Something that has become a big problem, especially with unscrupulous breeders is congenital problems. There are a variety of illnesses that can come from irresponsible breeding so I thought that I would write an article to help you to avoid this problem with your future dog, or if you plan on breeding dogs. Of course the best time to prevent congenital problems is even before the breeding begins, but what should you do if your dog was born with one of these health problems?

There are some options available to help you dog that was born with a defect. These range from surgery to correct some sort of structural problem to regulating it’s feeding, exercise and grooming to help control the disorder but by far the best way is to prevent them from happening in the first place.

While this is not an exhaustive list of options it does give you a few ways that you can stop congenital problems from happening in the first place.

First you should never breed unhealthy dogs. If you have a stud and a bitch that are unhealthy then the odds are that you are going to end up with an unhealthy litter. Even if one of the dogs is in excellent health and the other is unhealthy, it is likely that the bad genes are going to be passed onto the litter. Some things to look out for are obvious birth defects or behavioural problems (although the later may have something to do with the owner and not be a breed problem at all) Also be aware of the dogs health support system overall as it may pass on something to the litter and may not be a good candidate for healthy breeding. You should also not take on a puppy with a health problem unless you are willing and able to give the care that they need on a regular basis. If you are able to do this then great, but it could be bad for the dog if you are unable or unwilling to take on that additional responsibility.

Make sure that you research the dog’s family history to check for any health disorders. These could range from an overall unhealthy disposition to ear and eye problems or other issues that may be obvious when you do the family research. You should also make yourself aware of any temperament issues, although I tend to put these in another category, but it is an important thing to consider. Check both parents thoroughly for health problems and if they have already had litters make sure of the percentage of healthy dogs.

Close relatives should not be bred, such as siblings, parents, aunts and uncles. There are legal precedents to avoid this in humans, and for good reason. It is up to the breeder to do the responsible thing and not breed too close of relatives. Along the same lines you should not be breeding inbred dogs. Be especially careful of breeds that are popular within your area because inbreeding could be a problem.

There are a lot of other things that can be considered when choosing a new puppy or picking out dogs to breed but this short list should get you started. There are an inexhaustible amount of books available on this subject that will help you to be a responsible breeder and to avoid passing on defects that would be hard on the puppy.

When the hair on a coat gets tangled, usually with the dog’s undercoat it forms a tight knot that resists brushing, This is what is known as a mat, and they can be quite frustrating. Mats often form in areas where there are corners, such as the base of legs, under the tail and around the ears. I know that Chase gets mats quite often around his ears and they need attention regularly. Sometimes a daily brushing and combing can reduce the mats but they can come from nowhere seemingly.

The hairs on a dog are covered with tiny scales that tend to stick up when the hair is treated harshly. These “scales” then get tangled with the undercoat or with dirt and other debris and can form hair. They are similar to Velcro, or the tiny stickers that cling to your pants leg and accumulate when you walk through them. Eventually they grow and form a solid bundle of hair that no brush can find it’s way through.

Most people tend to just cut the mats out with scissors and leave holes in the dog’s coat, and at times mats are so bad that it leaves you no choice but to shave the dog, ridding it of all the mats at once. The method that you choose should take into consideration the comfort of the dog since it can be quite uncomfortable if you try to comb the mats out.

There are some tools available to help you get the mats out from your dog’s coat. These help keep the coat intact and make it a more pleasant experience for both you and the dog.

Oil based coat conditioner: This spray will prepare the dog’s coat and helps to smooth out the scales that caused the mat in the first place. With the use of the oil based conditioner spray it can help you to move a comb through the coat easier

Mat Comb: This is a comb tool that is similar to a comb but it has blades instead of teeth. This cuts the mat into smaller slices that can then be combed out easier.

Mat Splitter: This is a blade with a curved handle that’s job is to cut through a mat to make it more manageable.

Scissors: If you are going to use scissors to cut out the dog’s mats make sure that it is sharp and that you have someone help hold the dog if necessary so you do not harm the dog

Slicker Brush: for finalizing the coat after you brush out the mats

Using these tools in the right way will help you to take good care of your dog when they have mats.

You might not think that there is much to drying your dog after you are done grooming them, but there are actually 3 different ways that we will discuss. They are the cage dry, the fluff dry and the towel dry. These aren’t the only ways to dry your dog, but they are 3 of the more popular ways.

Fluff Drying: One of the more difficult to get right, the fluff dry method is used on longer haired dogs such as the Afghan, Sheepdogs and Poodles. For fluff drying you will need a high speed floor dryer. The thing that makes fluff drying more difficult is that you not only have to dry the hair, but you also need to straighten it at the same time. First, direct the warm air from the dryer at the part of the coat that you will be working on. At the same time you will need to brush that hair with quick, yet even strokes until the hair finishes drying, and if all goes well the dry hair will be straight. It’s important to learn this skill as it will make a large difference in how the finished job will look. It takes some practice, especially around the head and ears, and also the legs.

