If you groom your puppy daily when he is young, he will quickly accept this as part of his routine. Daily grooming sessions will help you to build a good relationship with your dog. If they are enjoyable for the dog, it will help to establish your position as ‘top dog’
All coats need the stimulation of a brush to remove dead hair, but the most important reason is to build and reinforce the right relationship with your dog. There is more to grooming than simply brushing the coat, it includes having the dog stand still while you wipe clean muddy paws or towel him down after a walk.
• Veterinary Surgeon
For a dog that is difficult to handle, a trip to the vets can be a nightmare for him, his owner and the vet. It is difficult to examine and give an accurate diagnosis if your dog will not stand still. Each visit becomes worse than the last. As your dog knows as soon as the car pulls up at the surgery where he is and reacts accordingly. He is already in a stressed state before the vet even sees him and is immediately on the defensive when anyone tries to handle him. This situation would not happen if all puppies learned to accept being handled and to trust in humans without questioning their attention.
• Medication
Few dogs go through life without needing some sort of treatment such as tablets, bandages or ear drops. This can be a problem if the dog will not readily accept an owner's attention.
• New People
You may meet people who do not know the correct way to approach a dog. Children can be prone to reach out to the dog without question, some adults insist on giving dogs a well meaning pat on the top of the head. For a dog which has not become used to being handled, these situations can be very difficult to deal with and he may react badly - with a growl or a snap. This is not acceptable behaviour, whatever the dog's reasons.
• Dealing with difficult situations
If a difficult situation should arise, will your dog trust you enough to allow you to help him? He could get his leg trapped in a fence, get a thorn stuck in his pad or fall down a hole that he cannot climb out of he needs your help, but if he will not let you handle him when he is not hurt or distressed, what chance do you have when he is?
• Stroking your dog is good for you!
Stroking a dog is one of life's pleasures and is a great stress buster. So for your own health as well as his, teach your puppy to enjoy being handled by grooming him, stroke him and build up the relationship that having a dog is all about.
• Daily Health Checks
Regular grooming and handling sessions are an excellent opportunity for you to give your pup an all over health check. It is useful to get into a regular routine so that nothing is missed. This should be a pleasant and relaxing event for you both, but it is not a game. Choose your time carefully, ideally when the pup has finished with wild games and is feeling sleepy and ready for a cuddle. Talk to him soothingly and reward him with verbal praise for accepting your handling of him. Do not allow him to turn the handling session into playtime by stealing the brushes and running off with them.
• Coat and Skin
All dogs, long and short coated need the stimulation given to the skin by daily brushing. This improves circulation of blood to the skin and helps spread essential oils through the coat, keeping it glossy. Introduce your pup to grooming by initially using firm, positive stroking motions with your hand, all over his body - down his neck and back, down the legs, and under his tummy. When he is happy with this, introduce a gentle brush such as a Zoom Groom which will remove dead hair and massage the skin. Many dogs enjoy a good massage with brushes like this used in circular motions all over the back and sides. Experiment to find out what your pup enjoys. As your pup develops an adult coat, he may require special grooming techniques, such as combing out of feathers. Whatever the coat type, try and avoid harsh wire brushes which can scratch delicate skin and turn grooming sessions into a torture.
See Health Checks for advice on how to check your puppy while grooming.