How to Groom a Coonhound

Coonhounds are relatively easy to groom with their nice, short coats but they do still have some specific grooming requirements. Whether you own (or are owned by!) a Redbone, English, Bluetick, Plott, American Black and Tan or even the newest recognized coonhound breed - the Leopard Hound; proper grooming is essential for their appearance and their health.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Coonhound
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Conditioner
• Cotton Cloth
• Baby Oil
• Dog Toothbrush or Scaler
• Pet Nail Trimmers
• Pet Nail Grinder
• Emu Oil

1. 
   Redbone Coonhound

   Wash your dog with dog shampoo, not human grade shampoo. The only substitute that I would ever recommend in a pinch is the non-citrus variety of Joy dish washing liquid. If you use something else other than a soap PH balanced for a dog's coat, you risk drying out their skin and encouraging breakage of the hair itself.
   
   I like to use the rubber bath brush made by Kong Pet Supplies to swirl around the hair once the dog is lathered. This helps loosen up dead hair and it holds on to it nicely for proper disposal and even the most rambunctious dogs love it so much they stand still for their 'doggie massage'.
   
   Follow up with a quality dog conditioner, allow it to sit on the coat for a few minutes and rinse.

2. 
   Redbone Coonhound

   After your coonhound has had their special bath and doggie massage with your Kong bath brush, it's time to trim the nails. The bath will soften the nail a bit making this job easier. Clip your coonhounds nails if they are seriously overgrow, otherwise, use a dog nail grinder. I have both an Oster corded grinder and cordless Peticure grinder. I love them both. Oster has more power but the Peticure is great for those not as willing to have the task done. Avoid the quick! If grinding, you will see a white spot just before hitting the quick. Check for this often and stop once seen.

3. 
   American Black and Tan Coonhound

   Wipe out your coonhounds ears using a soft cotton cloth slightly moistened with baby oil. You can substitute paper towels in a pinch. I've also used (fragrance free!) baby wipes.

4. 
   Mmmm... toothpaste!

   Clean your coonhounds teeth. Depending on how dirty they are, this can mean merely purchasing a dog toothbrush tool, learning to use a dog tooth scaler tool or making an appointment with the vet for a complete cleaning. Your coonhounds health is directly affected by the condition of their teeth so please keep up with this. (not to mention their breath will be better)
   
   *Greenies treats and/or a properly regulated raw fed diet are great prevention when it comes to dirty dog teeth.

5. 
   Redbone Coonhound

   Trim excess hair off the brush of their tail, the soft line just beyond their thigh and between the pads of their feet if you feel you must get them really groomed up nicely. A cheap hair clipper of a small size will do just fine for this small job. I have little hand held pet clippers that are barely bigger than a pencil and cost under $10 in my pet catalogs.

6. 
   American Black and Tan Coonhound

   Check the anal glands. Yes, not a fun thing to do but you need to make sure your coonhound is not in pain or have the potential for a nasty infection. If their anal glands are becoming impacted, the glands to each side of the anus will be swollen and hard. Your coonhound may scoot on their rump or incessantly lick themselves. You can lean to express your dogs anal glands yourself or take the dog to a vet or groomer to have it done for a small price tag.

7. 
   Redbone Coonhound

   A nice final touch to grooming your coonhound is to wipe them down with an emu oil solution. This is what many dog show handlers use to shine up their coonhounds coat. There is also emu oil shampoos, emu oil soaps, emu oil sprays and even emu oil gel caps which you can give your coonhound to encourage a naturally shining coat. Emu oil is also reputed to decrease heart disease (and yes, emu oil can be taken by people for this as well!).

Tips & Warnings

• Look for dog shampoos which enhance certain colors. I have them in white, bronze and black for my various coonhounds and love them.
• Putting eye ointment in your coonhounds eyes prior to their pet bath can prevent the dog shampoo from hurting their eyes.
• Only groom your coonhound when your happy. This must always be made to be a happy experience for your coonhound.
• Do not allow water to get in a coonhound's ears. If it does, wipe it out immediately.
• Do NOT CHEW GUM when grooming a dog! (ask me how I know... blech!)
• Never use human toothpaste on a dog! Use dog toothpaste only.

Resources

• Ironwood Coonhounds ::: Redbone, Redtick English and American Black and Tan Coonhounds

[goodselfme]

on 3/9/2009 Well detailed, good article for grooming. Thank you!