Professional groomers are terrific, but if your budget doesn’t allow that luxury regularly, you can learn to do a lot of your dog’s maintenance at home. To get started, know that your dog has seven very important body parts. Listed from nose to tail, they are: Nose, Teeth, Eyes, Ears, Coat, Paws and Rear end.

What’s That Smell?

 Your dog’s nose is amazing!  You have approximately  5  million scent receptors in your nose.  Your dog may    have as many as 300 million!  Your dog’s nose        provides most of his sense of taste, can completely    replace his eyes, lets him “read” and identify his    surroundings, and will lead him home from hundreds of miles away.  He also has his own, unique noseprint, as individual to him as your fingerprints are to you.

He really can smell fear.  Frightened dogs produce an alarm pheromone that is unmistakable in the nostrils of another dog.  Medical studies have proven that dogs can also smell a number of different illnesses, resulting in a relatively new canine profession: Doggy Diagnostician.

Let his nose know you care:

Apply a gentle sunscreen when he’s going to be spending a long day in the sun—unscented, please!

Give him a vitamin supplement formulated just for dogs, so he has the nutrition his nose needs to keep him smelling good!

Why Rover, what big teeth you have!

The better to smile at you, Mommy!

Did you know your dog has baby teeth, just like you do?    He is born with 28 puppy teeth that fall out by the time  he’s six months old.  He will grow 42 strong, white teeth  to replace them.

Dental care is important to your dog’s health.  The bacteria from a dental infection can take root in other parts of his body, like his kidneys, heart, intestines and joints.  If your buddy has bad breath, he might not need a breath mint, but rather a toothbrush.

Keep him smiling:

Provide him with puppy chews to help him shed his baby teeth, then with adult dog chews to keep his permanent teeth strong for a lifetime.

Brush his teeth with his own toothbrush and toothpaste.  If you start when he’s small, brushing his teeth will be a simple and pleasant procedure for both of you.

Don’t Cry!

How dare those hideous stains besmirch your  beautiful, snow white angel!  The truth is, most  breeds  of dogs have tear staining to some extent.  It  just really  shows on white dogs.  Its cause is  generally two-fold:  Excess tearing, from allergies,  irritants or just plain  genetics, keeps the hair around a dog’s eyes damp,  creating a perfect breeding ground for Ptyrosporin, or Red Yeast.  It is, as the name implies, red.  More than that, it is a symptom that some sort of low-grade infection is present.  If severe, the stains may indicate clogged tear ducts and you may need your vet to irrigate your dog’s eyes.

Preserve her big browns:

Preventative hygiene is your best defense.  If your dog has allergies, ask your vet for a safe antihistamine.  Wash the corners of your dog’s eyes daily with a clean, soft cloth and saline solution.  For the existent staining and to prevent new, use a dog tear stain remover.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

 Imagine what your dog would miss if he couldn’t hear!  The  Twilight Barking Dog Communication Line would pass him  by; he wouldn’t hear the bells on his lady friend’s collar far  enough in advance to adopt his nonchalant look for her.    No “Good Boy!”  No glorious rattle of a treat bag.  No  howling along with the occasional siren.

Seriously, your dog’s hearing is his second-most-important sense.  Breeds with floppy ears hear every bit as well as breeds with stand-up ears, but are more prone to ear infections, which are smelly, painful and often expensive to treat.

Keep those waves of sound rolling in:

Always dry your dog’s ears after a bath, a swim or just being outside in the rain.  Dampness provides a starting point for all kinds of bacteria.

Make a thorough ear cleaning part of your dog’s bath routine.  You will need a pair of hemostats, cotton balls and an ear care preparation like Excel’s Ear Cleansing Liquid.  Squoosh a cotton ball up so it’s small and compact.  Grasp it with the hemostats.  Soak it in Ear Cleansing Liquid and gently rub it around the entire inside of your dog’s ear.  Get a new, dry cotton ball, grasp it the same way with the hemostats, and dry the ear.

Important note:  If your dog has brownish gunk in his ears, it is a sign of ear mites.  Ask your vet about the proper medication for your dog and use it according to his directions.

Great Things Come in Furry Packages!

Your dog’s coat isn’t just a coat.  It is his warmth in winter, his protection from the sun in summer, his camouflage, his crowning glory, and a reliable indicator of his overall health.  Northern breeds of dogs, such as Malamutes, have heavy fur on their paws to protect them from ice and snow.  Dog breeds that originate in hotter climes tend to have shorter, thinner fur.  Dogs like the Puli pictured here actually sport natural “dreadlocks,” the purposes of which are a mystery.

By now you have surely noticed a pattern:  Anything smelly on a dog indicates a problem.  Some dogs have notoriously fussy skin.  A super-thick coated dog like the Puli needs his human’s help to prevent his cords from becoming one thick mat, which could harbor all sorts of infection.  Dogs that are allowed to become very matted suffer from something quite akin to bed sores in humans.  Thin-furred or hairless dogs risk sun-related damage.  Some dogs’ coats are wonderfully wash-and-wear.

Cultivate a fur coat to envy:

First and most importantly, brush your dog.  It keeps your buddy comfortable and your house fur-free.  Brushing stimulates the production of natural oils that promote healthy skin and add a lustrous sheen to your dog’s fur.  It gives you a daily chance to inspect his skin and notice any problems right away.  Different coats require different brushes, so find out which one is best for your dog and then make brushing a habit.

Bathing your dog at home does not have to be a nightmare.  At Pet Super Store, we carry an extensive line of grooming and bathing tubs and supplies.  Finding just what your dog needs is as easy as a mouse-click.

Remember that dogs need shampoo made for them.  Unlike people, who have one shaft of hair per hair follicle, dogs often have as many as four or five.  Only dog shampoo is formulated specifically to clean a dog’s hair and follicles thoroughly, preventing blocked pores.

Oh, Mine Paw Paw!

You know how important your feet are.  Rover has twice as many!  Because the world has become so small, his feet are no longer always perfectly equipped for his environment.  Little, short haired paws need protection in the winter.  Fluffy paws meant for snow and ice pick up burrs with astonishing ease.  Long claws click on floors and ruin furniture.  Hot pavement is a threat to almost all dogs’ feet.

Step up!

If you start clipping your puppy’s nails when he’s a baby, you will never have to look down at your shoes and explain to your groomer that he won’t let you trim his claws.  You’re the boss!  Make sure your dog understands that you are allowed to handle any part of him you see fit.

Heavy fur on the bottoms of a dog’s feet becomes matted and uncomfortable.  Burrs will work their way right through that fur and into skin.  Inspect your buddy’s feet regularly, especially if he spends time in the field with you.  Check his pads and between his toes.  Keep the fur clipped away so his feet stay clean and healthy.

Last, But Oh-So-Not-Least!

Your dog has two little organs called, “anal glands.”  These glands produce a thick, bad-smelling secretion that it is believed once assisted the purpose of marking territory.  Normally, a small amount of this secretion is released each time your dog voids his bowels.  Big dogs can express their anal glands regularly without human aid.  Sometimes the toy breeds have problems.  This is where your groomer comes in.  Almost all dog groomers offer expression of the anal glands as part of their service.  Regular emptying of these glands prevents impaction and—you guessed it!—unpleasant smell.
Thick-coated dogs may not be able to do their  business without taking some… you know, away  with them.  A trim works wonders.  If you are  confident in your own ability, just trim it down  every so often with haircutting scissors or an    inexpensive electric clipper.  If you’re not, your  groomer will be happy to take care of it.

Good grooming habits are essential to keeping your dog in tip top form, nose to tail!