Care for your dog

Bathing:

When I first got Lexi, I actually gave her baths too often. Her skin would get dry and flakes would appear (like dandruff.) Don't bathe your dog more than once a week! I bathe Lexi every 2 - 3 weeks now. She starts to smell after awhile. =)

It was recommended to me to use an oatmeal based shampoo, but when I went looking for shampoo, I didn't find any with oatmeal in it. So I didn't buy it. And I haven't had to buy any more shampoo since. I don't think it is real important what you use. My roommate has given Lexi baths and has used Pantene conditioner on her! Lexi was nice and soft after that, but I don't think I would use expensive shampoo.

Lexi doesn't like the hair dryer so I can't use that to dry her. Instead I just use a towel. It hangs next to mine in the bathroom! =)

Nails:

My vet charges for nail clipping, so I decided I could do it on my own and save a little moola. But, Lexi hates it! When I first clipped her nails, I cut them too short and she bled. That would make me hate getting my nails too, if that happened to me!

She's getting better. I spray her when she tries to chew my hand and reward her when we're done. I try to cut my nails in front of her so she knows it doesn't hurt. (I do cut my nails in front of her a lot, but it really is just coincidence.)

Grooming:

I'll be a hypocrite for a second and say "Brush daily!" I wish I did. My house would be a lot cleaner if I did.

Brushing Teeth:

You can pay your vet to do a professional job brushing you pets' teeth, which not only costs a lot, but they usually put your pet "under" during this. If you didn't know, you shouldn't put animals (or humans) under unnecessarily. So I took the other path and decided to brush Lexi's teeth on my own. I tried mint flavored toothpaste, but Lexi didn't like that. I then tried the poultry flavor. She loves it! Because I started brushing early, she doesn't mind getting her teeth brushed. She actually likes it. She loves that poultry! (I think that sounds disgusting!) I don't have a special toothbrush, just a freebie I got from the dentist. No special tricks on how to brush your dogs' teeth. One note: the doggie toothpaste is ok to swallow, where as human toothpaste isn't.