Paying a groomer for pet grooming can be a pain in the butt for many dog owners. But caring for puppies involves keeping them hygienic for the sake of their own health as well as yours.
In reality, with the right tools and proper techniques, you can learn how to groom a dog.
Grooming your dog at home
The tricky part is to get the process seamless and comfortable for you and the dog. Also, you will need to train your dog to take bath time easily.
So, what are the dog bath tips, dog nail tips, tips for dog shedding, dog shedding tips, and so on?
Keep scrolling and crack the course with dog grooming tips at home from an experienced groomer.
Useful Dog Grooming Tips for Beginners – Home Dog Grooming Tips
Eyes, ears, and mouth
Start your grooming process with eyes, ears, and teeth because these places are easy to clean.
For the eyes, use the eyedrop solution to remove the dirt present inside. The solution can also keep the eyes moist.
If you notice any symptoms like redness, discharge, or squinting, bring your dog to the vet.
The next thing is to get sticky muck out of the ears using swabs regularly. If you observe any ear infection, consult your vet right away. Ear solution can help to remove wax from the ear canal. Then, use cotton balls to wipe off the dirt from the ear folds and flaps.
Moving to the mouth and teeth. If you leave the place unclean, it can cause plaque, tartar, or bad breath for the dog.
There are kinds of toothpaste formulated for dogs you can use to brush their teeth 3 times a week. Besides, you can also give chewy items or dental toys that support your pups’ teeth and breath. If you tend to give your dog raw meaty bones, ask advice from your vet.
Brush the hair
For dogs, daily bathing is not a good thing, but hair brushing is. It helps maintain their good hygiene better than rinsing with water.
Dogs with long and tangled hair need more regular brushing to remove matted hair and dirt stuck in the hair. Ideally, you can keep this dog grooming schedule three times a week before bathing.
Start brushing your dog from the head down to the body. Be careful with sensitive areas in the belly and abdomen.
The process takes more time in the case of long-hair dogs. So, you should be patient and keep in hand treats to get your pup to stay.
Brushing dog hair may sound simple, but only when you have proper and quality tools.
Here are some suggestions for brushes and combs:
Pet Grooming Brush Effectively Reduces Shedding
Ruff ‘n Ruffus Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush + 2 Free Bonuses
PETRIP Dog Hair Dryer Pet Dryer Professional Grooming Blower
Furminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool for Dogs
Furminator Curry Comb for Dogs
Metal-pinned brushes work well for long-haired dogs. But don’t use them on short-haired dogs. Use the rubber teeth brush instead.
Bath the dog
Once you’re done with brushing, take the pup to a nice and warm bath.
Use lukewarm water and use antibacterial dog shampoo. There is a bunch of highly-recommended shampoos right here:
Arava Natural Medicated Dog Shampoo
Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiparasitic & Antiseborrheic Medicated Dog Shampoo
Dog Shampoo with Oatmeal and Aloe. Shea Butter for Smelly Dogs
Pet Oatmeal Anti-Itch Shampoo & Conditioner In One! Smelly Puppy Dog & Cat Wash
Diluting the shampoo before applying it to your dog will make it easier to wash off.
Remember to rinse off all the shampoo from the coat completely. Then, wrap your pup in a towel and dry it off.
Bath your pup
It’s possible to use a blow dryer if your dog doesn’t react to the noise. This way is more appropriate for long-haired dogs as it’s faster to dry them. By any means, make sure your dog is completely dry before moving to the next step.
Give The Dog a Haircut
You will need to tie up your pup with a leash to a place. It will be easier if you have a grooming table, or any table to let your dog sit comfortably.
Access all the required tools and make sure they are within your reach. You’re going to need:
- A brush or comb
- Scissors
- An electric clipper
You want to ensure the scissors and clippers are sharp so that they won’t catch or pull the hair.
Begin with giving the dog a comb. Then, start off by using the clipper on their body.
Moreover, it’s best to provide your pet with a calming environment when doing the haircut since dogs usually get nervous. With a soothing ambiance, you can make the grooming process much easier and faster. To create a calming space, it’s wise to add soothing music and have some treats nearby to reward your dog for behaving. If they have a favorite toy, allow them to put it in their mouth to help them feel more relaxed.
