PET ARTICLES BLOG

A beautiful coat is one of the reason why dogs are admired however, some dog owners would opt to shave the pet. Shaving the dog is usually done in summer so that the pet can better cope with the heat. A dog will be shaved if the owner is concerned with excessive shedding, with hot spots and fungal infection of the skin and finds the need to regularly groom the pet a tedious task. A long coated dog may be too old to tolerate a good brushing thus an owner would shave the dog to minimize the need to groom.

Dog owners would opt to shave the dog for different reasons. To have the dog shaved by a professional groomer, a dog owner has to pay between $40 to $80. Shaving the dog yourself though would be fun.

If you have decided to shave the dog, the task would be much easier (and kinder on the clipper) if the hair is clean and tangle free. Bathe the dog to remove dried up feces and other dirt clinging on the coat. The coat must be thoroughly dried and combed to remove tangles. The shaving task would be easier and of course kinder on your back if the dog is positioned on a table but ensure that the head of the pet is loosely fastened to an overhead support to prevent the dog from jumping while being shaved. A dog that will be shaved for the first time must be accustomed to the humming and the vibration of the clipper thus before the starting to shave lay the turned on clipper against the body of the dog.

To shave the face and the area between the eyes, use a #10 blade. Be careful not to prod the eyes with the blade of the clipper. From the eyes, run the clipper carefully down to the face. Shave the hair under the ears of long eared breeds.

Move on to the armpit area. Raise the dog's leg but be sure that the pet is not uncomfortable. Move down to the anal area. Shaving this area is actually necessary for long haired breeds so as to prevent feces from sticking to the hair every time the dog defecates. Change the blade with a longer one and shave the rest of the body. Use continuous strokes to shave the hair on the head, neck and sides of the body . Pull the loose skin of the belly to make shaving easier. Last to be shaved are the legs and feet. All done - give the dog a good hug for being a good sport.

Learn more about how to shave a dog and dog first aid at Sarah's Dogs.