Are you looking forward to adopting a Great Dane? Before bringing your new man’s best friend home, you should ensure you meet all the grooming requirements for a healthy dog. Great Danes are gigantic, so you will have your work cut out for yourself, but it will all be worth it.
Here are some tips for taking care of this dog’s coat for healthy skin and ensuring a happy family pet free of any discomfort caused by inadequate grooming.
Typically, Great Dane grooming requirements are not excessive. In fact, many Great Dane owners do not delve in too deeply but just conduct routine grooming to remove loose hair. This pet dog has a smooth coat that does not require shaving, but there might be patches that grow higher than others.
In this case, you might need to trim those patches to match the smooth coat on the rest of your dog’s body. The grooming tools required could be hair trimmers and/or scissors. However, out of all dog breeds, the Great Dane does not need excessive hair trimming or shaving.
Fortunately, dogs with short coats do not require the care of a professional groomer or advanced grooming tools. Instead, you can do everything to groom this gentle giant at home, which is helpful for first-time dog owners. So, what are the most important aspects to take care of?
Frequent baths are essential to minimise shedding and skin issues for your dog. For example, even though a Great Dane’s coat is short, it has the potential to shed more than an average dog. Therefore, bathing the small fur weekly, depending on your dog’s activity levels, could prevent more hair on furniture or in your car.
Before bath time, use a slicker brush to remove dead hairs and bathe your Great Dane. Using a brush before bath time should help minimise shedding greatly and prevent any matting on the skin.
In addition, after bathing Great Danes, dog owners should also ensure that their ears are free of infections. Ear infections are common amongst Great Danes, so ensure your dog’s ears are free of any inflammation or condition by regularly inspecting and cleaning them.
If you notice any concerning abnormalities on your family pet, consult with a vet as soon as possible. Dog owners who wash their Great Dane every week should also inspect its ears.
Let’s talk about clipping nails, brushing teeth, cleaning ears and eyes, and other relevant information about this breed.
For such large dogs, nail care is critical. The nails could grow long and lead to an ingrown nail or cause discomfort as your hound tries to walk around.
Not to mention the damage it could cause to flooring and rugs throughout the house. Nail clipping is essential, but what is the best way to do it, and how often should it be done for dogs like Great Danes?
The best way to clip a Great Dane’s nails is using a grinder trimmer. These make the process quick and easy, whereas guillotine-style clippers could cause discomfort when used by an inexperienced person.
In the best-case scenario, you would like to clip your dog’s nails after two or three weeks. However, if you hear them tapping on the floor, have a look at them and cut them back as required.
At times, frequent bath sessions or using harsh shampoo could cause dandruff on your dog. It is your duty as the owner to monitor dandruff and take the necessary steps to remedy the situation as soon as possible. How can this be done?
Once you have noticed dandruff on your dog, use natural oils to try and remove it. Alternatively, homemade solutions that do not have harsh chemicals that could cause discomfort to the dog are recommended.
Monitor your dog for any signs of dandruff as frequently as you bathe it. Also, use times when you brush the dog to see if there is any dandruff. Afterwards, try to cut back on frequent baths and focus on reducing dandruff gradually.
You can also use de-shedding tools instead of a regular brush to minimise shedding from your dog.
There are shower head de-shedding brushes that can be used to reduce shedding to a great extent. Alternatively, you can opt for a hairbrush with hair collection mechanisms to keep the grooming area clean and tidy throughout the process.
Try de-shedding every week during bath time or when you are brushing this dog’s coat.
Grooming a dog’s muzzle is tricky but can be done with some practice.
Gently lift your dog’s head and trim under the chin right up until you reach its throat or chest. Trim off any excess hair using scissors instead of a shaver.
You can do this once every three to four weeks, depending on its growth patterns.
How can you handle dry skin on your Great Dane? Using a hydrating spray is the best technique.
Different hydrating sprays with natural oils are used to moisturise dry skin on dogs. Choose your preferred brand and spray the coat as needed.
Depending on the season, you can use a hydrating spray daily, but in most cases, it is best to use it as needed or after grooming or bathing.
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about grooming this dog that could answer some of the queries you might still have.
You can introduce Great Danes to grooming tools such as nail clippers or shavers (as needed) at 12 months of age. This breed is generally ready for its first grooming appointment then, but be gentle because it will still be a puppy at that time, although it could appear bigger than other smaller breed types.
Your Great Dane can be bathed weekly or once in six or eight weeks, depending on its activity levels and lifestyle.
Not really. You can handle everything at home unless you’re not confident with cleaning pet ears and nail care.
This breed has a short coat and does not require shaving off its hair to keep it cool throughout the summer. If you suspect the skin might be getting dry, opt for a moisturiser designed for any breed of this kind, but there shouldn’t be many complications to be expected during all seasons of the year.
Grooming a Great Dane is not that complicated. You shouldn’t have a problem if you bathe, brush, and clip this dog’s nails. In addition to these routine grooming requirements, this dog requires owners to monitor any possible ear problems that could cause discomfort and problems down the line. Other than that, you should be fine when caring for your Great Dane.
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