Just like a shiny head of hair means good health for us humans, a shiny coat of fur on a dog means your dog is in good health. In fact, a nice, lustrous coat of fur is one of the strongest indicators that your pooch is enjoying good dog health. Proper dog grooming is important in promoting good dog health.
Dog Hygiene: Bathing 101
Great dog hygiene starts with good dog grooming. If you want your dog to have a healthy coat of fur, you should groom him everyday. You do not have to bathe him everyday. Just once a week will do, or once every two days if your dog is the type that has long or thick fur.
- When and Where to Bathe Your Dog: Bathing a dog can be a tedious dog grooming process that will get you ending up wet along with your dog, but it can be quite fun once you get the hang of it. If your dog belongs to a small breed type, you can safely give him his bath in your kitchen sink. However, if your dog is the big type, you would have to use your tub or set up a place out of doors where you can bathe him properly.
- How to Bathe Your Dog : When you bathe your dog, use a hose or a detachable shower head and wet him thoroughly. Afterwards, apply dog shampoo and work up a lather, starting from his chest to the top of his head, down his back and tail and then to his legs. Be careful not to get any of that shampoo in his eyes or ears.Also, use a dog shampoo for your dog rather than your own shampoo. Shampoo for human hair only works on human hair; it is actually harsh and irritating to doggie skin. Dog shampoo, on the other hand, is specifically formulated for dog grooming, designed to suit the sensitivity of the skin and fur of dogs. For an added sheen and softness to your dog’s fur, a dog conditioner also works wonders.
- Rinse, lather repeat? Rinse your dog thoroughly after shampooing and conditioning his fur. Make sure that there are no leftover soap suds on your dog’s skin, or else the soap may cause some irritations. He might also end up licking at the leftover soap on his skin, and that is always a cause of concern that merits a vet’s attention if it does happen.
- After the Bath : Once you are done bathing your dog, dry him thoroughly by patting all the excess water out of his fur using a towel. If your dog has short hair, you can leave him to air-dry his fur out completely. But if your dog is the type that has thick or long fur, you may need to dry his fur out with the use of a hair dryer. He may not find the hair dryer comfortable, but it is better than letting your dog stink up again because his fur was not dried out completely.
- Nutrition for that Shiny Coat : Good nutrition also plays a large role towards promoting good dog health. If a dog gets all the nutrients that his body needs, then definitely he will get a shiny coat. If you love your dog, you will not skimp on the cost of dog food. True enough, there are some cheap dog food brands out there, but they are made up of cheap and low-quality ingredients. So you can be sure that your dog is eating good food, do not skimp on quality dog food. Or, you can cook up your own dog food to feed your pooch.
If after regular dog grooming and regular feeding of high-quality food and your dog still does not display a shiny coat, it means that there is something else that is wrong with his system. Your dog may not be as in high a level of good health than you may have guessed. In this case, it is time to go to the vet.