Medium Dog Health Care
Grooming
Regular and consistent grooming sessions for your medium sized dog will keep him clean and healthy.
Grooming consists of brushing/combing, bathing, trimming his nails, cleaning his ears and brushing his teeth. Some breeds like poodles, terriers and schnauzers also need professional grooming (trimming or professional hand stripping) a few times a year to look their best.
Almost every dog will benefit from a good twice-weekly brush and comb (long-haired breeds will brushing and combing on a more frequent basis, preferably daily). A side benefit of regular brushing is that you will be aware of any problems with your dog's coat (for example, contracting ticks) immediately before it becomes a serious problem.
Dogs will need to be bathed if they are dirty. In hot weather, you may bathe your dog about once a week. In cold weather, you should only bathe when they are dirty or having a strong odor, and preferably not more than once a month. Brush first to remove any matted fur before you bathe your dog and do use a good quality dog shampoo. Avoid getting water into his ears while bathing.
You will need to trim your dog's nails about once every month. If your dog is not used to it, start very slowly with one just one toe first before progressing to the another of his toes in the next grooming session.
A dog's ears will also need to be cleaned if it is dirty. Wipe the ears gently with cotton wool or a cotton ball that is dampened with baby oil or a dog ear cleaning solution.
The grooming process is not complete without brushing your dog's teeth. Again, as with nail clipping, start slow by just gently massaging his lips with your fingers for a few weeks before progressing to using dog toothbrushes and dog toothpastes. Use only toothpastes made for dogs and do not use human toothpastes.