Dear Aneesha,

I just got a 4-month old Terrier. When would it be the appropriate age to start grooming him?

Bharat Sikka
New Delhi

Hi Bharat,

The moment the pup comes home, basic grooming like ear cleaning, brushing, and wiping down with puppy wipes starts. Once the pup is fully inoculated, you can start grooming it by visiting a professional groomer. Pups of breeds like Terriers, Shihtzus, Lhasas, etc, who need regular grooming, should be made accustomed to the process at an early stage, so as to avoid stress later.

Dear Aneesha,

I have a 2-year old Lhasa Apso. I brush her coat once a week. Is that alright or should it be more frequent?

Jenny Frogley
Auroville, Pondicerry

Hey Jenny,

Long-furred dogs like Lhasa Apsos should be groomed at least once a day, if not twice. You will notice the difference in her coat the moment you start doing this

Dear Aneesha,

My Dalmatian’s mouth has been stinking heavily for months now. I finally bought him some doggie tooth paste and am now brushing his lovelies every alternate day. Will this help? The teeth seem to be cleaner but the overpowering stench persists. What do you recommend?

Aneesha Brar
Pune

Hi Aneesha,

Dog’s tend to start showing tartar build up from the age of 3 years onwards. I am presuming that your dog is at least 3 years old. Brushing his teeth will definitely help, although it is a slow process. Keep at it and soon, you will begin to see results. There are some breath fresheners available for dogs in the market. You can try those also, but continue with brushing. Also, do not expect his breath to be like ours. A little bit of ‘doggie breath’ is normal.

Dear Aneesha,

What’s the best way to clean my Cocker Spaniel’s ears and how often should they be cleaned? Is it alright to pour water in them while bathing the dog?

Shishti Bhaskar
Mumbai

Hi Shishti,

If you can manage to clean its ears once in 2-3 days, that is great. Breeds like Cockers, Basset Hounds, etc, have long ears and often, when they go on walks or eat food, they tend to drag them along the floor. This makes their ears more susceptible to getting dirty and catching infection. Also, since the ears are floppy, they tend to get infections easily, as it isn’t easy for the ear to be aired out. Hence, cleaning your dog’s ears becomes even more important. You can use ear wipes that are available in various pet stores. Please do not allow any water to go into the ears—during rains or during a bath, as it can easily get trapped inside and lead to infections.