How to Groom a Jack Russell Terrier

Jack Russell terriers are cute little dogs with specific grooming requirements. The thing is, Jack Russell terriers come in three types of coats. These coats can be either smooth, broken or rough. Thus, many people often think grooming a Jack Russell terrier will be a rather difficult task. However, grooming can be very easy if you know how to take care of a particular coat type. Let us have a look at a few tips in this Buzzle article on how to groom a Jack Russell terrier.
Different Ways to Groom Your Jack Russell Terrier Dog
When grooming a Jack Russell terrier, keep in mind the coat of your dog. One important part of grooming is combing and brushing. This becomes very easy, especially in case of a soft coated Jack Russell. But, when it comes to broken or rough coated Jack Russell's, combing and brushing is not possible. Take note of the following tips to groom a Jack Russell terrier, especially while brushing or combing.
Grooming a Smooth Coat Jack Russell Terrier
A smooth coated Jack Russell terrier is the easiest one to groom. All you need to do is brush the comb once a week. Use a hound glove to polish the coat and massage the skin of the dog. When the dog is moulting, you will need to groom him more often. This means brushing him daily, if possible. This will help in removing the shedding hair and even promote new hair growth. And daily grooming will ensure you and your home is not covered in a layer of dog hair.
Grooming a Rough or Broken Coat Jack Russell Terrier
When it comes to the broken (longer hair than smooth coated) or rough coat (longest and the scruffiest coat) Jack Russell terrier, you should not use a comb or brush. Instead use your fingers. This method of combing your Jack Russell terrier is called hand-stripping. And believe me, you will not enjoy this task one bit. This is a tedious and most exhaustive way to groom your Jack. You can try using a stripping comb or clipper instead of the recommended hand-stripping method. A stripping comb will lead to broken hair and clippers give the coat a really very smooth look. Both these looks are not acceptable, especially in case you are making your dog participate in a dog competition.
Now, in order to hand-strip your dog, you need to start head first. Grasp a few strands of hair between your thumb and index finger. Then pull it in the direction of growth. Pull slowly and gently, few hairs at a time. Grip at the tips of the hair as it will allow you to find stands that are already loose. Continue working down to the back and then go over each side. You should start with hand-stripping as early as possible, during puppyhood. This will make the dog used to the sessions of hand-stripping and help build a bond between you and your pet. Make the stripping sessions shorter and frequent. Do not keep stripping the hair continuously for long periods. It will give your hand a bad ache and the dog will become averse to the session due to boredom. Over the week, you will definitely see improvement in the appearance of the coat, if you continue to try for shorter sessions.
Those who do not have much time at hand or are just plain lazy to carry out a hand-strip, can use clippers and stripping combs. Choose a comb that suits your dogs natural coat style, from extra coarse to extra fine. Use a fine bladed stripping knife for the face, ear and neck hair of the dog. All you need to do is hold a few strands between your thumb and knife blade. Then give a sharp, but short pull to the strand in the same direction as the hair growth. Alternate with a few strokes of the comb. Initially, the dog may be scared or will not allow you to strip using the stripping knife. With time, the dog will get used to this way of grooming.
Bathing a Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell terriers do not require to be bathed frequently. It is okay to bathe your dog once a week. Many suggest bathing a Jack Russell terrier at least once a month. And some bathe their dogs, only when they feel their dog is at this filthiest best! So, make sure you consider your Jack's need and bathe him accordingly. Never blow dry your Jack Russell. This is because their hair are already very coarse and thick. A blow dry will make it worse. You can instead go in for 'rugging' with the help of a medium sized towel. You need to cover your dog from the neck to the base of the tail with a nice, soft towel. Use pins to keep the towel in place. Once the hair dries, it will tend to stick to the body and lie flat than going haywire in every direction.
Clip the Nails and Brush Their Teeth
You need to clip your dog's nails regularly, every couple of weeks. This will keep the nails healthy and less prone to injury. Also, they won't go damaging your furniture and floorings with their overgrown nails. Brush their teeth at least once a week, to keep away bad breath and other canine dental problems. Also clear the dirt accumulated around the corners of the eyes. This will help prevent eye infections and give your dog a clean, neat look. You can dip a cotton swap in clean water and use the tips to clean the outer ear. This will help clear the debris, dirt and ear wax accumulated in the ears. Check the paw pads and remove anything that looks dirty or is wedged between the claws.
This is all about how to groom a Jack Russell terrier. If possible, you can take your dog to a professional once a year and give him a regal grooming session. Or else regular grooming at home will keep his appearance up to the mark. Although, you may find hand-stripping to be tedious, but once you and your dog get a hang of it,nhl jerseys, you won't be bothered much. Hope the above information has helped you take care of your little Jack Russell better.