How to Brush Your Dog
Regular brushing and combing helps keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy and looking good and to get the full benefits, you need to brush all the hair and not just the top coat. The most common brushing method is to brush backward against the lay of the fur and then brush it back into place. Brushing that way usually loosens and removes dead hair and stimulates your dog’s skin.
Breeds with corded hair, in particular, just can’t be brushed backward, so brush with the grain and remove all the tangles as you go.
In brushing your canine companion, whether you go from tail to head or head to tail is entirely up to you. Just start at one end and work your way to the other to be sure that you don’t miss anything in between. These steps start at the front, but you can easily reverse the order:
1
Start brushing at the top of your dog.
The key in grooming the head is being gentle. The skin and hair around a dog’s face are particularly sensitive and you need to take care not to harm eyes or ears.
If your dog’s coat or the hair on her face is short, use a soft slicker made specifically for the face. If your dog has long facial hair — a fall over the eyes or a beard — put your fingers behind the long hair and gently comb it out so that your dog’s sensitive skin is protected from the sharp, pointed teeth of the comb.
2
Tend to ear hair carefully.
To groom long ear hair, put your hand between the comb and your dog’s tender skin. If the ear fur is matted or in knots, use a washcloth dipped in detangler solution to slowly comb out the tangles. If the knots of ear fur are too big, (many dogs get them behind the ears), use electric clippers (sliding your hand between the skin and the clipper) to remove them or just ask a professional to do it for you to avoid cutting the skin.
3
Smooth your dog's neck ruffs.
Start brushing with a soft slicker. If your dog has a ruff (the longer, thicker fur around the neck, shoulders, and chest), use a comb or undercoat rake. Comb through the hair you just brushed before brushing it back the way it should lay.
Short hair on a dog’s forelegs usually doesn’t need to be brushed, but if your dog has feathering — long hair on the backs of the legs that runs from armpit to paw — you have to comb it out as has a tendency to tangle more so than the rest of your dog’s coat. Use a detangler solution or a mat splitter or mat comb as necessary.
5
Go gently on the soft underbelly.
Use a slicker to brush against the lay of the hair (if appropriate — otherwise, brush with the grain) on Fido’s chest and belly, being keenly aware that your dog’s underside is sensitive, especially around the belly and private parts.
Don’t pull on any mats on your dog’s sensitive underbelly, and don’t use a mat rake —one slip can cause problems. Instead, have a professional groomer remove any mats in this region.
6
Move around the sides and up the back of your pet.
There are probably the easiest areas to groom, you brush against the lay of the fur as appropriate and follow up with a comb over.
7
Now head for doggy's rear end for more grooming.
Use a slicker brush to find out how tolerant of being touched on the rear, as this can be a sensitive area. Do a regular brush and comb being extremely careful around the base of the tail near the anus and around the dog’s, um, equipment.
8
Catch the hind legs for a quick brush up.
Like the forelegs, your dog’s hind legs shouldn’t require much brushing, but if your dog has feathering, you have to comb it out. If your dog isn’t a show dog and has feathering down her back legs, you can use an electric clipper with a guarded blade to keep it neat.
If your dog’s tail is short, fuggetaboutit! But, if it’s long and furry, you need to use a comb. For mats, use detangler solution and a mat splitter or mat rake.
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A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
check
A crisp, brief snap on a dog’s leash to discourage his current behavior.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
quick
The pink part of a dog’s toenail. It supplies blood to the nail.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
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