Dog Grooming at Home - The Basics

Your dog is a crucial member of your family, and we get that more than you know.  Which is why we are so excited to be able to offer you some beginnings of what you need to know about dog grooming.  Despite what you may have been led to believe, dog grooming at home doesn't have to be painful or terrifying for anyone.  It's all about enjoyment and, of course health. 

Dog grooming is important

The first thing to remember with grooming is that it is important.  Just like taking care of your own hygiene, dog grooming regularly means that you'll be able to keep them healthy.  If you skip grooming, you may find that your dog has many signs or symptoms of various types of diseases.  Not only will the diseases develop over time from lack of hygiene, they'll also go unnoticed, which can impact your dog's overall health. 

How to groom a dog at home? It's easy, just follow the steps below

Taking proper care of your dog doesn't have to be hard or scary at all.  It's all about taking the right approach.  The main steps in dog grooming include:

1. Fur: Brushing, combing, and washing/conditioning
2. Nails: Clipping and maintaining
3. Ears: Cleaning out and checking for weakness

Fur

Here are the details and stages to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining your dog's fur and health overall:

Bathing

When you bathe your dog, use only produces designed for dogs. This includes cloths, shampoos and conditioners.  These are designed for the sensitive skin and needs for your dog.

Drying fur

Don't forget to carefully dry your dog's fur so that you can keep his skin nice and strong. This will also keep him comfortable, too.

Brushing and combing

While bathing doesn't need to be done daily, brushing and combing should. Consider a pet deshedding glove as well as appropriate brushes and combs for your dog's fur type.

Nails

It's often thought that learning how to cut puppy nails is hard and complicated, but it's certainly not.  It's mostly about taking control of the situation.

Have all equipment before starting

Make sure that you've got the sharp clippers, treats and whatever else you need all handy before beginning. Minimal disruptions keeps everyone calm and happy.

Small increments

Clip from the edge up, being careful to stay within the red, light-coloured nail (and avoid the dreaded quick).

Control animal while it happens

While clipping, control you animal's movements. This will prevent injury and show him that it's okay.

Ears

Ears should be cleaned regularly to keep your dog comfortable and free from infection.  Use a sterile cotton ball to do so. If you need a cleansing solution, get a dog-friendly one that will offer a mild cleanliness and sanitize his sensitive ear canals.

Check our grooming tools collection for cats and dogs.

Dog grooming is a great way to bond with a dog and also make sure that you keep his health at top.