How to Care for Large Breed Pups

Hygiene is incredibly important for any dog, or human for that matter. Pups can only do so much in terms of maintaining themselves from a hygienic perspective. It is critical to develop and instill grooming habits in the pup's youth. Wrestling to groom a +150 pound dog is unpleasant to say the least.

I highly recommend brushing your pup daily.

Dogs love routine and it will eventually just become part of the day. Bruno and Beau are very furry. Their coats keep them more than comfy in temperatures below zero.

This is great, except that when it gets above 50 degrees and becomes comfortable for us humans, they usually seem to suffer. This can become exponentially worse if they are not frequently brushed. Hair trapping = heat trapping, and heat trapping often leads to an uncomfortable itchy dog with irritated skin. Brushing helps circulate blood flow in the skin, keeping it healthy and happy.

Regular brushing will also help tremendously with shedding. In my experience, brushing early in the day results in removing about 90% of what was going to come off during the day.

Of note, brushing WILL NOT collect ALL the hairs. So, my usual process is a solid brushing followed by what I call a shake down. My shake down is basically semi-aggressive for of petting. They love this. I get my hands deep into their coats and rub back and forth while also shaking their body a bit. All the loose hair in their coat will fall to the ground.

Obviously, timing a daily vacuum after brushing is prudent. Ideally, I take them outside for this entire process. I grab a poop bag to put the clumps of hair from the rake, and then I leave the shake down hairs up to mother nature.

You will never encounter a dentist that suggest you skip brushing your teeth.

Similarly, you will never find a vet that suggests its ok to skip brushing your dog's teeth. To be clear, you should regularly brush your pup's teeth.

Do I? No, but I do keep an eye on their teeth and gums.

I also keep an eye on how often they are chewing. Brushing their teeth is great, but their chewing habits can also adequately maintain oral hygiene. There is no magic recipe to finding the appropriate chew. It eventually comes down to their preference, and what they won't destroy/ingest. Benebone products and antlers/horns do the trick for Bruno and Beau.

Big, floppy, furry ears are adorable.

Turns out, they also possess the adequate breeding environment for gunk build up. And gunk build up can lead to ear disease. The bigger and floppier, the more likely dirt is going to collect in the outer portions of their ear, and within the canal.

The most common sign of irritation is constant rubbing.

When my pups have ear problems they find anything and everything to rub up against. Ear cleaning is a very irritating procedure for them. Again, developing a routine is critical, and having your dog's trust is equally important. I end up using a 4x4 cotton pad and Zymox solution. I found that it also helps to massage their ears after. This helps with irritation, loosens more debris, and serves as a form of praise for allowing you to dig around in their ear.

Bathing and nail trimming I leave up to their groomers.

Find a good groomer.

I take my pups to Community Bark in Bayview. Their attention to detail and care is unparalleled. Also, Bruno and Beau are gone for a minimum of 2 hours. This gives you time to... do whatever you want! Sometimes you need a break.