In the last week we have been discussing various aspects of basic skills needed when having a dog. Brushing is one of the most important and least followed practices in this country. We will this time discuss the proper way to do this and the appropriate tools required. The benefits are obvious and long lasting which we have lost to the unnecessary habit of bathing dogs.

First understand how a dogs coat is made up and why it’s there. A dogs’ coat is there as protection against the elements. Dogs originating from different places in the world have different types of coats.

These are these dogs bred in the northern regions in very cold climes. There are several breeds belonging to this group. Some of them are the Samoyed, Finnish Spitz, German Wolf Spitz, Japanese Spitz and the ever popular Pomeranian. These dogs have thick double layered coats to protect them from the cold. These dogs were generally bred to face the harsh climate of the north. There are some unique features of these animals coats. One is that they emanate no doggy smell and generally shed very little hair. In spite of such a wooly appearance they are generally easy to keep. They also have a way of keeping themselves clean. In this country even though a tropical one the Pomeranian and Japanese Spitz are the most popular. A popularity so great that the demand for these breeds has caused over breeding to lose its’ own quality. Now there is a variety that is called a ‘Lionpom’.

As this country is full of dust where ever you go and the heat makes it impossible to live in a closed up house the dogs coat will gather a certain amount of dust. This makes brushing daily essential.

We see this type of coat in Alsatians, Spaniels, Golden retrievers, Long haired Dachshunds, Afghan Hounds etc. These breeds are also very popular in this country even though they are not suited for this climate.

This is the type of coat we see on the Labrador, Beagles, Bassets, Rottweilar, and Fox terrier to name a few. These breeds though having flat coats also have undercoats.

Boxers, Doberman, Dachshund, French Bulldogs, Great Danes, Dalmatians etc, are dogs with no undercoat.

The other dogs are crossbreeds that come in all types of coats and colours.

Dogs, no matter pure bred or crossbred, must be brushed. I know for a fact that certain vets around the country are sometimes recommending bathing. The reason for this I am not sure unless it’s that pure ignorance or the fact that many of them do not have dogs. This as we discussed last week in not very good or necessary. Brushing is necessary there is no doubt that.

For longhaired breeds you need a wide toothed comb to first break away the knots. Once you have done this you brush the coat from inside out. That is you part the coat with your hand and brush from the bottom of the coat out. The above pictures showing the brushing of a Pomeranian demonstrates this.

Next comes the long haired breeds like Alsatians, Retrievers etc.. For these dogs You could use a good plastic brush with teeth that will go into the coat . When you run the brush through the coat it will remove the dead hair first. It will be stuck in the brush. You must do this until all the dead hair is removed from the coat. After that you may finish it off with a brushing glove. Dog with softer coats like golden retrievers and spaniels need softer brushes. Cocker spaniels need special attention when brushing their ears. Here you must use a soft brush and brush downwards. These dogs also you have to separate the coat and start from the bottom.

Short haired double coats like Labs etc have a good layer of body fat. They also have a good double coat. These dogs have to be brushed daily to get rid of the dead hair. Because it’s the dead hair that rots on the body and causes it to smell. As the dog hair life is about 90 days there is an amount of dead hair falls off everyday.

Breeds with short coats with no undercoats like Dobermans, Boxers and Dachshunds must have additional attention. This is because they are very prone to skin problems. All theses breeds come from Germany which is a much colder than here. This is why the dogs layer of body fat must always be in peak form. No amount of Shampooing or bathing improves the coat. Its good nutrition that does it. Because when the body fat layer goes down dogs with thin coats like this are the first to come out with skin problems. Things like kennel pads, weight spots etc begin to appear fast on lean ill nourished dogs first.

When you brush your dog you get a first hand view of the condition of your dogs. Has it lost weight, does it have skin problems, does it have any wounds, does it have mange or has it started having tick etc. the list goes on and on. This is the most easiest and first hand way of noticing the condition of your dog on a day to day basis. When your brush you know of and difference however slight as soon as it takes place. Because when you take the dog to a vet you can tell exactly when you first noticed the problem. This is very vital when it comes to arresting the problem and treating it. When the animal is under treatment you can notice the changes first hand as well.

A vital thing about brushing is how you do it. Most people here like to either bathe or brush their dogs on the floor. This makes it very difficult in the case of small breed. Even with large breed when you have to check it’s toes you have to virtually lie flat on the ground or kneel at least. Get used to brushing your dog on a table . When a dog is used to a table it also does not panic when it is put on the vets table. Otherwise it will always try to jump off when you least expect it. Another reason this is vital is for show dogs where they have to be put on a table to be examined by the judge. Very very few dogs stand stock still and let the judge examine them. Majority of dogs slouch and tuck their tails in and cringe because the only thing they associate a table is with injection at the Vets.