An expert explains the importance of grooming your dog

When you think of dog grooming, what comes to mind? Are you thinking of elaborate hair cuts and dyed fur? Obviously for most of us, grooming is much more basic than all of that and instead focuses on things like a wash, a trim, and cutting the nails on your pup's paws.

But we really wanted to know just how important grooming is for our pups. We know that a good brushing can be beneficial to their coat and it removes excess fuzz that is already loose and getting ready to fall to the floor. And we know that just like with humans it is important to take care of our dog's dental health as well. So what is the importance of regular grooming for your dog?

We turned to Dr. Rachel Cocchiaro from Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital in North Carolina for some answers. In fact, we had two questions around grooming we were curious about:

• How often should dogs be groomed?
• And why is regular grooming important?

Why is dog grooming so important?

Starting with how often a dog should be groomed, Dr. Cocchiaro shared, "The need for grooming at a certain frequency is hugely dependent on breed, hair coat, lifestyle or even medical conditions that cause frequent infections (like allergies)."

Of course, her answer makes perfect sense as every dog is different and their coats are simply not the same. For some dogs their fur is going to need more help than others. But what about the actual importance of regular dog grooming?

"At a minimum, most dogs need their nails trimmed once every 6-8 weeks. Some breeds continuously grow hair and grooming is needed to keep the length manageable. Other dogs need to be groomed because their fur is thicker and is more likely to form areas that are matted. There are allergy patients that require once to twice weekly medicated baths to help keep any secondary skin infection under control.
For your average, short haired, relatively clean dog, I think that a bath once a month is sufficient."

- Dr. Rachel Cocchiaro

Honestly, it is always important to pay attention to what your specific dog needs. We always talk to our veterninarian about what our pup needs. And if they believe our pup needs to be groomed more often, then we will make that happen.

What do you say fellow dog lovers? How often do you get your dog groomed?