As we find ourselves hurtling towards a cost of living crisis, we’re all naturally conscious of how and where we can cut costs.
We may be feeling the need to replace our luxury hair and nail appointments with a DIY job, but what about our pooch’s dog grooming appointment?
Keeping on top of your dog’s grooming is essential to prevent their lovely coats getting matted, ridding them of dirt and dandruff and promoting the natural oils that keep them glossy and healthy. Dog grooming is also a useful activity for owners to check for any lumps, bumps, ticks and fleas.
While there are things that should be left to a professional dog groomer, there is a way of providing a stop-gap DIY job in between appointments to keep them clean, happy and healthy.
Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to groom your dog at home.
- Start with nails
Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed is important, although most dog’s nails are filed just from your daily walks along the pavement.
However, some dogs have a dewclaw which is on the side of their paw and doesn’t benefit from the pavement effect. It’s important to keep this trimmed to prevent any ingrown related injuries.
The key here is to purchase the correct size nail clippers for your dog. These are available from most pet retailers and staff should be able to advise you on which is the one to go for.
If your dog is nervous, allow them to inspect your new nail clipping gadget before you start. You may even need to do a bit of gradual introduction over a few days to the clipper before you actually use it, so they do not develop a negative association with it.
Ensure your dog is relaxed before you start and keep a few treats to hand. Start of cautiously if this is your first time so that you don’t chop too much off. If you go too high, you can nick their nerves which causes mild pain and bleeding.
Start low and move up… you can always take more off but can’t add back on!
- Keep some areas trimmed
While a full body cut is best to the professionals, you will want to keep certain areas trimmed to prevent matting and infection or simply to extend the lifetime of your dog’s last haircut.
The likely areas you will want to maintain are the face, around the eyes, ears and hygienic areas.
Actual grooming scissors aren’t essential for this maintenance, but you’ll want to ensure that they are relatively sharp and have and will not be used for cutting other things.
Again, keeping your dog relaxed and distracted with treats is key here to avoid sudden movement and injury.
- Give your dog a good brushing!
It’s often overlooked that a dog should be brushed before being bathed. This is particularly important with longer haired dogs as they are more prone to tangles and matting. If you were to bathe your pooch with a knot, this could make it 10x worse.
Like the nail clippers, you must choose your brush wisely to suit your dog’s fur. For instance, a wide toothed comb is better if your dog is prone to tangles and a bristle brush is better for our short-haired furry friends.
When it comes to technique, especially for longer haired dogs, a bit of dog or gentle human conditioner on the troublesome area will massively help with stubborn knots. Place your fingers in between the dog’s skin and the knot before you start to brush to avoid yanking and pain for your pooch.
- It’s bath time!
Now it’s time for the fun! Please be fully prepared for doggy shakes and for water to get, well… everywhere!
While baby shampoo has generally been regarded as okay for dogs, it is highly advised that you invest in actual dog shampoo. When selecting your shampoo, look out for natural ingredients such as aloe or oatmeal as this is gentle and encourages a healthy scalp as well as a super shiny coat.
Try to avoid shampoos that contain sulphates, as it’s said this can strip away natural oils that promote a healthy coat and they have also been linked to long-term damage to eyes if they were to come into contact.
There’s no real technique to bathing your dog. Just ensure they are thoroughly washed, avoid contact with eyes and make it fun. Perhaps your dog needs a bath time toy to distract them while you’re scrubbing!
Towel dry your dog after their bath and once they are dry, give that beautiful smelling coat another good brush.
- Do the prep work
You know your dog better than anyone, so you’ll know before you start how your dog is likely to react to a home salon dog groom.
Whether you envisage your dog seeing this as one big game, or perhaps a little nervous, a good walk or dose of play time before you begin is going to be worthwhile. This will ensure they are calmer and more relaxed while you’re doing all the hard work!
Remember, you are in control. Be firm if you need to but speak to them calmly and reassuringly. And always, ALWAYS have treats at hand!
Home grooming isn’t for everyone – so we have a fantastic list of local groomers on our directory that you can access to book an appointment for your pooch
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