All dog owners know how it is important and vital to take care of their pets because it is difficult to imagine a happy puppy whose fur is dim and itchy. As an owner of two wonderful dogs, I can emphasize the necessity of grooming and proper feeding.

The Importance of Grooming a Dog

Grooming a dog is one of the skills that you need to learn. Now, I’m not saying that you need to become a professional groomer and learn a variety of fancy haircuts, but you must know the basics of keeping your dog clean, clipping his nails, cleaning his ears and brushing his teeth in order to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Your pet’s needs are pretty basic. He needs a clean and comfortable shelter, nutritious food, sufficient exercise and of course, love and attention. Another one of the most basic needs is some basic grooming - think of it as your pet’s personal hygiene much like you shower, brush your hair and brush your teeth, your pet needs to be kept clean too.

Grooming a dog is not as difficult as it seems. You simply have to have the basic grooming equipment which can be easily bought at pet stores offline and online. Grooming your dog should be a regular thing that every dog owner must do in order to have a clean, healthy and house trained dog.

Grooming a dog can include brushing its fur regularly (for shedding), cutting the nails (if your dog does not get enough running or walking exercise), and even giving baths. All this grooming should be done at regular intervals so it is best to set a schedule for them. If you do not want to groom your dog yourself or if you do not have the time to do so, then you can take your pet dog regularly to pet grooming shops where they can get haircuts, baths, nail clipping and other services. A responsible pet owner should always remember that a well-groomed dog is not only good-looking and healthy but also a happy one.

Dog Nail Grooming

Grooming your dog is an important part of pet ownership and dog nail grooming is something that is often overlooked. Your dog needs to have his nails at a certain length – too long and it will actually be painful for him to walk, not to mention the wear on your floors! If you take your dog for long walks frequently on the street, then his nails might not get too long as the wear of nails against pavement can act like a natural nail file keeping his nails the perfect length. Be that as it may, you should at least check his nails every couple of weeks to ensure the length is good and there are no tears or broken nails that might get caught or snag on something.

Dog nail grooming is quite basic. If your dog does not naturally wear down its nails, then you have to bring your dog to a grooming shop where it can have its nails trimmed. Cutting your dog’s nails at home is also possible as you can easily buy nail grooming kits from pet shops or online pet stores. Dogs with well-trimmed nails are not only healthier but also provides less chances of hurting someone and of having your furniture damaged.

When grooming your dog’s nails, you want to use either a guillotine or scissors style tool. You can buy them at any pet store and they have a rounded out part in the middle that the nail fits into. Take a look at your dog’s nails in the light – you will see a dark vein running down the middle. This is called the “quick” and is a blood vessel. Needless to say, you want to avoid cutting into this or you may have a bloody mess on your hands!

For proper dog nail grooming, you want to position the clipper just below the quick – in the clear part of the nail and press firmly snipping the nail off. Make sure you don’t only press halfway or you will have a half cut nail! This may take some practice to get both you, and your dog, used to the procedure but it is a necessary part of dog ownership.

Proper Dog Food

The proper dog food nutrition is as important to your dog’s health as eating the right foods is to your health. Without good nutrition, your pet’s immune system will not function at peak levels opening your dog up to be more susceptible to illness and disease.

Taking care of a dog should mean that you provide it with all its needs. While having a pet dog can give you and your family lots of fun, laughter, and joy but having a pet dog also entails big responsibility. Being a responsible dog owner means that you provide your dogs all its needs: clean shelter, nutritious food, vaccines and medication if needed, grooming, exercise, vet visits and your very own version of TLC. One of the most important factors in making your dog a healthy and happy dog is to give him the best dog food nutrition.

Choosing the right dog food for your dog can provide him the best dog food nutrition that could ensure a healthy and happy dog as well as a long life for your pet. Commercial dog foods can be bought easily from pet stores or dog shops online and offline. Be sure to read labels and choose the commercial dog food that would suit best your dog’s nutritional needs and your budget.

While dogs would love to eat table scraps, this is not a healthy habit for your dog. Table scraps can be tasty but they do not provide the complete nutrition that your dog needs. Canned dog foods and dry dog foods, on the other hand, contain all the basic nutritional needs of your dog so they are better fed. Do not change your dog food diet abruptly as this can alter eating habits and can affect digestion especially in puppies. When looking for a good food for your dog, make sure that the first ingredient is a protein source (beef, chicken, lamb) and not a by-product.

To sum up, I just want to say that even if you do not have enough time for yourself, you must find some hours for your pet. I can say it with certainty because having become a writer, I lost the connection with reality writing a lot of articles per day, but I never forgot about my dogs.

I am Diane H. Wong, a writer for  DoMyWriting. I like communicating with people and finding new friends. But sometimes I prefer dogs to people because they can sense and understand your feelings without any words.