Doggone Etiquette —

Good Grooming

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

There’s a rule about grooming that not many of you dogs follow, probably because you don’t even know about it. Here’s the rule: It is not polite to groom yourself in public. For one thing, people seeing you scratching and licking will think you have fleas, ticks or lice. Of course, if you do happen to have any one of those three — most likely ticks at this time of year — all that self-grooming activity will earn you a quick trip to the groomer’s, which will be all to the good. In fact, if your VIPeople don’t notice right away, you can add a lot of loud leg-thumping. That should let them know to get rid of what bugs you.   When you don’t have to lick and scratch anymore, you won’t have to worry quite so much about the etiquette rule of extensive self-grooming in public, or anywhere else for that matter. A few tips to your VIPeople, including your pet sitter, about good grooming should help.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

No matter what kind of coat your dog has, whether it is thick and fluffy, long and straight, short and wiry, or just plain short and flat, it needs to be brushed and combed on a regular basis. Drying off wet muddy feet is more for the protection of your floors and furniture, than for the dog’s benefit. At this time of year it is extremely important to brush and comb Rufus regularly once a day in order to spot any ticks, fleas, other insect bites, or even small open cuts and scratches that can almost appear out of nowhere.

Rolling, rubbing and stretching on the carpet add up to a form of physical workout, the kind we might do ourselves. (I’ll ‘fess up on that. My dog goes flat on his back beside me and does a pretty fair imitation of my floor exercises.) That’s fine for easing or strengthening muscles and joints, but has nothing to do with the necessity for routine grooming.

Start off with a brush and a comb made especially for your dog’s type of coat. That’s not a sales pitch — it is only meant to point out one way to simplify your job. The pet store or your dog’s groomer will guide you in what to buy for daily maintenance. The groomer will even show you how to use the tools properly so Rufus won’t have a valid complaint. If you have a very young puppy, you may need to make some changes in these tools as the puppy coat becomes a full-grown adult one.

There are also shampoos for just about every type or problem of a dog’s coat and skin condition, but you don’t need to go overboard on this part of the dog’s “hair care.” Many dogs can go quite a long time between shampoos, because the brushing and combing helps to keep the coat (and skin) clean.

The best part about routine grooming is the fact that the job is much easier to do — from the dog’s point of view, and yours — when done on a regular basis. For one thing, it will take a lot less of your time because you’ll be keeping the coat in good condition. Rufus may give you a look that clearly says, “oh no, not this again” but he’ll soon learn to stand still and get it over with as quickly as possible. I don’t really think dogs put 2 and 2 together and realize that the ordeal makes them a lot more comfortable, but maybe they do.

Keep your dogs in the shade, indoors in the a/c, or otherwise comfortable in our upcoming heat waves.  A dog that cools off with a swim in the pool needs to be dried off with towels — not in the hot sun!

Until next time — Stay Cool!

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.