Some people may be only mildly uncomfortable with dog-hairs on their carpet, couch or coffee table, but others find them highly disturbing and can end up feeling angry and resentful towards their pet.
So how do dog owners solve the nuisance of hairs in the house? For many people, the number one reason for grooming their dog is to eliminate this very problem.
Shedding normally occurs twice a year in outdoor dogs - in late spring and again in early winter during the moulting seasons. However, indoor dogs can shed up to six times a year because the heat in the home tricks their brains into thinking that it is the moulting season the whole year round.
A well groomed dog will shed much less – if at all. So the first thing you must do to banish hairs from the house is give your dog a thorough grooming, or get a professional groomer to do it for you.
During the groom, a high quality blaster will blow out a lot of the dead hair. Then it will be necessary to go over the dog’s entire coat with a fine tooth steel comb and furminator. The comb must be able to run smoothly through the dog’s coat from head to tail without snags or dragging. Then - and only then - can you say that you have a well groomed dog.
The next thing you must do is clean up every single dog hair from your house or car! A lint roller will make this task much easier. That done, you should be feeling a good deal better about yourself and your pet.
To go that extra mile, you might think of feeding your dog coat-thickening food or, alternatively, adding cod liver oil to your dog’s meals for one month or until you start to see an improvement in the coat’s condition.
A dog that is groomed regularly is more attractive, happier and is a source of greater joy to its owner. In between grooms, brush out your dog’s coat two or three times a week with a furminator and comb, and you should put an end forever to hairs in the house!
You can contact Mark Ward at Top Dogs Professional Grooming Service, Crannagh, Gort, Co Galway, tel: 091 639861/086 244 6395
