Grooming Your Saint Bernard
BRUSHING. A Saint Bernard's coat needs to be brushed regularly, especially in the rough coat specimen. A bristle brush can be used for good results but individual dogs require brushes suitable to their coat type. Slicker brushes can be used to remove dead coat and matting, especially during the moulting season. Brush the coat the opposite way to which it lays naturally, so as to stimulate good circulation of the skin. A thorough brushing each day only involves approximately 5 minutes and this helps in keeping your dog clean all of the time.
BATHING. A hot water hose is the best way of bathing these large dogs. If possible, stand the dog on a concrete area and hose with warm water. When thoroughly wet, shampoo him. To name a few shampoos available are Lambert & Kays "Snowy Coat, "Hoss Gloss" (made by "Troy") and "Showcoat Blue Shampoo". Any of these products produce the required results. "Seleen" shampoo can be used if your dogs is suffering from hot spots, which most of them do from time to time. "Triocil" medicated shampoo is also very effective on hot spots and can be used for generally washing your dog also. "Hibiclen" Antiseptic Skin Cleanser (obtainable from your chemist) is another effective method of clearing up hot spots - just wash the affected area. Vitamin E Cream is very effective on dry sores, but should not be used on open wet sores. Just before bathing, a mixture of milk, dash of peroxide and corn flour can be applied to your dog's whites to remove stains and bring them up white.
RINSING OF THE COAT. Is very important, as any residue shampoo will cause itching and perhaps dandruff. Rinse very thoroughly, particularly the thigh and chest area where the coat is more profuse.
CONDITIONER. If you wish, any human conditioner can be used after shampooing. As well as conditioning the coat, this is very useful in preventing tangles if your dog has long feathering.
DRYING THE COAT. Use towels or some other absorbent material to dry the coat. In summer, let the sun dry him naturally. In winter though, it is most important to thoroughly dry him using towels then perhaps a blow drier if you bath him at night or late in the day. After towel drying, brush him with a bristle brush.
COAT TO DRY. If your dog has a dry coat, Baby Oil can be rubbed into the coat and allowed to penetrate the hair before bathing. Another good solution to use instead of the Baby Oil is 1 oz. glycerine, 8 oz water, 1 table spoon vinegar, mixed together.
EARS.When bathing, extreme care should be taken not to let water enter the ear canal. When towel drying, the ears can be wiped clean with the damp towel. Ears should be checked about once a week and, if dirty, wiped clean with a damp cloth.
EYES. Eyes can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but do this very carefully, especially with dogs that exhibit a fair amount of haw. "Diamond Eyes" is useful for removing stains from the mask caused by weeping eyes.
TEETH.A mixture of milk and a dash of peroxide can be used to clean your dogs teeth.
NAIL CLIPPING AND FEET TRIMMING. The nails need to be cut approximately once a month depending on the surface on which the dog runs. If a dog is often on concrete, then his nails don't require as much trimming. As clipping the nails can cause a slight tenderness, it is advisable, when preparing your dog for the show ring, to clip the nails a few days before the show; otherwise his gait on the day could be affected. If you cause your dog's nail to bleed when cutting them, Condys Crystals will stop the bleeding. Tip a few crystals into the lid of the container and dip your dog's bleeding nail into them. For cutting the hair under the foot pads, use a pair of sharp Safety scissors. This needs to be done about every month or so to prevent dirt forming mats under the feet. Once again, don't do this immediately before a show, as this too can cause slight tenderness.
Vaseline is commonly seen being applied to dogs' noses to bring them up shiny black for the show ring. Vaseline can also be applied to the dog's nails to clean and bring them up sparkling for the show ring.
The condition of the coat often reflects the general health of the dog. If the dog has a dry, lifeless coat the problem may be more than skin deep. Coat health depends on good health, good diet and regular grooming.
