Before your dog gets ready for his bath, you should take a bath inventory and prepare all the necessary equipment that he will need. Having all the necessary equipment ready and easily accessible can make the whole bathing experience fun both for you and your dog. Having all your supplies gathered in one place where they can be easily reached can help your dog bathing event.

Here is a list of basic supplies that you would need to wash your dog:

*Shampoo and conditioner
*A sponge
*A scrub brush
*A bath mat
*One or two heavy towels
*A small scrub brush or soft-bristled nail brush to use on the face
*A hand held sprayer or a large plastic cup for rinsing
*A plastic or rubber apron for you, unless you don’t mind getting wet
*A nylon collar and leash if you think your dog will try to escape or will be hard to hang on to in the bath

Choosing the right shampoo for your dog: With so many types of shampoos that are out there today, trying to figure which one will be suitable for your dog can be rather confusing. For most breeds, however, a basic, all purpose shampoo works just fine. But if you want your dog shampoo to do more than clean and deodorize, then you might want to consider getting a specialty shampoo.

You can accentuate your dog’s coat color by choosing a shampoo especially made for black, white, or red coats. For dogs that have sensitive eyes and skin, use a hypoallergenic shampoo. This type of dog shampoo can minimize sensitivity reactions to bathing. You may also try a tearless shampoo for dogs with sensitive eyes.

During flea season, choose a shampoo that contains a mild anti-flea formula such as limonene or pyrethrin. You may also try any of several natural botanicals that are specifically designed to repel fleas such as neem oil.

For wire coated breeds, choose a shampoo that is designed to preserve the crisp texture of your dog’s coat.

If your dog has a sensitive skin condition such as allergies, rash, or itching, choose a medicated shampoo designed to treat your dog’s skin problem. Ask your vet for advice and recommendation for a good medicated shampoo that is right for your dog.

Get all these items at Dog Store.

Long coated breeds are perfect for those who love to devote a lot of time to grooming and do not mind a long grooming session. Although grooming a long coated breed is a time consuming task and one that can be quite challenging, it is also very rewarding because the end result is a gorgeous and smooth flowing mane that is rather spectacular.

Long coated breeds can be long and frizzy like a Pomeranian or a Chow Chow, or fluffy all around like a Saint Bernard or a Collie. Some coats are parted down the back, and some are shorter along the back but have long feathers along the ears, underside, and tail like an English Setter. Long coats are very similar to human hair and brushing and combing a long coat is very similar to brushing and combing human hair.

There are a lot of theories as to why dogs have long coats. Some think that herding dogs have long coats so they can better blend in with flocks of sheep. The sheep like coats also gave them protection from the elements. Various toy breeds have said to evolve to have long, lavish coats for the sake of the enjoyment of the royalty that bred and kept them, making the dogs look regal and fit to be royal pets. Over time, as different breeds evolved, long coated breeds were chosen for their grace and beauty, since humans have always admired the aesthetic enjoyment of a long coated dog.

Long coated breeds require daily grooming schedule and extra attention in the grooming process. They need to be brushed and then combed using a flea comb to remove all tangles at least every two days, but preferably everyday. Tangles left untended can trap shed hairs that can turn into mats, and a long coated dog full of mats is not a very pleasant sight. And because long coats have greater risk for tangles, they also need bathing more often than smooth coats. Long coated dogs require a monthly bath and conditioning, and blow out to maintain the coat in top shape.

Breeds with long coat include the Shih Tzu, the English Setter, the Havanese, the Papillion, the Pekingese, the Bearded Collie, the Longhaired Chihuahua, the Gordon Setter, the Maltese, and the Yorkshire Terrier, the Japanese Chin, the Pomeranian, the Silky Terrier, the Newfoundland, and the Keeshond.

Training your dog is an art, not just something mechanical you do in order to get them to behave. And the most overlooked part of dog training knowledge is understanding that dogs speak eloquently to human beings in a language of their own. In order to effectively train your dog in a positive manner then you are going to have to learn to “read” your dog’s body language.

Having proper two-way communication with your dog can only be a result of you properly understanding your dog’s “language”, which is a non-nonverbal language of body and facial movements. A very good way to start learning about your dog’s body language is to take time to observe him and other dogs communicate with each other. This makes it very important to have your dog socialize with other pet dogs on a regular basis.

Watch how they interact with each other. Take stock on what body language is being used and how he reacts to certain movements from another dog. Check out how your dog greets familiar dogs in comparison to how he treats strange dogs. What is the difference? What was the reaction? Did the dogs play chase games with each other? How did they start the game and with what body language?

These are all questions that you can ask yourself as you are learning about how your dog communicates with other beings, both people and other dogs. In addition, you can also absorb an enormous amount of information by reading and studying books on dog and wolf behavior.

You may be asking “why study wolf behavior?” Well the fact is that wolf behavior and dog behavior are very similar. And since they are both very similar, the interactions of wolves in the wild give scientists a chance to observe communication in a pure form, as it exists without human interference.

For example, most dogs, if not all of them, have a habit of licking people’s faces, especially their mouths. Now although the origin of this face licking behavior is rarely seen in dogs, but observations of wolves have shown that wolf puppies are fed by regurgitated food by the older wolves. This regurgitation is triggered by the wolf pups as the jump up and lick the older wolf’s mouth. So the licking of the mouths persists as they get older as a way of greeting another animal.