A large, powerful and good looking dog renowned for their intelligence, friendliness and character, they make a wonderful and protective family dog, and require plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. They will fearlessly explore their surroundings which often results in a very dirty dog on returning from their walk.

As their coats are short keeping your dog well-groomed is less challenging than long hair breeds and generally we would recommend that you maintain them with simple brushing and as they shed all yar round a daily brush will help minimise amount of hair deposited in the house and keep their coat in great condition. As they are a large dog we would always recommend that you start your grooming sessions when they are puppy’s keep the initial sessions short and make it fun (for these brushing sessions with your puppy initially only use the bristle brush). After walks and they have got a little muddy we would advise a simple washing of their lower legs, usually with water and dry off with a towel, however on occasions they will require a full shampoo and wash, but please be sparing with these as too frequent washing can result in loss of oils in the coat making it appear dull, and can also cause dry skin, so every 4-6 weeks frequency.

So, to maintain your dog in Tip Top condition we recommend the following.

Before you start your shower and grooming sessions make sure you have all tools and materials required: –

Shampoo ensure you use a specific Dog Shampoo this will ensure that the Fur is maintained in great condition, Human Shampoos have different formulas not always compatible with your dog.

What you will require

Dogs Towels 1 x Roses PVA Mega Absorbent Towel, and I x Roses Large Microfibre Towel

1 x Roses Grooming and Drying Brush OPTIONAL

1 X Good Quality Bristle Brush

A good supply of treats

Washing your Rhodesian Ridgeback

Always before washing your dog we recommend giving a good brush of their coat, and to maintain their coat in great condition they should be brushed daily.

To wash your dog, use the shower (do not forget to use a non-slip shower mat) in warmer months they can be washed outside but do ensure the temperature of the water is comfortable for your dog. When washing indoors please ensure the water is a comfortable temperature not too hot or too cold and where possible use a shower attachment if no shower head gently pour warm water over your dog to thoroughly wet its coat and then apply the shampoo and knead it thoroughly into the coat, if your dog has got extremely dirty you may need to repeat this process, but we would recommend whenever possible to apply shampoo only once. Now this is important when rinsing the shampoo out you must ensure that all shampoo is rinsed away as any residue can cause itchiness. Another key point we would make is to avoid getting shampoo into the eyes and keep the inside of ears away from shampoo and water. A useful tip here is to start washing your dog from the back of its head working down towards the tail

If using a conditioner repeat rinse process and again make sure the conditioner is thoroughly rinsed out of the coat, however generally we would advise that the Rhodesian Ridgeback coat responds well to a conditioner.

When coat thoroughly rinsed it is time to dry your dog and this is quite a simple process, firstly remove most of the excess water with the Mega Absorbent PVA Towel, dabbing the coat and squeezing out the towel regularly to ensure the maximum absorbency of the towel. Once all surplus water is removed then wrap your dog in a Roses Large Microfibre Towel gently rubbing the dog all over until the coat is as dry as possible. To maintain your dogs coat in great condition when towel drying avoid vigorous rubbing as this can damage the coat and also cause tangling and knotting.

In colder months you may wish to thoroughly dry your dog, connect your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush set on medium heat and low speed and start brushing and Drying the coat, there is no correct place to start but the key advice we would give here is to ensure the whole coat is dry particularly around the base of the tail and around the ears. Ensure all the coat is brushed through and Dry and if your dogs is a little anxious at first encourage with treats and words of encouragement. Once your dog is familiarised and comfortable with your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush you can increase the heat setting to full and increase the speed to high, but note when drying around the eyes and ears only use medium heat and low power. The permanent IONIC feature will ensure great condition to your dog’s coat

The choice of Brush head to use varies from Dog to Dog but generally we recommend the oval brush head , but once you have used the tool a few times you will develop your own technique and use brush heads which feel give you the best results.

We know that following these simple instructions you will soon be getting great results and you and your Rhodesian Ridgeback will enjoy these sessions which can help create an excellent bond between you and your dog and of course keep them looking great and smelling good most of the time.

Following a wet walk, you can also follow these guidelines if not dirty no need to shampoo simply towel dry as outlined here and if cold dry off with the Roses Grooming and Drying Brush, and on cold winter walks your dog will welcome being dry and warm.

We look forward to hearing your experiences and of course receiving pictures of your dogs after your Grooming and Pampering Sessions

THE ROSES TEAM

We at Roses Top Dog always ensure our customers enjoy great value for money so please visit our website www.rosestopdog.comand check out our offers