Dog Care & health care for Dogs

SANITARY AND ESTHETIC NEEDS

Even though, dogs can clean, wash and get "dressed up" by themselves, there comes a certain point where they need our help in order to keep a healthy and good aspect.

The fur coat of certain breeds should be frequently brushed, washed, clipped, thinned out or cut. The lifestyle of almost all company dogs makes their nails not to wear out on a natural way and therefore, they need to be cut. Whatever the cosmetic necessities of your dog may be that you will have to keep its skin and coat always clean.

THE "Dog Toys" VARIETIES

In this group we can include from the short hair breeds as the Chihuahua to the dogs with very long and demanding hair as the Yorkshire terrier and the Maltese.

• The popularization of the breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier and the Bichon Frisé has led to haircuts that are easier to maintain. They are even kept with short hair to prevent the formation of knots.
• The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has a very silky hair of a medium length that you have to neatly and constantly brush, but is not necessary to cut.
• There are two varieties of the Naked Dog of China, one of them covered with a very fine down that, due to this characteristic, is called Powder Puff and the Naked Dog itself that is totally bald, except on the tuft or crest that decorates its head and the hair that covers its tail and paws. In both cases, it is not the hair we should worry about, but the skin care.

Almost all the hunting dogs need to be deeply brushed and combed and some of them may even need a haircut.

• The Labrador is the less demanding in terms of hair, but during the molt, its dense it will release hair everywhere which will force you to brush the dog more regularly.
• The Vizsla Magyar, Weigmaraner, English Pointer and the German Kurzhaar don't need haircuts.
• Most of the Retrievers, Setters and Spaniels have silky hair of medium length and need certain quantity of brushings, hairdos and thin outs to eliminate the dead hair. It is good for all dogs to have some hair cut from the paws and fingers and some of them, like the Golden Retriever need a haircut on the neck and the tail.

TRACKERS, PODENCOS AND GREYHOUNDS

They are usually the less demanding ones in terms of hair. The maintenance of the coat does not require much time on brushing.

• The Basset Hound, Beagles and Greyhounds have short hair that is very easy to properly maintain.
• The breeds with hard hair are a bit more demanding: The Irish Wolfhound and the Deer hound for example, need regular brushings but only few showers and a visit to the hairdresser's.
• The Afghan hound can be considered an exception because its unmistakable long and silky hair demands long hours of brushing and meticulous washes to keep a good aspect.

TERRIERS

Almost all the Terriers demand little maintenance. Their hair is usually rough and rustic to keep them protected from the hard life at the camp and their coat repels the water as well as dirtiness.

• Some Terriers need thin outs or stripping to get rid of the dead hair because they don't usually change it. Sometimes the hair is cut, a very adequate alternative in the West-Highland White Terrier and the Scottish Terrier.
• The Irish Wheaten Terrier with soft hair and the Skye Terrier, both with silky and long hair, need to be regularly brushed and combed.
• The Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Fox Terrier with straight hair and the Manchester Terrier can be considered an exception because their short and soft hair require the use of brushes with very soft bristles or special mittens for brushing in order to keep it in good conditions.

COMPANY DOGS

The Poodles of any size (toy, miniature or standard) are universally known for their famous haircuts.

• It is enough with cutting the hair of the whole body very short every now and then, but it is necessary to use the comb. They release only little hair for which they are more appropriate than other breeds for allergic owners or for people who dislikes finding hair all over their houses.
• The Boston Terrier, the Dalmatian, the Shar Pei and the Bulldog with straight hair require only little care, but with last two ones you have to be alert and make sure that no dirtiness will get accumulated in the facial folds.

SHEPHERD AND Working DOGS

This group includes a huge variety of breeds in terms of coat maintenance and the nature of the hair. In one extreme we would find the Great Dane with its straight, short and soft hair and in the opposite extreme the Komondor with its thick wool cords that reach the floor.

• A big part of the working dogs are shepherds bred to watch the cattle. The Border Collies, Collies with hard hair, Bearded Collie and Bobtails need long and arduous brushings and combing to keep the hair clean and no matted.
• All dogs with straight hair from this group like the Doberman, the Bull Mastiff and the Boxer demand only little work, but in their case the hairdressing should lead to the manicure; the shape of their paws usually avoid the nails from wearing out when running or walking and consequently, they have to get the nails cut in a periodic way.

Anal Sacks Cleaning

Some dogs need to have their perennial glands to be periodically cleaned. If your dog drags forward its backside, rubbing it against the floor, or if it licks its anal region in a very insistent way, then your dog may be suffering from an obstruction or an infection on these sacks.

The sacks contain aromatic substances aimed to mark the territory and should be emptied every time the dog defecates. If your dog needs frequent help to empty them, it may need a change of diet; ask the veterinary. If they get infected you may need to treat the infection with antibiotics.

If you have to clean the anal sack, follow this procedure:

• With the dog standing on its paws, raise the tail firmly grabbing it by the base.
• With your hand in a rubber glove and using tissues or cotton pieces, put you opened hand on the anal region of your dog.
• The perennial glands are placed at both side of the anus, downward, as if they were the four and the eight hours on the clock respectably. Firmly press these two points ("twenty to four") inside and up at the same time. The content of the sack should be expelled due to this pressure. It is a dark substance with a really bad smell.  

If you are not completely sure about doing this, ask the veterinary to teach you how to do it or ask him to do it himself.