One of the responsibilities of owning a dog is ensuring that they are groomed properly and on a regular basis. This is either done by taking them out to a professional groomer or learning how to do it at home. Both have benefits, but one of the questions that you may be asking is how frequently the dog should be groomed. This is something that will differ slightly from one dog to another, but here are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all, there are different degrees of grooming and you may want to keep that in mind when deciding the intervals between visits to the dog groomer. In some cases, your dog may only need to be bathed on an infrequent basis, and this is to help keep them clean and an acceptable part of living in your home. At other times, a more thorough grooming may be necessary and some breeds may need to be trimmed and have their nails cut.
If you are taking your dog to a professional groomer, you may not want to do it quite as often as if you were grooming them at home. After all, it can be expensive to go to a groomer regularly and you may find that it takes a bite out of your budget. On the other hand, grooming your dog at home is often an enjoyable process, provided your dog does not have a problem with getting near the clippers.
Generally speaking, you can allow anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to pass before going back to the groomer again. If you trim your own dog at home, you may want to do it a little more frequently because it makes it easier to do it. In addition, your dog will always have that “freshly groomed” look, and that is something that many pet owners really appreciate.
Sometimes, it is only necessary to bathe the dogs and they may not get trimmed. This is especially true of shorthaired dogs. One of the problems that many pet owners have is that they give the dog a bath too frequently. Some dogs, especially those that were bred to work in the water, have natural oils from their skin that gets out on the fur. This could give them the appearance of being dirty but in reality, it is just a natural process.
If you bathe your dog too frequently, you will remove that natural oil and it could be irritating to their skin. It is far better for you to stretch out the time between baths, perhaps even going a month or more, and you will find that your dog is a lot happier and healthier as a result.
Being consistent with grooming is always a good idea. There is nothing quite like having a dog that is freshly trimmed, washed and looking great. As long as you keep to a schedule, regardless of whether it is long or short, you will find that it is beneficial.