Routine grooming of your Golden Retriever is a key to a long and enjoyable life together. Once you and your dog get into a routine, the benefits increase because grooming becomes a productive part of life— not an interruption. It takes some time and desire, but the effort will help cultivate a happy and loving Golden. Some general grooming necessities include regular brushing, nail trimming, and bathing.
Benefits of Regular Brushing
Regular brushing can develop into a great bonding activity for you and your Golden. Most Golden Retrievers like to be brushed, so take your time, be patient, and get him used to the brushing action. Eventually he will enjoy how it feels and appreciate the attention. A puppy might be a little impatient, so keep calm, take your time, and keep it positive.
Pay attention to any irregularities such as lumps, tender areas, or signs of fleas or ticks. Keep track of any changes that occur. Catching symptoms early can minimize later issues.
Make sure to use a proper brush. You want the dog to feel comfortable with the “feel” of the brush and the brush to effectively remove hair. There are different styles of brushes available, but the basic slicker brush is best to remove most of the loose undercoat and dead hair. An effective brush will cut down on shedding and keep your home more dog hair free.
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The Alaskan Malamute
History and origin: The Alaskan Malamute is named after a native tribe called the “Mahlemuts.” He is closely related to other Spitz-types such as the Samoyed and has been used as a sled dog. Bred for strength, endurance, and independence, he has the ability to tolerate extremely low temperatures. Today the Alaskan Malamute is used in sled-pulling competitions, some being able to pull a sled weighing close to a ton.
Description: The Alaskan Malamute stands 23 to 26 inches at the shoulder and usually weighs 75 to 125 pounds, while some are even larger. He is thick-boned and has a large, muscular body. The weather-resistant coat is thick, heavy, and of medium length. The undercoat is dense and insulative. He sheds abundantly year- round, particularly in early summer. Regular brushing will keep his coat in good condition. The color may be black-and-white with an off-white undercoat, red-and-white, or gray-and-white with an off-white undercoat.
About the breed: This is a sociable, affectionate, fast, strong, intelligent, and powerful breed who is always friendly and good-natured but somewhat stubborn. Usually good with children , the Alaskan Malamute does not make a good watchdog, but he does have a high prey drive and will show aggression toward other dogs. He can be impetuous, dominant, and challenging, and is not the most cooperative breed with regard to obedience training.
Early training is important due to the breed’s size, level of dominance, and aggression toward animals. The “Come” command is the most difficult to teach a Malamute because of his independent, free-thinking nature, though the females tend to be less dominant and aggressive. A firm, consistent training technique must be used with this sometimes resistant breed.
He tends to be quite vocal and can be very destructive if not exercised daily. Though he is friendly, keep in mind that this large breed can knock over and hurt a child during play. No roughhousing or chase games should be tolerated. The Malamute loves to dig and will create holes all over your yard. A large kennel with a concrete floor will eliminate this problem.
This breed can be left outside during even the coldest winter. Although they are almost always good-natured, there are a few cases of aggression toward people with this breed, particularly from the males. Once this behavior occurs, it is very difficult to modify and usually results in the destruction of the animal.
The Alaskan Malamute lives for only ten to twelve years and can suffer from hip dysplasia, shoulder problems, and bloat. He loves the cold and will suffer in warmer climates. He needs exercise, but should not be run long distances due to his weight and susceptibility to hip and shoulder problems. This breed eats large amounts of food and can develop diarrhea if the diet is changed too rapidly.
Altering can lengthen the life of an Alaskan Malamute and help prevent aggression and other behavioral problems.
Feeding: Recommended feeding for this breed is 1 ½ – 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.
Ideal home: This big, independent breed needs a house with a fenced yard or kennel. He needs a firm, consistent leader who is confident and physically able to deal with a powerful breed. Training should begin early and should include daily socialization, handling, and grooming. Spoiling, cautious, and overbearing persons should avoid the Alaskan Malamute, as should the elderly and the disabled.
Caring For The Labrador Retriever Coat
Caring for the coat of a Labrador Retriever is not much of a problem. The short, dense hair is easily groomed with a daily application of a hound glove or bristle brush. The coat is basically dirt and water repellent, and seldom becomes offensive.
