flea loads and matting will cause your dog to smell. In the absence of any of these issues and if they are outside dogs they only need a bath to help at the times they are losing coat. Washing should never be substituted for effective grooming where the full thickness of the dogs coat is brushed.

Shampoos and Conditioners

         There are hundreds of shampoos and conditioners on the market. Any shampoo or conditioner should be soap free and made for dogs as the ph of a dog skin is different to human skin. Do not use human hair products or wool mix on dogs as they will damage the coat and give rise to skin issues. Dogs that are being washed frequently should be washed in a shampoo that contains conditioner or a conditioner applied. A soft silky coat (eg Maltese or Poodle) will benefit from a shampoo that is specifically designed for these coat types. Aristopet make an excellent range of shampoos that are coat specific. This range is available in most good pet stores. In dogs with long term skin problems there are specialist shampoos  see your vet or certified groomer for advice. Less is better with shampoo: less foaming, less perfume, fewer ingredients. The pretty smell is for the owners benefit not the dogs. If you do want your dog to smell less doggy lightly apply a coat spray with a natural fragrance after the bath.

           The use of shampoos containing flea products is not recommended as they tend to be drying and not suitable for most coat types. It is far more effective to use a non organo-phosphate flea rinse (eg Fido's fre-itch rinse concentrate) applied to the rinse water. Spot on products are more effective for flea control than flea shampoos and powders. In all situations environmental flea control is essential

Preparation for the bath

          Do not bath your dog if it is heavily matted. If the dog is dried without these mats being removed they will become tighter and more painful. A dog should not be bathed if a comb is unable to run through the full thickness of the entire coat. Heavily matted dogs should be humanely dematted by a qualified groomer. Thoroughly brush your dogs using a brush capable of penetrating the depth of coat, slickers are recommended for heavily coated dogs. Bathing by hand will be ineffective if masses of dead undercoat are still present. Be careful not to irritate the skin while brushing. Long haired dogs are more effectively brushed by working from the body out to the edge of the coat. Separate the layers and bush each before moving onto the next layer.

            Before getting your dog into a bath ensures that you have put together all the things you need. Leaving a dog alone in a tub is dangerous. You will need towels, ear cleaner, soft micro-fibre cloth, nail clippers, brush and comb. Place a non slip mat on the bottom of your tub. Dilute your chosen shampoo with water to ensure more efficient application of shampoo.

 Large dogs: A well rinsed 400ml shampoo bottle         1/3 shampoo to 2/3 water
 Small dogs: A well rinsed 200ml shampoo bottle         1/3 shampoo to 2/3 water

The Bath

•         Place the dog in the tub on the non slip mat and thoroughly wet the dog.   Place the hose into the coat of heavily coated breeds to ensure the dog is   wet to the skin. Don't forget the sanitary areas and between the front legs.   When applying water around the head close off the ear canal gently with   your hand to prevent water entering.
•        Apply the shampoo. Make sure not to scrub too hard in a circular motion   on soft silky coats as tangles will develop. To apply shampoo to the face   and forehead use a soft cloth or sponge to avoid eye damage. 
•       Rinse by starting at the head and moving the rinse water and shampoo  residue to the rear of the dog. When rinsing around the top of the head,  shield the eyes with your hand. Close off the ear canal when rinsing  around the neck. All shampoo must be removed to prevent skin issues. 
•       Using a soft micro-fibre cloth (available from supermarkets) clean the  eyes by rubbing from the nose to the outer edge of the eye making sure to  remove all eye discharge. Then clean inside the ears wiping from the  canal to the outer ear. Never dig in the ear canal. Apply ear cleaner and  massage ears. Always clean the eyes and then the ears to avoid   introducing an ear infection into the eyes. In dogs with ear or eye   problems use a separate cloth. 
•        Repeat shampoo if dog is still dirty. 
  
•        Condition if required (i.e. coat is dry and brittle)
  
•        Clip nails now that dog is wet and nails are softer and more easily seen.  Be careful not to cut the quick (pink area in the nail) See nail trimming  handout for more details.
  
•        Dry by patting not scrubbing to avoid knotting. A moisture magnet   chamois is preferable to towels to remove water. 
  
•        Blow dry if required by placing the blow dryer under the dog and dry coat  upwards.

Now go and dry yourself and the bath areas off and

give your nice, clean dog a big cuddle