With certain dog breeds you can't avoid grooming, but did you know that grooming any dog can have great benefits? If you have chosen to share your life with a long haired breed, you have obviously signed up for a lot of grooming.
This is not only to keep your dog looking good, but to keep your canine companion comfortable too.
If a dog's coat has tangles it can irritate him every time he moves.
That's not conducive to him being happy, taking exercise, concentrating during training, or even enjoying being petted.
Dogs that don't shed have their own problems.
They need brushing and regular haircuts to keep them looking and feeling good.
If you opt for a shedding breed, you're going to be brushing the floor as much as the dog, but regular grooming will remove dead hair from the coat, leaving less to end up on the floor.
For short coated shedding breeds, you can try wiping them over with a damp cloth to really get that loose hair out.
So whatever the coat type, you need to groom for practical reasons.
However there are also less obvious reasons to groom your dog.
It's a really effective way to keep track of your dog's health.
Any health problems such as lumps will be quickly discovered, and early detection is an advantage with many conditions.
You will also be aware faster if your dog is gaining or losing weight, or there is a significant change in his coat condition, all valuable indications of the state of his health and wellbeing.
Grooming time is also an excellent bonding time with your dog.
A high priority for your dog is receiving attention from you, and grooming is quality attention, when you are really focused on him.
Some trainers suggest that grooming is more effective than just petting to let you dog know you love him.
Others maintain that grooming your dog demonstrates to him that he must be subordinate to you.
Whatever the truth is, grooming can enhance your relationship.
Puppies and young dogs benefit from regular grooming, as it accustoms them to be handled, and encourages them to associate handling with pleasure.
Making sure your dog will let you look in his ears, inspect his teeth, and examine his eyes will help visits to the veterinarian go smoother.
Older dogs appreciate grooming, especially gentle brushing and smoothing as it warms and eases stiff joints.
Simply being near your dog while grooming will alert you to any breath or body odour issues.
Don't forget that to ensure your grooming efforts don't go to waste, you should wash his bedding regularly - including that smelly old blanket in the back of the car.
So pick up the brush, comb or grooming mitt and go to work on your dog -you'll both be glad you did.