You fell in love with this loveable dog and now she is going to be part of your family. This is your first dog, ever, so making sure that you are ready for her is very important, isn’t it? As Nancy hands you Cleo, she gives you a bag that contains Cleo’s favorite blanket), a brush, a furminator, shampoo and two rawhide bones. You ask Nancy about the brush and shampoo. “Well, the brush is to keep her fur from getting all over your furniture. You want to brush her at least once a day; she’s a shedder. You will still want to vacuum or sweep daily as well. Aren’t you planning on bathing her yourself?” Nancy asks. Grooming: It’s Not Just for Cleanliness Fortunately you had the forethought to ask about the shampoo, which meant there was a great teachable moment for you, the new dog owner. It’s true that you can take Cleo to a groomer to have her bathed and groomed once a month, and yes, she will come home smelling really clean, donning an adorable purple bow. However, by doing so, you are missing out on a wonderful bonding opportunity by not bathing her yourself. One thing that all mammals do, including all dogs in the wild and Cleo’s ancestors, the wolves, is that they groom their young. Your mother did it to you when you were growing up and if you have kids, you will bathe them, brush their hair and teach them to brush their teeth. It’s part of hygiene, yes, but it’s also an important thing that parents do for their young. Part of the bonding process with dogs begins when you start bathing them. This does a few things. For one thing, it allows you to get to know each and every part of Cleo’s body – from the inside of her ears to her toenails. It gets her used to being touched, which builds trust between the two of you. When it’s time to clean out her ears, she lets you and doesn’t squirm away. If she is ever sprayed by a skunk, what are you planning to do, take her to the groomer because you never bathed her and now you are the last person she wants taking that stench away? Knowing that dogs tend to get sprayed in the middle of the night, this is not a discussion you want to have when you are half asleep. It also means that if Cleo ever gets hurt, she will come to you to make it better. Already used to touching her, when you start palpating various parts of her body, she doesn’t wriggle away, without letting you find out what is causing her pain. This could be a matter of life and death. Brushing Apart from minimizing the amount of hair buildup in your home, brushing is extremely important in the bonding process, as well. Initially Cleo will resist, because it’s different. But if you do it every single day, something cool will happen. You no sooner pick up the brush and walk toward her and she will start whimpering, which is her way of saying, “please mommy/daddy, brush me!” After she’s finished running around the room, she will sit quietly and look forward to each stroke of the brush. You can cancel Cleo’s grooming appointment and let them know you plan to bathe her yourself. You won’t regret that decision, ever. Ivan’s Puppies has been breeding and training puppies for over 30 years. Our hard work has been paying off, as now we are proud to be breeding Bulldog litters with excellent quality, with little to no health problems and good temperaments. For English Bulldog Puppies, visit our website at www.BulldogsNewYork.com.
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