Do’s and Don’ts to Observe when Brushing Dogs

Most of us are taught or teach ourselves to accentuate the positives and eliminate the negatives in life. Here’s a “What if” for ya! If it were possible to eliminate ALL negatives then there would only be positives left! Anyway, it’s important for us to sometimes focus on what not to do, on what to avoid, in order to reduce or avoid the negatives…

This article then is to assist you with the things to avoid when brushing dogs (grooming). However, it doesn’t explain how or what do you do. As an alternative, it offers advice on 5 things you must avoid if you really want to the things to avoid when brushing your dog.

Here then, are the five things you really need to avoid:

1. Bathing the dog before your dog is thoroughly brushed out. The principal reasons that you ought not to do that are, as this tightens any knots present, also the shampoo will be difficult to rinse out. Instead, you should brush your dog’s whole coat thoroughly.

2. Avoid starting at the front of your dog’s body. The best reason for this is that you should brush him or her from the back and work towards the front as this is less sensitive for the skin. As an alternative, you would be better off if you just make a rule to always start brushing at the dog’s back.

3. Don’t be dis-organised. What is involved here is the secret is to be systematic, so that you do not miss any areas. And you really should be striving to always follow the same brushing sequence.

4. Don’t end up holding your dog awkwardly while brushing dogs. Always hold their limbs at a natural angle, no matter how awkward the position a knot may be in. The reason is clearly one of avoiding discomfort to your dog. And so you should take care and time to set them back up sitting straight if they move out of position.

5. Don’t forget that with most breeds there is the undercoat to brush too, not just the surface of the coat. It will always be a temptation to do this but make sure the brush is moving through the full depth of the dog’s fur. Instead, you should invariably keep in mind that the brush you use won’t be suitable for all breeds/coat lengths.

Take care to avoid all 5 of the things mentioned and your chances of the things to avoid when brushing your dog (grooming) will be greatly improved. Keep to the alternatives mentioned, or just about any positive action you want. But at all costs avoid these mistakes.