: Grooming

A comb is ideal for removing knots in long haired breeds

Regular grooming is an important part of keeping your puppy looking and feeling it's best. Grooming is also a good way of spending time with your pet and should be an enjoyable experience for both of you.

Grooming is a good opportunity to check the condition of your pup's coat and skin as well as looking for any abnormalities such as swellings, wounds or evidence of parasites.

If you notice anything out of the ordinary, contact your vet for further advice.

Long-haired puppies need to be groomed several times a week, while short-haired puppies may only need grooming once a week, depending on the condition of the coat. It is better to spend a short time every two or three days than to leave the coat ungroomed and encourage matted hairs.

Depending on your puppies coat you may need different types of grooming tools which you should keep especially for your pup. The best tool for grooming short haired coats (for example a Boxer or Pug) is a soft brush or rubber brush that will remove hair. Medium haired or double coats (for example Border Collie or German Shepherd) will require something like a slicker brush to strip the coat. Long haried breeds or dogs with "feathering" (like Irish Setters or Spaniels) will also need a comb to remove knots from their long hair.

The earlier you start getting your puppy used to regular grooming, even in the ticklish spots the better.

Groom your puppy from the head downwards, running the brush or the comb in the direction of it's hair. You may need to lift the upper hair if it has a thick undercoat, brushing to removing dead hair and matts. If you can put a comb through the hair without catching knots, you know that you have thoroughly groomed your puppy.

A slicker brush is ideal for medium length hair or puppies with double coats

A soft brush is ideal for short coated breeds