My Dog Mat or, Mats

So, your dog has mats in his hair. You're a terribly negligent pet owner, aren't you? No. But, hopefully it is because your dog is always outside playing, swimming, snooping and spending time with you.

So, do mats need to be avoided or combed out? Yes, but not because of the reason most of us think. Usually people will say that the dog's skin needs to breathe. This is not the reason. Dog's skin does not function like a human's skin. We have pores fed by capillaries that goes to the surface of the skin where waste is exchanged for oxygen. We sweat and breathe through our skin even more than we do through our mouth.

A dog, on the other hand, sweats through it's mouth, paws, and ears and any orfice. Their skin does not breath like ours and this is also the reason a dog can swim in cold water and lay on the snow. It's part of the reason they don't need wetsuits or sleeping bags. They have a natural covering that is largely unaffected by the elements because it does not breathe. Having this type of vapor barrier along with a warm insulation, like dense hair, and you have nature's best outdoor gear.

However, this vapor barrier needs an opportunity to dry out and get some air and sun so that at the surface bacteria that is not good, is not allowed to grow in wets mats of hair and fur. Keeping a dog's coat well groomed is hence, an important part of dog care. If you let it go too long you may need the help of a professional to comb or cut them out. Regular grooming by a professional is also a good option.

Happy Trails

A Dog Is Not A Plant. Or, Maybe It Is.

You have heard of people who talk to their plants. In fact you may be one of them. Perhaps there is some wisdom in the idea that talking to your plants creates an energy that is conducive to health, even that of a plant. To be sure, we all know how a persons negative energy can change the entire atmosphere of a party or a meeting room.

This is true of pets and canines in particular. Very seldom is a dog that is well integrated into a family a "problem dog". Even less frequently is a dog a "problem dog" when the environment it lives in is filled with peace, calm behavior, gentleness and organization. Negative energy in the home will produce similar results in a family pet as it does in children and even, parents.

I have been to many homes where the problem that was facing the family pet was not actually the pet but rather, the environment and the family itself.

It is critical that a dog is socialized with people, animals and different environments, but a home that is calm, orderly and at peace is the absolute starting point for modifying unwanted behavior in a canine companion.

Stand back and look at the relationships and the dynamics of those relationships in your family and consider the things that you may, as a family, change or modify for the sake of your dog. You will be pleased and rewarded with new and improved behavior.