Clipping
Clippers usually come with various sizes of guards, designed to cut the hair of different lengths. Here I got some recommendations for reliable dog hair clippers:
ENJOY PET Dog Clippers Cat Shaver, Professional Hair Grooming Clippers
oneisall Dog Shaver Clippers Low Noise Rechargeable Cordless Electric Quiet Hair Clippers
PetExpert Dog Clippers Cordless Dog Grooming Clippers Kit
Bousnic Dog Clippers 2-Speed Cordless Pet Hair Grooming Clippers Kit
Sminiker Low Noise Cat and Dog Clippers
If you are not sure about the size, start with the largest and make your way down.
Now, shave the area around the dog’s neck first and proceed down to the body. Remember to go slow and follow the direction of hair growth. If you move the opposite way, you’ll create foul lines on the coat.
When moving the clipper, put it flat on the skin. Be prudent with sensitive places where the skin is very thin, including underarms and private areas.
Dog Hair Cutting Tips
Take out your grooming scissors. Here are some top-ranked scissors professional groomers recommend:
Petsvv 3 Pack Dog Grooming Scissors
7.0in Titanium Professional Dog Grooming Scissors Set
RUBOLD Professional Dog Grooming Scissors Set
LILYS PET Professional PET Dog Grooming Coated Titanium Scissors
You will need two scissors: one curved and one trimming. Then, start with the legs and paws.
In the legs
Comb the leg hair first to get an idea of your desired length and proceed with the curved scissors. When trimming, make sure the curve faces against your dog’s body to avoid accidents.
You can shape it by pulling the hair out and cutting the extended ones. Trimming the hair in the hock and underarms, you should observe and move the scissors carefully.
To trim hair grown in between the paw pads, you need to separate the pads from each other firmly. Try to clean this part carefully as these areas are prone to infection or fleas. Trim in the same manner with each leg.
Neck and face
Moving to the neck and face. Again, you need to comb the ear and grab the hair in between your fingers up to the length you want then cut. Do the same with the other ear.
Cut the beard hair in the same diagonal line to the ears. You can use the trimming scissors, but they won’t leave perfect lines as the curve scissors do.
Hold the dog’s snoot with your hand to get their head stable. To trim the under chin and neck hair, pull the pup’s mouth upwards.
Cutting hair in the face is the most challenging part because your dog is likely to shake or pull its head anytime. So, do the cutting as slowly as possible. Trim the hair around the tear ducts as well.
Tail
Moving on to the wagging tail. First, brush the tail to detangle untidy hair. Then, measure the desired length and cut to your wish.
It seems hard to deal with the part under the belly and abdomen, but if you have more hands to help, it’ll be easier.
If the hair is long, use clippers. Otherwise, you can use the trimming scissors for short-haired dogs. Be extra cautious in the private area.
Clipping The Nails
Clipping your dog’s nails is also an essential grooming task for your pet’s health and safety. Aside from being an aesthetic problem, failing to cut their nails has serious consequences.
For instance, having long nails can be painful for your furry companion. When they get too long, they attach to their paws, causing them a lot of discomfort. Also, they make your dog more likely to leave claw marks around.
Because of this, you should always take nail-cutting seriously. Stay highly focused when cutting your nails. If you clip too deep, it will bleed.
The blood supply of the dog’s nail is called quick. You will need to cut below the quick at a 45-degree angle. You can notice the pink spot on the nail and keep your clip away from it. In darker nails, the quick is black.
clipping dog nails Photo credit -media.defense.gov/
If you don’t know which nail clipper to choose, I’ve got some good ones here:
Dog Nail Clippers with Safety Guard
HIRALIY Dog Nail Grinder Upgraded Electric Pet Paw Clipper Trimmer
Unkies Dog Nail Clipper Large Breed Heavy Duty Trimmer
Casfuy Dog Nail Grinder Upgraded
Ruff ‘n Ruffus Cat and Dog Nail Grinder
You can use the grinder to file the nails to smooth the rough edges. Then, apply a daily paw soother or Vaseline on each paw to keep them moist and soft.
That said, cutting your dog’s nails should be done correctly to ensure a favorable outcome.
If that’s difficult, checking out some reliable pet websites can be an excellent idea. They provide valuable information about dog grooming and other related content.
On the other hand, if you want more specific information, open your search engine and use keywords like ‘cutting your dogs nails’ to find more accurate search results.
Dog Grooming Tips and Tricks
The right technique is just one part of the equation. There are tricks to get your dog to cooperate.
Wash the coat first
You may think it’s an unusual order, but when it comes to actual clipping on a dirty coat, the clipper can get jammed up and pull on the dog’s skin and cause the dog pain.
