Dogs make great pets and an important part of dog ownership and one important aspect of dog care, is brushing your dog.  Dogs with different coat types have different requirements as far as grooming goes, and you should understand what your dog needs.

Short-haired dogs need regular brushing, maybe twice a week, to remove dead hair and bring a healthy shine to the coat. A dog with a longer coat will require brushing very day to untangle knots and prevent the coat from becoming matted – a difficult condition to fix. While you are doing the grooming, check the skin for sores or redness and firmly pass your hands over his body to see if there are any changes. Contact your vet if you find anything that is out of the ordinary because early treatment is often important.

Invest in the correct dog grooming tools of good quality to make your task easier. Brush your dog in the direction of the hair growth, and be gentle on the ears and tummy area. If there are knots in the coat, start at the edge of the knot and gently release a few hairs at a time to clear the tangle. Regular brushing distributes the natural oils to moisturize the skin and shine the coat.

If you have a gun dog, water dog or snow breed you may find your dog has a thick under coat which will need to be combed out regularly, particularly when he is molting. Choose a comb especially for this job and be gentle as you comb through the undercoat of hair.