As soon as you get your puppy you should get it used to being groomed, handled and examined. Establish a daily routine in which the puppy is genlty placed onto a non-slip surface (a piece of old carpet or something similar), either on the floor or on a table. Rolled over to have its mouth, teeth, eyes, ears, abdomen, paws and other parts of its anatomy examined. Although it may not need grooming, do it anyway. This routine will train your puppy to accept bing handled and groomed, and esier for you to detect fleas or fleas dirt and any hair or skin problems. Try to make each session pleasant for the puppy, and praise and reward it for good behaviour.

Your basic dog grooming equipment should include a dog brush, comb, grooming glove (mitt), sponge, cotton wool balls, dog towel, blunt ended surgical scissors and nail clippers. Dog brushes are especially designed for different types of coat and it is important to choose the correct brush in dog grooming. Those with soft bristles will avoid damage to the sensitive skin of fine coated breeds. Brushes with hard bristles can be used on thick-coated breeds. Rubber brushes can be used for breeds with very short, close coats (eg: Boxers). Whereas soft, pin brushes are ideal for breeds with long, fine coats such as the Yorkshire Terrier. Combs are also vary. Those with wide teeth are used on long, fine coats while those with narrow teeth are suitablefor other types of coat and can be used to remove tangles from the ears, leg feathers or tail. There is also a special comb, called an undercoat rake, which makes the removal of thick undercoat easier. It is particularly useful for breeds such as Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dogs (Alsatians).

You will spend more time grooming a long coated breed than a short coated one. In dog grooming, pay special attention to the feathering on the legs, and the tail. Also check the paws, nails and paw pads. Use a wet sponge to wash away any mud that has accumulated on the hair between the pads, to prevent it building up and causing inflammation. As your puppy gets bigger, hair may grow beyond the level of pads. If so, trim it away using a pair of blunt-ended, curved surgical scissors. Use a damp cotton wool ball to wipe away 'sleep' from your dog's eyes. Check under the tail, wipe away any debris and cut away any excess hair that might lead to soiling.

If you carry out regular dog grooming, you should need to bath your dog only if it gets very dirty or smelly. Always give your dog a thorough brush-out before bathing it. Use lukewarm water (which is more comfortable, especially for a puppy) and a proper dog shampoo. Place a cotton wool ball in each ear to prevent water from entering, and don't let shampoo get into any body opening. Rinse off thoroughly, paying attention to the areas between the forelegs and hind legs.

A puppy can be easily become chilled, so make sure you dry it properly, using its own special towel. If you prefer to use a hair drier, run your fingers through the dog's hair as it is being dried to make sure that the air stream is not too hot.

Dogs' nails are part of the dogs grooming process too. Puppies need their nails clipped about every six weeks, with special dog nail clippers. It is possible to do them yourself, but perhaps rather ask a vet or dog groomer. Many adult dogs spend little time walking on hard surfaces, so their nails don't wear down naturally. Nail growth and wear varies according to breed and conditions, so clipped them as necessary. If your puppy has dew claws, regularly check their length. Unless properly trimmed, the claws may catch in objects and get torn. In extreme cases the nails may eventually curl round and grow back into the skin.

Unless your dog is to be used for pedigree breeding, have it neutered, or in the case of a female, spayed. Ideally, femnales should be spayed at 5 to 6 months, before their first oestrus period. Males should be neutered at about 6 months. Ask your veterinarian for advice. As well as averting unwanted pregnancies or adding to the number of puppies in need of good homes, these procedures help reduce the risk of prostate cancer in male dogs and mammary cancer in bitches. Neutering also reduces a male dog's sex drive, and therefore its levels of frustration.