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St Bernard

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St Bernard

WASHING AND GROOMING TIPS FOR THE ST BERNARD DOG

A large dog noted for its calm, gentle and sweet nature, a wonderful family dog with either a short brown yellow and white coat or a long brown yellow and white coat, comprising a coarse thick top coat and a soft woolly undercoat, which needs regular brushing and occasional washing dependent on how many times it manages to get very mucky and smelly when out on walks with you.

We would advise you to discuss with your Groomer, tips on maintaining your dog in great condition and asking advice if you are experiencing problems.

As the St Bernard Dog is a large dog with a thick coat keeping your dog well-groomed can be challenging and we would recommend that you maintain them with simple brushing and washing of their lower legs if dirty, usually simply with water and dry off with Roses Towels. Brush every 2 days, (when shedding you may wish to increase this to daily) for long haired dogs brush the coat thoroughly with a good quality Pin Head Brush and then comb through with a wide tooth comb and then tease out any knots found with a fine-tooth comb. For short haired dogs you can use a grooming glove or rubber brush. A very active dog will probably need a good daily brush to remove burs and other items which have lodged in their coat. After grooming run your hands all over the dog and if lumps found indicating matting or tangling then gently comb these out, using a detangling lotion if necessary, but always be gentle and patient when detangling etc. They do shed but it varies from dog to dog so maintaining a regular grooming regime will assist in suppressing the development of matting, knots and tangles. With the St Bernard we would recommend you pay special attention around the ears watching out for knotting and checking for any redness. On occasions they will require a full shampoo and wash, but please be sparing with these as too frequent washing can result in loss of oils in the coat making it appear dull. We would recommend you groom every 4-6 weeks every two months if your dog does not get too dirty.

We strongly recommend a visit to your local Grooming Parlour for trimming of coat, its feathers and around the paws, plus clipping of nails when required. During these visits it is always’s a good idea to discuss with your groomer, grooming of your dog and obtaining handy hints for your own grooming sessions.

So, to maintain your St Bernard Dog in Tip Top condition we recommend the following.

Before you start your shower and grooming sessions make sure you have all tools and materials required: –

Shampoo ensure you use a specific Dog Shampoo this will ensure that the coat is maintained in great condition, Human Shampoo’s have different formulas not always compatible with your dog. Also, a conditioner can help you maintain a lustrous and healthy looking coat.

What you will require

Dogs Towels 1 x Roses PVA Mega Absorbent Towel, and I x Roses Large Microfibre Towel As the St Bernard Dog is a large dog it is advisable to use two large Microfibre Towels and two Mega Absorbent PVA Towels

1 x Roses Grooming and Drying Brush

1 X Good Quality Dog Brush I x Good Quality Wide Comb and 1 Good Quality Fine Tooth Comb

A good supply of treats

Washing your St Bernard Dog

Always before washing your dog we recommend giving a good brush and comb of their coat, and to maintain their coat in great condition they should be thoroughly brushed and combed at least two times a week.

To wash your St Bernard Dog, use the shower if large enough! , (do not forget to use non-slip shower mat) or for larger dogs use the bath but always soothe your dog when using the bath as they may become distressed in this situation until they have been acclimatised .Do ensure the temperature of the water is comfortable for your dog and do ensure you use a bath mat to stop your dog sliding and slipping. When washing indoors please ensure the water is a comfortable temperature not too hot or too cold and where possible use a shower attachment if no shower head gently pour warm water over your dog to thoroughly wet its coat and then apply the shampoo and knead it thoroughly into the coat, if your dog has got extremely dirty you may need to repeat this process, but we would recommend whenever possible to apply shampoo only once. Now this is important when rinsing the shampoo out you must ensure that all shampoo is rinsed away as any residue can cause itchiness. Another key point we would make is to avoid getting shampoo into the eyes and keep the inside of ears away from shampoo and water.

If using a conditioner, repeat the process

When coat is thoroughly rinsed it is time to dry, firstly remove most of the excess water with the Mega Absorbent PVA Towel, squeezing out the towel regularly to ensure the maximum absorbency of the towel. Once all surplus water is removed then wrap your Dog in a Roses Large Microfibre Towel gently rubbing the dog all over until the coat is as dry as possible. Do not rigorously towel dry pat and dab dry this will help you to avoid tangling and knotting of the coat.

To thoroughly and quickly dry your dog, connect your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush set on medium heat and low speed and start brushing and Drying the coat, always brushing with the fur not against it, there is no correct place to start but the key advice we would give here is to ensure the whole coat is dry particularly around the base of the tail and around the ears, not forgetting the feathers on the legs. Ensure all the coat is brushed through and dry and if your dog is a little anxious at first encourage with treats and words of encouragement. Once your dog is familiarised and comfortable with your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush you can increase the heat setting to full and increase the speed to high, but note when drying around the eyes and ears only use medium heat and low power. The permanent IONIC feature will ensure great condition to your dog’s coat and always give you great results when using a conditioner.

The choice of Brush head to use varies from Dog to Dog but generally we recommend the oval brush head to groom and dry the whole dog, but once you have used the tool a few times you will develop your own technique and use brush heads which feel give you the best results.

We know that following these simple instructions you will soon be getting great results and you and your St Bernard Dog will enjoy these sessions which will help create an excellent bond between you and your dog and of course keep them looking great and smelling good most of the time.

Following a wet walk, you can also follow these guidelines if not dirty no need to shampoo, simply towel dry as outlined here and dry off with the Roses Grooming and Drying Brush, and after cold winter walks your dog will welcome being dry and warm.

We look forward to hearing your experiences and of course receiving pictures of your St Bernard Dog after your Grooming and Pampering Sessions

THE ROSES TEAM

We have some great offers available on our Grooming Bundles to suit all dogs and sizes, don’t forget to check these out on our website.

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