All dogs will require grooming, they will generally need grooming once a week but obviously this will all vary according to the breed of your dog, and also the individual dog too. You can either choose to take your dog to your local groomers or you can do it yourself, if you’ve already got a dog, or had one before then you will probably know exactly what to do and how often, but if you haven’t and you don’t know, or want to make sure you are doing it properly, books on how to groom your dog are available or you could even look at enrolling yourself on a dog grooming course.

By grooming your dog regularly they will have a healthier coat as brushing and combing them will remove any dead hair and dirt that is in their fur, you should notice that their coat becomes a lot shinier; this is because brushing them stimulates the blood in their skin. Taking time out to groom your dog will also help you to bond with them, and is you make sure you do it from a young age they will both get used to it, but they will also get to see it as another form of getting your attention and affection. From doing it you will also know when your dog needs the hair around his/hers eyes and ears needs cutting as well as their nails. Below we have listed a few tips to help you out when grooming your furry friend;

• Be careful when shaving your dogs coat, it may seem like the easy option but shaving their fur will expose their skin to the sun more so it increases their chances of getting sunburnt. If you do shave their fur, make sure you don’t cut their undercoat on dogs with a double layered coat; this is their own natural protective layer.
• When cutting or shaving your dog it’s advised that you use comb attachments on your clippers, you should also brush their hair backwards against the grain and clip in the same direction of the growth of their hair. When clipping let them do the work, don’t push down with them and to avoid getting marks on their coat you should clip in short overlapping strokes.
• When brushing a dog you should brush from their skin out in a smooth straight movement, this will hopefully mean that you don’t hurt them. If your dog has long hair then you should divide it into small sections so you don’t miss anything or pull on too much hair at one time, and you should work from the head down to their tail. When brushing you can also use a grooming spray which will let the brush move more smoothly through their fur.

Here are some specific grooming requirements of some of the most popular breeds of dogs;

• Pomeranians – due to Pomeranians having a long and double coat they need regular brushing as they do shed quite a lot. Daily brushing will prevent their fur tangling, as well as this you should clean their eyes, ears and teeth daily. You can use dry shampoo on their fur when it is needed.
• Staffordshire bull terriers – Staffies are quite easy to care or when it comes to grooming and that due to their short and soft coat. Brushing them every now and then will a bristle brush will get rid of any dead hair and you can keep their coat shiny by wiping them over with a towel. As with all dogs you should bath them when needed.
• Border Collies – as a breed Border’s are a fairly average when it comes to shedding, so this means that you should try to brush them regularly to keep their coat in good condition. Brushing becomes particularly important in the seasons when the Border collie loses its undercoat.
• Chihuahuas – whether your Chihuahua has short or long hair they should be a fairly average shedder. You should keep an eye on their nails, and ears making sure that nails are cut when needed, and that the hair around the ears should also be cut when required. Shorthaired Chihuahuas require less grooming than those with long hair who require daily brushing with a soft bristled brush. You should try and aim to give your Chihuahua a bath at least once a month.
• English Cocker Spaniels -  as Cocker Spaniels don’t particularly shed a lot they do require daily grooming to keep their long coats in good condition and in order to stop matting and tangling. The hair on their feet also needs to be brushed and trimmed when needed, and their ears should be cleaned of excess wax regularly.
• Newfoundland’s – as they were originally bred as a water dog they have a long, thick water-proof coat, this means that they need daily brushing to prevent their fur from matting. As they shed more heavily in certain seasons they will need extra grooming during these periods, baths should rarely be given instead you should use dry shampoo rather than bathing.