Certain tools are needed to properly groom your dog. The kind of tools you need depends on the type of dog you have. Although all dogs have certain supplies and equipment that are the same, the required tools for long coated breeds varies from the tools that are required to groom smooth coated breed, wire coated, etc.

Tools for all breeds and coat types:

*A combination of medium and fine-toothed comb
*Natural bristle brush
*Appropriate sized nail trimmers-ones that are made specifically for dogs
*Small curved and/or blunt-tipped scissors – ideal for trimming feet and whiskers
*Nail file for smoothing rough nails

The following tools are optional and are mostly used for grooming show dogs:

* Ear forceps for removing ear hair
*Showerhead hose attachment for easier bathing
* Grooming table
*Terrier mitt for terriers
* Nail grinder/dremel tool for filing nail
*Thinning shears
*Non skid rubber mat for grooming and bathing

Tools for grooming smooth coats:

*Rubber curry brush
*Hound glove
*Chamois, flannel, silk, or velvet squares for polishing
*Clippers with number ten blade for sporadic neatening, depending on the breed
*Blow dryer with cool setting. This is optional but good for small breeds like Chihuahuas and Italian Greyhounds

Tools for grooming medium coats:

*Blow dryer with cool setting
*Pin brush
*Coat rake
*Rubber curry brush
*Hound glove
*Shedding comb

Tools for grooming long coats

*Blow dryer with cool setting
*Mat splitter
*Mat comb
*Pin brush
*Clippers with different sizes of blades depending on the type of breed
*Shedding comb
*Slicker brush
*Wide-toothed comb for thickly coated breeds like Collies
*Rubber bands, ribbons, bows, barrettes, etc. for long coated dogs with topknots
*Scissors for trimming and shaping

Tools for grooming wire coats:

*Natural bristle brush
*Slicker brush
*Hound glove
*Stripping knife
*Shedding comb
*Scissors for shaping and trimming
*Combination of medium and fine-toothed comb
*Electric clippers with different blade sizes ad appropriate for the breed. This is used for shaping for keeping the anal area clean.
*Blow dryer with cool setting

Tools for grooming curly coats:

*Natural bristle brush
*Slicker brush
*Pin brush
*Coat rake
*Shedding comb
*Scissors for shaping and trimming
*Combination of medium and fine-toothed metal comb
*Electric clippers with different blade sizes as appropriate for the breed.

There are five basic types of coats. They are the smooth coat, the medium coat, the long coat, the wirehaired/broken coat, and the wavy or curly coat. Grooming each coat type differs from one coat to the next. Although you have some choices and options to make about the style of grooming, certain parts are the same and non negotiable in order to keep our dogs healthy and happy.

The Wirehaired or broken coat has a very unique texture; it is coarse, hard, and wiry. Wirehaired breeds have coats that have unique tousled and somewhat messy look that many people find very appealing.

Wirehaired dogs are mostly groomed to wear jolly beards just like what you may see on a Scottish Terrier, a Miniature Schnauzer, or a Brussels Griffon. Several breeds of Terriers have a wire coat, as well as some hounds and sporting dogs. Wire coats have an amazingly weather resistant function. They resist burrs from sticking to them. Wire coats also have the ability to offer great protection for dogs whose role usually consist of plummeting through harsh bracken, into burrows, and through fields in ruthless type of weather to go after vermin such as badgers, deer, or rats.

The distinct feature of a wirehaired/broken coat should never be shaved down if you want to properly maintain it’s crispness and harshness. The coat needs to be plucked or stripped. This is a process in which dead hairs are pulled out either by hand or by using a stripping knife. This process is particularly used by wire haired show dogs, where owners and/or groomers patiently and tenderly hand strips their show dogs. By using this procedure, you can be sure that your dog’s wire haired coat maintains its’ natural texture. Shaving down a wire coat can result in a change of the breed’s characteristic texture.

Dog owners who go for wirehaired breed usually enjoy the monotonous but fulfilling task of hand stripping. This can either be done in its entirety several times a year or a little at a time but more frequently, all year long.

Broken/Wirehaired coated breeds include the Irish Terrier, the Otterhound, the German Wirehaired Pointer, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the Irish Wolfhound, the Scottish Deerhound, and the Norfolk Terrier, the Welsh Terrier, the Affenpinscher, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, and the wirehaired Dachshund.

When it comes to dog training, there are some rules that should apply to every situation in order to make dog training a better experience, for both you and your dog. For example, whenever you are training your dog a new command, you should be instructing your dog in an area where there will not be anybody or anything to distract him. If at all possible, strive to train your dog inside and make sure that you are the only person in the room.

After you have practiced training your dog for a lengthy period of time without any distractions, it is then time to add distractions slowly to the dog training atmosphere. This will enable your dog to keep up with the commands he is being taught while learning to ignore whatever small distractions that you have placed within the confines of the area.

And better yet, once he can handle obeying the commands indoors with a few distractions, then move the dog to training outside of the house. This will put on further added distractions that your dog will have to deal with while learning to obey the same commands outside that he did inside.

In an nutshell, your goal is to have your dog respond to commands anywhere and at anytime, regardless of the conditions. Over time you will have your dog learning to obey your commands in many different places that contain all of the distractions that normal everyday life will offer.

Also, you need to learn how to anticipate your dog’s mistakes so that you can prevent them from happening. This is an essential part of learning how to read your dogs behavior, personality, and communication. For example, if you have given the command to sit and stay sat, then you will want to correct him when he thinks about getting up, not after he as already gotten up. That would be too late.

Your dog will definitely give you signs that he is about to get up. He may lick his paw, shake his rump, or make small movements with his head. Whatever his behavior is that gives him away, it is your duty to have learned this and use it as a positive tool for proper dog training.