There is little shedding, even though the Labrador Retriever loses its undercoat once or twice yearly. Coat trimming is unnecessary (although sometimes resorted to by show competitors who feel tidying is necessary to highlight this or downplay that aspect of conformation).
Bathing should not be a routine matter, but should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary (such as that unexpected meeting with a local skunk, a roll in the mud, or the presence of an accumulated “doggy odor” from the oils in the coat). Washing a Labrador Retrievertoo frequently eliminates too much of the natural oils that give the outer coat its desired harshness. Soap residue can also dry out the skin and be irritating to the dog.
Yellows may need to be bathed a little more frequently than blacks or chocolates, as their coat may pick up some discoloration from grass and dirt. This can often be taken care of by spot washing only the main contact points – the lower legs and thighs.
When bathing is needed, be sure to use a very mild soap designed especially for the dog’s coat – not commercial products for humans, which are much too drying for a dog. When bathing the dog, work the water down through the dense outer coat to the skin. Afterward, be very careful to dry the dog thoroughly.
It may sound silly to worry about a Labrador Retriever getting a chill from a bath, when a hunting Labrador often spends many hours diving in and out of icy waters without so much as a shiver. However, the bathing process temporarily removes some of the dog’s natural water-repellent oils and gets the dog wet at the skin. At this point, even a water dog is vulnerable to temperature extremes, so be cautious.
A word of caution: Should you notice a change in coat appearance, such as a dulling of the normal sheen, inspect the skin closely for signs of parasite infestation or other skin disorders.
If the dog begins to scratch incessantly or chew its coat and skin, there is an irritation present that must be diagnosed by a competent veterinarian. Recent nutritional studies have shown that many such skin problems can be ‘traced to allergic reactions to food additives or other substances. A change in the natural oils of the coat’ may point to metabolic problems involving the liver, kidneys, or the digestive tract.
The loss of hair may be tied to hormonal imbalances, or could be due to infectious mange. The point is that the coat is often an indicator of general health and should not be overlooked just because the Labrador Retriever is lucky enough not to need much attention paid to it.
Why Does A Poodle Have Those Interesting Haircuts?
The Poodle coat consists of two types of hair. The outer coat should be thick, wiry and curly. The undercoat must be soft and woolly to provide warmth. Puppies, however, are exceptions. Poodle puppy coats are soft and fine with little or no curl, but often with a slight wave.
As the dog matures into adulthood, the coat develops a thick, curly quality. The best way to judge a puppy’s potential adult coat is to look at the parents. If they carry good coats, their
puppies will likely possess them too.
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Ever since the first hunters trimmed their retrieving dogs to prevent drowning, the Poodle hairstyle has been a favorite topic of conversation among dog people. Initially, Poodles sported either a Continental clip or an English Saddle clip. Now, hundreds of years later, these are still popular as they are required clips for show dogs.
Puppies under one year of age are shown in a simple trim known as a “Puppy clip”. Only the face, throat, feet and base of tail are clipped. The tail displays the characteristic pompom at its end. The body coat is lightly trimmed to give it a neat unbroken line for a pleasant appearance.
The “Continental clip” has full hair around the chest and rib cage, with shaved hindquarters and legs. Large pompons are sculpted over each hip above the area of the kidneys (optional) and around the ankles for protection from the cold.
The “English Saddle clip” permits a short mantle of hair over the hindquarters and full
coat from the waist to the topknot and ears. The ankle and knee joints are also protected with pompons.
All Poodles are given a topknot of hair over the skull that is brushed out and groomed to stand erect in a rounded pompon. Adult dogs must be shown in either the English Saddle or Continental clip; the only exception being competitors in Stud Dog classes, for which a Sporting clip is permitted. The English Saddle and Continental are the clips of choice for the conformation ring around the world, except in the UK, where the Lion clip is preferred.
Pet Poodles and those not being shown in breed conformation classes at dog shows are usually groomed in styles designed for ease of maintenance. Often the body hair is clipped short, with the legs trimmed a bit longer. Some male Poodles sport tiny mustaches around the muzzles. The pet style is usually determined by the owner’s willingness and capability to maintain the coat in a well-groomed fashion. In addition. a Poodle that spend a lot of time outdoors are usually kept shorter because it’s easier to keep the coat clean when the hair isn’t too long.