Routine grooming serves three major purposes: First, it keeps your dog’s skin, coat, teeth, gums, and nails in a healthy state. Second, it helps you detect any signs or symptoms of problems or abnormalities. Third, grooming allows you to spend quality time with your pet which helps create a special bond between you and your dog. It is therefore important to establish a daily or weekly grooming ritual that both you and your dog can enjoy. If your dog refuses to be groomed, command him to sit and stay. In addition, grooming should always involve a reward for your dog.

Read the rest of this entry »

Every truly avid dog-owner wishes for the chance to show off his pet at the nearest dog show. It is both a way to validate your pride in owning your pet and a chance to see other beautiful dogs in action. For the first timer, however, entering the world of competitive dog shows can truly be a daunting experience.

Here are five simple tips to get your dog, and yourself, ready for the limelight:

1) Know The Field - Everybody has to start somewhere and entering dog shows requires that you know what to expect. Read up on the literature. Go to dog shows as a spectator and see what goes on. Get a good grasp of the jargon. Knowing the difference between all-breed dog shows and specialty shows can help a lot in determining what shows to join and how to get your pet ready.

Read the rest of this entry »