The holidays are over even for our furry friends, who have shared the sun, sea and sand as well as so much fun along with us. So what are the best treatments for Toto’s fur after the summer? We asked Luca, a professional dog groomer, for lots of advice on how best to take care of our friend.
Luca Bevilacqua, from Silver Dog groomers in Cornedo Vicentino, decided to open his business last year, driven by his incredible passion for dogs and their grooming.
He specialises in dogs, and told us that it is essential to make grooming enjoyable for our friend – this is the most important task of all for a dog groomer. Now the holidays are over, Luca advised us to pay attention to the health of our dog’s coat, because it could be very stressed, and a couple of moisturising treatments could be just what it needs to restore shine and texture.
Hello Luca, what advice would you give to someone who is just back from the holidays with their dog, and has noticed that their coat has changed?
First of all, it’s very important to go to an expert groomer, so they can choose the best treatment for your dog’s type of coat.
The sun, sea and sand really dry out their fur, so you’ll need to apply some very moisturising masks to make sure their coat is replenished. At the seaside, owners have to take good care of their dogs, just like we take care of our hair, rinsing them well every time they come out of the sea or the swimming pool.
What is the best thing to do if we have a puppy that has never been to a grooming parlour before?
I always recommend not feeding them the morning that they need to come to the grooming parlour, otherwise they could feel sick if they get nervous. In this respect, it is important not to be nervous yourself, because if dogs pick that up they can get very scared, just like when you go to the vet – in other words, we need to stay calm.
I’d like to get rid of one particular myth: it is absolutely not true that you shouldn’t bath your dog before it’s 6 months old. Many people say this because they are afraid that if the dog gets wet, it could get sick, but if we go to a good groomer who knows exactly which treatments to use and takes all the precautions necessary, such as drying them properly, then there is no problem.
Maltese terriers, for example, need a lot of washing because their coat is delicate and if their first grooming experience is with someone who is not an expert, grooming (which is very frequent for these breeds) can become a real nightmare for them. The first bath must be a positive experience.
Which breeds are most suited to grooming?
Hunting dogs really love the water and don’t have problems with it, because they have a great instinctive approach to this natural element. Nordic dogs, however, have a more difficult, complicated character and you need to take more care with them.
One last tip for our readers – is there any particular kind of brush that is good for using at home, without damaging our friends’ coat?
I find that curry combs are excellent, like the GRO 5948 by Ferplast. After the summer, if you can’t take your dog to an expert, you can do some detangling and restructuring masks with Ginseng.
Thank you to Luca and his dogs Leila and Giubi for the welcome they gave us!
