Soon, you will be a new dog owner?

We give tips on what you should pay attention to when caring for your dog.

This article is all about grooming your new fur baby. We want to help you give your dog the most wonderful life possible from a grooming perspective.

Before you buy or adopt a dog

Of course, you should know as much as possible about your new/future dog. Where does it come from? What kind of breed is it? What kind of character does it have? Your dog and its needs should fit to you and your circumstances. Especially in the case of mixed breeds, you should be careful and try to find out which breeds are possibly in the dog you have fallen in love with. This is not only important to learn as much as possible about the character of your dog, but also about its care.

  • short-haired dogs are generally easier to care for (Dalmatian, Dachshund, Labrador, Vizsla, Pinscher and many more)
  • long-haired dogs need more care (Bobtail, Cockapoo, Labradoodle, Bichon Frisé and many more)
  • "cutting breeds" (Poodle, Labradoodle, Bolonka Zwetna and many more)
  • "trim coats" (Fox Terrier, Roughhaired Dachshund, Welsh Terrier and many more)

There are breeds that:

  • lose (almost) no fur: Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Labradoodle, West Highland Terrier, etc.
  • have a lot to very much hair: Bernese Mountain Dog, Saint Bernard, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Husky, etc.
  • have little to no undercoat: Yorkshire Terrier, Bolognese, Boston Terrier, Chihuahua, etc.
  • have a lot of undercoat: Golden Retriever, Leonberger, Chow-Chow, etc.

Ask as many questions as possible about your dog and ask other dog owners with the same breeds, breeders or even groomers what you can expect from your new dog's coat. It is important to be aware of how much regular grooming your new charge may need. This can vary from sporadic grooming to daily combing.

A dog from breeding, pedigree dog

If you have decided to buy a dog from a breeder, you should ask them as many questions about the care of your dog as possible. Good breeders take a lot of time, show you how to care for your dog, and often offer courses in which you learn what is included in a good coat care.

A dog from a shelter or animal welfare organization, mixed breeds.

Reputable animal shelters or organizations can tell you a lot about the dog you are interested in. They know quite a bit about the character and also about the breeds that may be in the mixed breed, should it be a mixed breed. Of course, you can also find pure-bred dogs at shelters or organizations.

General care of all breeds and mixed breeds

Get into the habit of briefly looking into your dog's eyes and ears while petting, checking for ticks, and scanning the entire body for fur or skin changes. This way you can prevent many problems and detect changes early.

Every dog needs this care to stay healthy:

The eyes should be checked and cleaned regularly to prevent crusting or inflammation. You can clean crusts under the eyes with suitable wipes, but it also works with a cloth and lukewarm water - as long as there is no disease/inflammation. Keep the hair under the eyes towards the nose short, this helps with the cleaning.

The ears should be free of dirt and odor. If your dog scratches its ears a lot or shakes his head often, this is a sign that something is wrong in its ears. If there is also a bad, sour smell coming from the ears, please see a vet, this could be an ear infection.

The claws should be short. If you hear the claws when your darling walks across the parquet or flagstone floor, this can be a sign of too long claws. With a claw scissors / pliers or a claw grinder you can shorten the claws accordingly, but watch out for the nerve! A claw grinder grinds only a little bit, but you can't hurt the nerve.

The paws should not be too brittle, brittle and dry paw pads often have small cracks. In winter, the road salt can cause pain and during the year fungi and bacteria can settle in. There are very good paw care products with which you can care for the paw pads.

The teeth should be white and free of tartar because tartar can lead to gingivitis. So check the back of your dog's mouth to see if tartar has formed on the back teeth. Have the tartar removed regularly by a specialist. In addition, the dog gets used to the fact that you look into his mouth, your vet, of course, your groomer will be very grateful to you ;-).

The genitals and the anus should not be forgotten. Are the genitals free of tangles and clean? If your dog slides on the floor, he either wants to clean his bottom or he has clogged anal glands (smells quite strong). Have clogged glands treated by your vet, and make sure the genitals are clean and not dirty or sticky. You may shorten long hairs a little bit, then you can clean the bottom much easier. Also, less stool will accumulate if your dog has diarrhea or very soft feces.

Watch out for pests like ticks, fleas and mites. The best thing to do is to contact your vet or go to a specialist shop for advice on how to get rid of the pesky critters or how to prevent them. Spot-on and sprays can help. Tick tongs or tick hoes should not be missing in your equipment.

Skin changes, such as extensive dandruff, hair loss in places, redness, warts, etc. should be checked by professionals, here it may be fungi and skin diseases. Look also under the fur! Tumors or non-malignant lipomas can form under the skin, you can feel these well with your fingers.

Coat specific care

Short-haired dogs

Often it is enough to remove the dead hair with a glove or a brush. Depending on the season, that ranges from once a week to daily, depending on whether your dog loses more or less hair. A bath in between, with or without dog shampoo, does not hurt. If you have a dog that likes to dig in the dirt or roll in the feces, more frequent bathing is inevitable. Use a shampoo that is as natural and mild as possible. If your dog has skin or coat problems (dandruff, dull coat, etc.) a suitable shampoo can help.

Long-haired dogs

Long-haired dogs need more attention and care. Vermin and skin problems are more difficult to detect, and very often the coat tangles faster. Take time to comb the long hair regularly and well. Brushes often just skim over the top coat, a comb goes deeper, and you discover tangles before they develop into thick felt. Often a plucking brush, detangler or detangling comb will also help, which will easily untangle light tangles.

Damp fur tangles more quickly, so make sure your foster is dry as quickly and well as possible before laying on the damp fur in the crib. Sometimes thinning with an effilator scissors will also help to make the coat less matted.

Dogs with much or little undercoat

The undercoat should be groomed regularly. Undercoat can lead to matting, bad matting can be painful, especially if it passes over joints. Under those felt plates, vermin and fungi find a cosy home as they love that damp climate. If the undercoat is shedding, e.g. after winter, you should brush it out thoroughly. You can take a brush, a comb or the Matbreaker to tame the undercoat.

Cutting breeds

Some breeds have hair steadily continues to grow, just as in humans. That fur should regularly be cut. We are happy to advise you to find the right clippers for you and your dog. Between the cuttings, a coat care, such as brushing, combing, etc. needs to be done. If the fur is matted, the shortening will be tedious for your protégé and for you. Of course, there are also breeds which can be "matted" (e.g. Lagotto), but these coats are then shorn very short. Felted coats can usually not be sheared over 5 mm. Surely, you could unfelt matted fur before cutting, but we do not recommend this for heavily matted fur. Your dog will be grateful to you if he does not have to endure hours of plucking and pulling.

Trim breeds

Trimming means plucking out dead hairs, especially in wire-haired breeds. It takes a lot of skill and practice to find the right time for trimming. Have the coat trimmed by a professional, or let the breeder show you how to trim properly. You can trim with your own fingers, but there are also many trimming aids, such as trimming stones, knives, sticks or finger sticks, which make trimming easier.

If we have forgotten anything or if you have any questions or if you need some advice, we are happy to help. Just use our contact form.

My first dog, what do I need to consider?

CHF 17.90

-11%

CHF 15.90

In stock

CHF 11.95

In stock

CHF 13.90

In stock

CHF 17.90

In stock

CHF 12.90

In stock

CHF 11.95

In stock