Cage Drying: The second method of drying that we will discuss is the cage drying method, sometimes called the kennel drying method. With the cage drying method you will need to attach the cage dryer onto the kennel and then put the dog into the cage, on a towel, until he is dry. This is a simple way to dry a dog, and very effective, but care must be taken to properly ventilate the cage to avoid suffocation. Sometimes the dog may be too big for the kennel and in that case you will need to dry your dog on a grooming table using a floor dryer.

Towel Drying: The towel drying method is effective with small breeds such as the Chihuahua, and mini pins. You will need to rub the coat briskly until it is dry. Many times this method is not used because the cage drying method is much quicker and more effective, but if a towel is the only thing available then this method will work just fine. Make sure when using the towel drying method that the dogs coat is dry before you take them out.

If you read my last post you will know what you need to do the basics of dog grooming. These tools that I am listing below are not as necessary for grooming your dog but will sometimes come in handy. More often than not you can not do without one or more of these dog grooming tools, especially once you’ve used them.

Hydraulic Grooming Table: This is a more sophisticated grooming table than the one we spoke about in our first article. The hydraulic grooming table can be raised and lowered from about 29″ up to almost 36″. This is a great help when grooming large breeds that you may not be able to lift up onto a stationary table. This type of grooming table should also be able to be folded and put away for easy storage.

Matting Comb: This heavy comb helps to remove mats on longer haired breeds of dogs.

Nail Clippers: For different sized breeds of dogs you will want different types of nail clippers. For smaller dogs you will want to get the scissor type, for a medium breed dog the guillotine type clipper is best and for larger dogs you will want a more robust clipper that is a pliers type to help with thicker and harder nails.

Oster Blades: For removing hair off of dogs these blades are numbered. The higher the number, the more hair it removes. The small animal clipper (A 2) is great to use although it does require interchangeable heads and that makes it a little less convenient. The A 5 model is a single piece clipper that has blades that snap into place. This is by far the easiest to use.

Oster Spray Lube: This is used to cool the blades as well as keep them lubricated. It also helps to prevent clipper burns and that’s a good think, just ask your dog.

Rubber Brush: Great for short haired breeds. I use this one on our lab.

Scissors: There are several options and well as sizes available that will handle any type of coat that you may have in front of you on the table.

Silk Handkerchief: used to polish shirt haired white dogs

Small Pin Brush: used for long haired small dogs

Stripping Knife: The fine stripping knife is used on sensitive areas like the head and ears while the coarse stripping knife is used elsewhere on the dog’s body.

Although it is not necessary to have all of these grooming tools available, especially if you are only doing one or two dogs, they can be quite handy to have if you are working on a particular breed. Having the right tools will help you to have a more successful and pleasant experience when grooming your dog that both you and your dog can appreciate.

If you are going to groom your own dog then you should make sure that you are well stocked with proper grooming tools. The basics of what you will need are a brush, and comb and possibly some scissors. Of course different types of coats on a dog will necessitate different types of grooming tools. For example, longer hair dogs will need a different type of brush than a shorter haired variety of dog. The same is true for straight coats and curly coats, but the basic list of dog grooming tools that you will need are as follows.

Bore’s Bristle Brush: For a long hair dog this is a great tool for removing undercoats and in removing mats that might have occurred in the undercoat.

Bristle Brush: These come in 3 basic varieties, stiff, medium and soft. They are used on short haired breeds and are good for regular brushing and for removing undercoats on longer haired breeds

Chamois: For a short haired breed you can’t beat the chamois for polishing their coat.

Comb. Try to get a steel tooth comb that is medium on one side and fine on the other, that way you can use it on most breeds of dogs

Snap-on Comb: If you want to do a quick clean up on your dog you can’t beat the snap-on comb. Simply slip it over a blade and it will leave a uniform clean cut coat on your dog. The snap-on Comb comes in a few different sizes.

Hound Glove: Used for grooming various short haired breeds in the hound family

Cage Dryer: This is a drying fan that attaches to the cage and dries the dog while it is inside the cage. Most cage dryers come with a heater so the dog isn’t too cold.

Floor dryer: Used mainly for “fluff drying” the floor dryer directs air onto the dog and helps to dry it. The floor dryer generally has a long arm and can be moved into various positions depending on the type of dog you are drying.

High Speed Floor Dryer: Similar to the other floor dryers except this on have a higher speed motor on it for fluff drying long hair breeds such as Poodles and Sheepdogs.

Grooming Post and Loop: Try to find a grooming post that is portable, so it can be attached to the table anywhere you need it. The loop fits over the dogs neck to keep him in place and keep him from hurting himself.

Grooming Table: A grooming table is typically about 2 to 3 feet and folds for easy moving and storage. They are about 30″ high and typically come with a rubber matting on the top of the table for comfort and to keep the dog from sliding around. A table this size is quite versatile and can be used for many different dog breeds.