Dogs must be groomed on a regularly to keep them clean and healthy. As dogs shed hair on a regular basis, brushing them to remove loose hair and dry skin is the most important part of grooming. We used a wide range of devices, including a large-toothed wooden comb, a self-cleaning soft brush, and a circular rubber brush with spikes for brushing Tito. Whenever I was in town, brushing Tito was a part of my everyday routine. Tito would cheerfully lie down next to me at the threshold of the huge open swivel rear door of the living room for brushing after we returned from our morning outing and after he had his breakfast. If I was away, Dumpy would take care of the daily brushing. If Dumpy too was not available, the task fell on Alka’s lap. Tito enjoyed being brushed. The readiness with which Tito submitted himself for brushing, as well as the utter bliss in his eyes after brushing, revealed his enormous satisfaction from the exercise.
Ticks are a common source of irritation and illness for dogs. Nature appears to give protection to the puppies. Tito did not collect ticks as a puppy. He began gathering ticks as he grew older. There are various types of anti-tick powders and solutions in the market. We decided against using these as the chemicals present in the products could have adverse side effects. Instead, Dumpy and I would find ticks on Tito’s body by gently brushing him against the fall of his fur – as that made it easier to sight the ticks – and pluck them out by hand. Ticks can quickly suck an incredible amount of blood. A little, nearly undetectable tick develops to the size of a small marble in a matter of days by sucking blood.
The smaller ticks were not only difficult to sight, but hard to extract. Ticks prefer the webbings of the paws, the armpits of the front legs, and the bushy tail, particularly where it joins the back. Dumpy and I quickly became experts at sighting and removing ticks from Tito’s body. Tito’s relief was clear in his readiness to allow the ticks to be sought and removed. Because ticks are difficult to destroy, we collected the ticks in a tiny tin container half-filled with water. The ticks were unable to climb out of the container due to the presence of water. Instead of killing them, we would toss the ticks, together with the water in the container, over the hedge.
Though dogs do not need to be bathed frequently – once every three months is plenty – we bathed Tito every Sunday. Tito, unlike many other dogs, enjoyed bathing and would willingly submit to it. While showering on the lawns with the garden pipe was a noisy summer activity, bathing took place more quietly in the ground floor bathroom during the rest of the year. When Tito was a puppy, we bathed him in a tub. That was no longer an option after he reached adulthood. Tito’s bathing experience was enhanced through use of special dog soap and shampoo, which in addition to eliminating germs from his body, imparted a pleasant aroma to him. Tito would violently shake his body after bathing to get rid of the excess water on his coat, spraying us with a fountain of water droplets. He would then want to go outdoors to roll around on the lawn and sunbathe to dry himself completely. We would also powder him after he was dry to make him smell even better. We had no trouble keeping Tito spruced up by grooming him, unlike many of our friends who had pets that disliked being groomed.
Tito’s fur would shine after bathing. I recall an amusing incident related to Tito’s bathing. One Sunday afternoon after he had been bathed, Tito and I were walking past a guard on the campus. The guard stared at Tito’s shiny black coat in disbelief and could not help asking, “Sir, do you dye his hair black?”
Brushing Tito’s teeth and gums with a special toothbrush and dog toothpaste with mint essence – to keep his mouth free of germs and impart a pleasant aroma to his breath – was also a part of grooming. Unlike bathing, Tito disliked brushing his teeth. He’d tighten his jaws and refuse to open his mouth to have his teeth and gums brushed from the inside. Dumpy was far more adept at opening Tito’s mouth and scrubbing his teeth and gums from the inside. I had to work hard.
Dogs’ nails (just like those of lions), unlike nails of cats (just like those of tigers), are not retractable. As a result, mud collects beneath the nails. The mud would wash away during the weekly bath. Tito’s nails didn’t need to be trimmed as the grinding from walking and running around automatically kept their growth in check.