One of the early things I like to teach new owners is to examine their dogs. It’s a great way of developing a trusting relationship. We start off stroking the dog, paying attention to the shape of the dog’s body and becoming aware of the bone structure, the amount of muscle and fat and the normal tension in the belly. This all helps as the dog gets older and we need to keep a check on its general health.

With older puppies and adult dogs, I like to encourage basic grooming. I’m not talking about salon trims, just basic coat and skin maintenance. An old soft hairbrush is good for getting dogs used to the feeling of being brushed. As the coat thickens up you can move to a slicker or rake for long coats and a hound glove for very short coats. There are many more benefits to grooming than simply having a pretty dog. The first is that dead coat ends up in the brush rather than spread all over the house! Brushing also stimulates circulation in the skin, improving both skin and coat condition, and paying attention to your dog’s coat will mean you spot fleas, ticks and skin complaints much earlier.

There is another, less obvious advantage. Grooming is a status indicator – the pack leader can groom any other member of the pack. So by grooming your dog, you are giving a very subtle signal that you are in charge. When I first started in dog training, a very well respected behaviourist told me that very few of the problem dominant dogs he saw were long-coated. He put this down to the fact that long-coated dogs are far more likely to be groomed regularly. Grooming a dog can be quite relaxing for dog and owner, and with all these other benefits what are you waiting for? Get that brush out now!

© Jo Belsten

This article was first published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, 26 May 2006

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