The Importance Of Dog Coats In Choosing Your New Dogs' Breed

Dogs are extremely popular pets all over the world, and with so many different breeds to choose from, it can be difficult to select the right one for your lifestyle. Although it may not be an immediate consideration, the type of coat your dog has can be an important factor. The various coat types - short haired, long haired, curly coated, and even hairless - will contribute differently to the time required to groom and care for your pet.

Choosing the right dog coat for you

The amount of time that you are able to dedicate to grooming your pet should determine the type of coat that you opt for. If, for instance, you are unable to really commit much time to grooming, you should choose a dog that has a short, close coat which doesn't need much in the way of maintenance and doesn't really shed significantly. If you are able to commit to regular grooming sessions, then you have more choice, as you can also go for dogs with longer coats that may need regular brushing and clipping to keep them in good condition.

It's important to keep up with your dog's grooming needs, whichever length of coat you choose. Regular grooming not only keeps the coat from becoming lackluster and matted, it minimizes the dog hair that may otherwise accumulate around your house. Whilst there will always be a little bit, even with low-shedding dogs, having a dog that sheds a lot, who isn't brushed regularly, is a recipe for a lot of dog hair on furniture and your clothes.

Another important issue when considering dog grooming and breed choice, is that a coat that is not properly cared for could potentially lead to skin conditions for your dog. His skin may become dry and itchy, and parasites and ticks may go unnoticed.

If you really want a dog with a high maintenance coat, but don't have the time or inclination to groom it regularly yourself, you might want to consider using one of the many local dog grooming services. A lot of them are mobile, and will come straight to your house. Just factor in the ongoing costs associated with using their services when you choose your pet. An advantage of using a professional is that they will generally use a flea shampoo, which saves you the trouble of applying flea powder.

What type of grooming is required for dogs?

Generally, there are two types every dog needs. The first is basic maintenance. This usually involves cleaning his teeth, brushing and combing his coat, clipping his toenails, checking his coat for any fleas, checking his skin for any lumps, rashes, or sores, and looking over his eyes and ears. How often this needs to be done varies with the breed, but you should aim for at least once a week.

Then, every couple of months for a short hair dog, or every 4 to 6 weeks for medium, long, curly, and wire coat dogs, more in depth grooming needs to be done. As well as checking for any fleas and parasites, you should apply flea treatments. Brush out the coat and remove any parts of it that are matted. Cutting these off is best, though more regular coat brushing can usually prevent the hair becoming matted.

Check his ears, eyes, teeth, and paws, as well as the skin. Bath him. Clip his nails. If you're styling his coat, give him this season's new look. And importantly, administer any eye drops, ear powder, and complete any dental work such as tooth scaling.

Although your dog's coat may not sound like an important factor in selecting a dog as a pet, it can play a big part in your decision. For instance, people that suffer from allergies will not fare well with a long haired dog that is a heavy shedder, as this can exacerbate the allergies. Instead, allergy sufferers can opt for a short haired dog that shed little hair over the course of the year, or even a hairless dog such as the Chinese Crested.

And people that live more extreme climates, either hot or cold, need to consider this when selecting a dog. A Siberian husky in the tropics is not a good match!

All dogs require a certain level of basic care and grooming. If you can't do this yourself, you'll need to be able to afford to hire someone else to do it for you. They type of coat your breed has will simply determine the frequency with which you need to do these tasks; but it will not eliminate them entirely.

Article Source: http://www.petcareiq.com

For more dog care articles, such as this one on dog vaccinations, click here.

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