For any dog to learn a habit, trick or behaviour, it is best to teach them from a young age. Just like a baby, a puppy will retain more information and learn behaviours when they are introduced from a young age. Because of this, you should introduce grooming to your dog right away. Chances are, your dog will begin to like and look forward to his grooming sessions.

Getting brushed and groomed feels good to your dog when done correctly. The more often you brush your dog the less likely it is that he will develop mats and tangles. Brushing your dog's coat is also beneficial because it promotes blood circulation and new hair growth. There are many parallels between dogs' hair and humans' hair. Just like most humans enjoy getting a scalp massage or their hair brushed, dogs enjoy it the same.

One benefit to grooming your dog daily is that you can constantly be on the lookout for problems with his skin. Dogs are susceptible to lesions, cuts, abrasions, rashes and parasites. Clearly, none of these things are good for your dog's skin, but if you brush your dog daily, you will be able to see if your dog has any of these issues. You can get the problem taken care of more quickly which will make your dog less likely to develop a disease or infection.

The skin of a hairless dog needs to be treated somewhat differently than that of a normal pet. Hairless dogs with good, healthy skin rarely need baths. If your hairless dog has larger pores and oily skin you will need to bath the dog with a mild shampoo every week or two to keep their skin in good condition. As is with every breed, not just hairless, dogs only sweat their paw pads, so bad skin would have nothing to do with sweat. Hairless dogs need to be moisturised, which is especially important in dry climates. Consult your vet to find out what the best moisturiser for your dog would be. Remember that hairless dogs are also susceptible to sunburn if kept outside for too long. Again, consult your vet to find a good sunscreen for dogs - it needs to be safe if they lick it off. As a side note, all dogs are capable of sunburn. Make sure to cover any exposed area, or areas with little hair, with sunscreen on all types of dogs.

Taking care of your pet's skin seems like common sense. We can take the techniques we use on our own skin and basically apply the methods on dogs too. As always, what we put on our pet needs to be safe for them.