Pretty Pads

Unlike cats, dogs do not groom themselves so it is our responsibility as pet owners to do the grooming for them. This ranges from giving them a daily brush, to trimming their nails. Dog’s nails should be kept short so as to prevent the rather uncomfortable situation where the nails grow into the footpad. This can fester and cause horrible infections, which, if not treated, can spread and cause illness. Thus when trimming your pets nails, be careful to avoid the ‘quick’ which is the nerve endings in the nails and can be easily spotted when you trim them. Take off the sharp tips and remember that the more often you do your pooches manicure, the shorter the nails will get.

Not so far Apart

It is one of life’s most pleasant and endearing moments when you see your pets give each other affection. The charming feeling cannot be suitably expressed in simple words for one is immediately in mind of Louis Armstrong’s song “What a Wonderful World”, and that delightful Dulux advertisement a few years back involving the frolicking elephants.

When your cat edges up to his friend and playfully head butts him insisting on attention, while the other cat willingly obliges and grabs him around the neck, starts grooming him and mischievously bites his ear when said cat starts enjoying himself too much, some primordial and instinctive affection for the arrogant creatures builds in you and it is nearly impossible to curb the urge to join in.

The act of cleaning and maintaining each others appearance is a form of bonding between the animals, and the reason we find the act so emotionally appealing is because we recognise the similar behavioural tendencies in our own species.

Grooming your yorkshire terrier

A Yorkshire terrier is a beautiful little dog and with its long fur it needs expert attention and some really good and regular grooming to keep looking absolutely gorgeous. But this does not mean that you necessarily have to take your Yorkie to a professional pet groomer for pet grooming – you can do your dog’s grooming on your own, right in the comfort of your own home!

Grooming your pet is something that needs to be done regularly but it can be hassle free and by following these useful Yorkshire Terrier grooming tips you can be sure to be following the right grooming procedures.

Start your grooming regime by giving your Yorkie a bath – for this you will need a pH balanced dog shampoo that is readily available from pet stores and veterinary shops. Because your Yorkie also has long fur you should also use a dog fur conditioner to help keep their fur in healthy and glistening condition. When you are ready to start grooming and bathing your dog make sure that you have all you need in arms reach as you do not want to turn around or leave your dog unattended in the bath. Run in about 15cm of lukewarm water into a bath or basin and be sure to keep the shampoo out of your dog’s eyes as much as possible. Once your Yorkie is bathed place them on a dry towel on the floor and wrap them up straight away in another towel that you will also use to gently pat him or her dry. Remember to keep your doggy warm during grooming and comb out their fur afterwards to ensure a smooth and soft well groomed coat!

Pet grooming opportunities

Ever thought of a career in animal grooming? Well if you love animals, care about their hygiene and good looks then being a dog, cat or other animal groomer may be just the job that you have been searching for! As with most careers you first and foremostly need to have a passion and a love for the work that you are going to be doing, then you may want some extra and specialised training so that you are up to date with the best ways to make sure that someone’s pet is looking their absolute best after a session of animal grooming with you.

There are many ways to get started in the pet grooming industry – from offering washing and brushing services to being a highly specialised dog or cat groomer. As a pet groomer you can work at animal kennels, veterinary clinics, pet supply stores, animal shelters, in a grooming focused store, and you could even offer a mobile service.

Proper animal grooming is very important and as a valuable service to pet owners you can make a huge difference to the lives of so many people while also contributing to the well being and good looks of their pets.

Breed profile on the Anatolian Shepherd dog

The Anatolian Shepherd dog originates from the regions of Turkey and Asia Minor and is a low grooming mainatinance guard dog. The Anatolian Shepherd dog is a large breed that can grow to approximately has been specifically trained and used for years in the role of shepherding and protecting farmer’s livestock. As a fiercely loyal guard dog these dogs have been used for years as guards to livestock herds and as companions to shepherds. This means that they make great protectors but need an owner that can lead and be strong and gauge the dogs the responses to new and unknown people. For this reason early training from puppyhood is extremely necessary.

The Anatolian reaches full maturity at three years of age and reaches between 40 and 60 kilograms with a shoulder length of 73 centimeters at the shoulder for females and 68 centimeters at the shoulder for males. The average lifespan is 11-13 years. Notable colour and markings is a fawn colour coat with black mask like patterning over the face. Other known Anatolian colouring includes white, pinto and brindle. Grooming maintenance for the Anatolian is quite low and easily manageable as the only time the dog really needs extra attention is with brushing during the molting seasons.

Kitty grooming

Grooming your cat is probably not something that you give too much thought to – unless you are already taking great care of your animal. But cats do need grooming attention even though they are renowned self cleaners. Your cat might have a few sensitive areas or might just need a little assistance in keeping their fur in the best possible condition.

Short haired cats will need a little less attention in the grooming department than the long haired cats but will still need to bathed or brushed and may just need a good overall physical check once in a while. By spending some time brushing your cat you will be able to see if there are any changes or areas of your cat’s body that may need some treatment or attention.

With long haired cats you will need to brush and comb their beautiful long fur on a regular basis, in some cases even daily brushing is needed, to help prevent the fur from matting up and although cats do keep themselves – and each other – well washed, you may find it quite helpful in the prevention of fleas and ticks to give your cat a good bath every once in a while.