American Pit Bull Terrier

This strong dog has a short, flat and harsh coat needing very little grooming.

Massage or brush your Pit bull terrier at least once a week.

Pit bulls should become accustomed to grooming practices as puppies. If you haven't done this, you'll probably need a good, strong leash, a muzzle, and a pair of helping hands.

Brushing:

. Removes dirt and debris
. Invigorates skin
. Spreads oils to moisturize skin and keep a shiny coat
. Prevents mats and tangles which are irritating painful and can harbor bacteria, fungus, other infection
. Keeps your house cleaner especially during shedding seasons
. Bonding, massaging, loving interaction
. Early detection of fleas, ticks, eczema, infection and smells that may signify sickness

Tools: Rubber curry comb or chamois.

Use the rubber curry comb, always in the direction of hair growth, to stimulate your American pit bull's natural oils and buff him to a glossy shine with a chamois.

It's important to clean between the folds and wrinkles on your dog's face and tail: dampness here can breed bacteria and lead to infection. There is a specific lotion developed for this issue that can be applied within folds.

Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.

Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.

Ears: Check ears once a week.

Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.

Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution. There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.

Place a few drops of ear solution into the ear of your pit bull. Rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.

Teeth: Regularly. 80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.

Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper.

Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.

Starting your dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly.

Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.

Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.

Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.

Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes.

Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.

If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.

Nails: Every two weeks.

Nail care is very important for your pit bull.

Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.

Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.

Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.

Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.

Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle.

Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.

If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.

Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.

If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.

Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.

It's better to clip the nails of your pit bull more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.

Paws: Check daily It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks

This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.

These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).

There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.

Tools: Warm cloth

Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.

Bathing: As needed

American pit bull terriers do not need regular bathing. This strips the natural oils that protect and repel dirt from the skin. Frequent bathing dries out the skin and is a detriment to a healthy coat.

A rubdown with a damp towel can remove dirt.

With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odour will remain minimal.

Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate.

The exceptions to this is when your dog manages to find something less than pleasant to roll in, or during its shedding season. A bath can help to remove a large amount of shedding hair.

Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.

Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.

A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.

Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.

If you choose to bathe your pit bull outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.

Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.

Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.

Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.

Massage the shampoo into a lather.

Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.

Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.

Dry with a towel.