If you wash first, blow-dry, then brush the hair, the clipper will just glide through the coat, making the job much more comfortable.
So, the caveat is if you’ve got a dog that hasn’t been washed for months and has months of dirt built up, you will need to wash the pup. But if you generally wash your dog once a week, it’s not so important to rewash him, but you best to have a clear coat.
Use a restraint
You may hate the idea of putting something around the neck of the dog because it looks violent.
But the way it is useful is when you put the restrain around the neck, it doesn’t have to be tight. You basically stop them from looking down always.
The reason you don’t want them to look down is when you’re cutting toward the top of their legs, you can catch them with the scissors.
Restraining the tummy prevents the dog from sitting down. When it gets to the point where you want to trim the tail, you don’t have to continually lift the dog up.
One thing to keep in mind when using restraint is never to leave your dog with the leash on the grooming table, even with the double restraint. There are chances of your dog falling off that you can’t manage.
Use a single-speed clipper
Multiple-speed clippers do have their advantages, but I suppose DIY dog grooming doesn’t really require that kind of function.
In fact, the second speed mostly serves fast-done cutting in case you do ten poodles a day. I don’t feel like for personal grooming, there is any reason to have more than one speed. On the side, the blade can get really hot and burnt if you forget to pay attention.
It also saves you a bunch when buying a one-speed clipper. So, if you don’t really have a fast-moving business to run, a single-speed clipper is reasonable.
Train your pup for grooming – Dog grooming tips at home
Getting your dog used to grooming is probably the biggest challenge regarding how to get the dog to sit still and not ignore you all the time. It is undoubtedly not something that can be cured in one sitting.
I started brushing my dog as soon as he got home as a puppy. But if you have a rescue, it’s obviously a daunting task on your hands.
Four months later, I sent my dog to a groomer so that he could experience grooming and being on the table. Then, I continued the training at home with treats.
The anticipation of treats is as nice for dogs as actual food. If you can make the experience as positive as possible, the later process won’t be a pain anymore. The idea is to expose the little pup to all of the tools and the table.
If your dog reacts in a way that he doesn’t enjoy, you need to do it gradually. You can do something like putting the dog on the table, switching the clipper on, giving the chicken, then switching the machine off, putting it down, give another piece of chicken. Then, you can increase the process of showing the dog the comb and other tools.
Get yourself properly-suited
Grooming at home, you should put on a jacket or a coat that hair won’t stick to. You will see the benefit of wearing a jacket to protect your top when you don’t have to wash the shirt with hair all over.
And don’t do the grooming while wearing socks. Otherwise, you will have to throw away the socks after that. I would do it in bare feet or flip-flop.
Learn the signs of discomfort
Reading your dog has to do with how long and how well you know the dog. You may learn new things about your dog every week, but signs of discomfort and pain can be common.
Usually, the dog will turn around and look at you directly. If you are pulling the skin to the point where it’s hurting the pup, he’s likely to turn and look at you, indicating that you are hurting him.
Don’t pull the skin when combing, brushing, and clipping. Basically, when you are combing out mats, don’t try to pull through the tangled hair. You need to make sure that you’re holding the skin down to their body and picking from the hair.
If you get the comb into a piece of a mat and pull it out, you are actually pulling the skin with it, which can be very painful. Don’t be mad if the dog reacts by biting you, but you should be more gentle.
Handle the dog
You may know it all ready when you pick up the dog’s foot for the first time, he’s going to pull it away. For the dog’s safety, it’s necessary to hold the foot tightly and not let go.
The idea is to let the pup know that there is no point can pull it back. Because if you allow the dog to pull back, that could cause the dog to constantly jerk all of his limbs.
If you can convey that your holding doesn’t mean hurting, handling your dog will be a breeze.
Maintain the tools
It’s really important to oil and cleans the blades to keep them intact. If you don’t lubricate the blades, then you’ll have to buy a new pair of clippers or blades. Cleaning the blades just involves removing all the hair.
For scissors, it’s good if you can oil them as well. You should also make sure the scissors are sharp every time you need them.
Final line
Home grooming your dog is not a science; it requires some patience and nailing down the technique. In case you’ve got an aggressive dog from a rescue, it is reasonable to have a professional groomer handle the job. Once the pup gets used to the idea, you can switch to DIY grooming.
I hope you’ve got something out of these at-home dog grooming tips. As soon as you follow the right manner, home grooming can be beneficial in many ways.