subject: Different Techniques On How To Brush Your Dog [print this page] We have to admit that as much as personal hygiene is important to us, it is important for our dogs too. What's the point of having a clean house when your dog walks around looking as if he's just walked out of a dumpster? Neatness is important if you want your dog to look presentable and a rough scruffy coat isn't part of it.
You need not worry if you've never attempted brushing your dog's coat and are cringing at the sight of it. There are ways to overcome that and have your dog looking like he's won a pet show. Brushing is important as it not only removes debris from your dog's coat, but it also increases the circulation in his system leaving him with a great feeling of healthiness. It also prevents premature shedding of his fur and alerts you to any coat or skin problems.
The first thing you need to do is to determine the kind of coat your dog has. There are dogs that have short, thick and smooth hair. The hair is even all over the body and it rarely tangles. Secondly, there are dogs with long hair which is mainly found denser behind the dog's ears, thighs, tail and under his armpits. Furthermore, there are dogs that have curly hair. This type of coat grows constantly and this requires the dog to be trimmed very often. Then finally, there are dogs that have short thick hair. This type of coat is characterized by a thick undercoat but a smooth outer coat.
Different brushes exist for the different types of fur coats. For a short coat a soft bristled brush would be ideal as it is strong enough to remove dead hair and spreading the coats natural oils. For a long coat, a brush with straight pins would be best. The pins should be long enough to penetrate your dog's fur to remove dead ones and also to expel any parasites hanging on. The silky brush would do well for dogs that have silky smooth coats as it can work out tangles in the coat while all the while keeping the hair sleek and curly.
Depending on your dog's fur, you can brush using the spiral technique or just straight brushing. The spiral technique will require you to brush using a circular motion and is most suited for dogs with curly coats as this emphasizes the curls. The straight technique simply requires you to brush in strokes in one direction.
