How to Groom Your Dog At Home Easy Steps
Good grooming helps your dog feel and look its best. The good news is that dogs don’t require as much as humans! Frequent grooming doesn’t just polish your dog’s looks. It also helps you inspect for underlying health problems like fleas or infections. Professional dog groomers are well-trained but also leave a hole in your pockets. Here’s where I tell you my secret: at home grooming for dogs can be just as professional as a groomer! Save your money and time by learning how to groom a dog in this simple guide.
Dog grooming for dummies takes you on an extensive guide on how to groom a dog at home. From nail trimming to bathing and paw care, we’ll cover everything there is to grooming. If you’re learning how to take care of your best friend a bit better, you’re in the right place. But before I jump into the dog grooming steps, let me give you a quick buying guide on things you’ll need to groom your own dog.
Buying Guide For Grooming Your Own Dog
Before you start grooming your dogs, make sure you have the right kit. With so many brands out there, which ones are best for your dog? Don’t worry, I’ve researched and gathered everything you need to buy for your dog’s grooming session!
For Teeth
For teeth, you can’t go wrong with Vet’s Best Dog Dental Set. This set includes a toothbrush for your dog along with enzymatic toothpaste. Made to strengthen your dog’s dental health, this is a must-have item in your grooming endeavors.
For Hair
If your dog sheds a lot, you want a brush that works wonders. Thankfully, Hartz Groomer’s Best Combo Dog Brush comes to the rescue! One side has stainless steel bristles to detangle hair, while the other dense side helps distribute natural oils back to your pooch’s coat. Dogs with denser and long coats should use the Safari Grooming Comb for easier brushing.
When it comes to shampoos, all dogs deserve to enjoy the Burt’s Bees Hypoallergenic Dog Shampoo. It is 97% all-natural and works best for all dog breeds and coat types. Pair it with the Everyday Isle Dog Conditioner because it’s a grooming dog DIY must-have! You will also need a microfiber-absorbing towel like the Bone Dry Pet Grooming Towel
For Nails
Nail trimming for dogs requires special clippers and the Safari Professional Dog Nail Trimmer does the job perfectly! Precision combined with durability, this is the perfect pick for your dog’s grooming.
For Eyes
Eyes can be cleaned easily with some damp cotton. However, if your dog has tear stains that won’t go away, you should use Lavish Tear Stain Remover. The formula doesn’t irritate your dog and can quickly clean any stubborn tear stains.
For Paws and Nose
Your dog’s paws and nose should remain moist at all times. Pet owners who want to pamper dry noses and paws should opt for Pet Head Oatmeal Natural Paw Butter because it’s simply one of the best products available! You can also check out Palmer’s for Pets Cocoa Butter Balm or Burt’s Bees All-Natural Paw & Nose Lotion. Made with products like rosemary and olive oil, these lotions make sure to lock in moisture.
5 Dog Grooming Steps To Follow
Cleaning Your Dog’s Eyes
You want to begin by cleaning your dog’s eyes. Grab a warm and damp cloth and gently rub your dog’s eyes to get any unwanted gunk off of it. While you’re doing so, you should check for any signs of infection such as redness, swelling, or teary eyes. Dogs with tear stains will need the tear stain remover we mentioned in our buying guide.
Cleaning Your Dog’s Ears
Ears are the next step of at-home grooming for dogs. Dog ears are capable of gathering dust and wax over time. Leaving it for longer can lead to infections or worse health problems for your dog. If your dog is irritated and constantly itching or shaking its head, it may be a sign to clean your dog’s ears.
Start by grabbing a Q-tip and gently clean any excess gunk out of your dog’s ears. Make sure to be gentle and not harsh as it can worsen the situation and irritate your dog for the next steps.
Moisturize The Nose And Paws
Having moisturized nose and paws is very important to your furry baby’s health. You should move to the nose and check to see if the snoot is moist naturally. Dogs need moist snoots to be able to breathe normally without problems.
If you feel like your dog’s nose or paws have dried unusually, you should gently apply the pet balms we mentioned in our buying guide. These deliver moisture deep into your pup’s skin and help restore healthy skin for your furry friend.
Brush And Detangle The Coat Thoroughly
It is time to care for the coat! Whether you are thinking of cutting a dog’s hair or shaving a dog entirely, the first step is always to start brushing your dog’s coat thoroughly. Use specific hairbrushes meant for dogs to detangle hair like this one. Daily brushing of your dog’s coat helps to get rid of tangles, maintain a smooth, lustrous coat, and avoid matting.
A metal bristle comb is ideal for keeping your dog’s long hair smooth and luscious. To maintain it nicely, brush your dog’s hair a few times every week. Brushing your dog’s fur regularly will help to maintain it silky and detangled if they have curly hair that is particularly prone to matting and matting.
Trim Your Dog’s Nails
Now it’s time to bring the scissors out. Nail trimming will be an easy process with most dogs but a little error can cause your dog to bleed. You will need to be exceptionally careful when trimming your dog’s nails and will need special dog nail trimmers.
Start by ensuring your dog is comfortable in its position. Then you want to identify where your dog’s capillaries begin. For dogs with white nails, this will be the pinkish part. Dogs who have dark nails will have black capillaries. You want to avoid cutting this area so trim your dog’s nails carefully right below the capillaries!
Clipping Your Dog’s Hair
Let’s get to how to trim a dog’s hair easily. Dog hair can grow quickly and leave a shedding problem behind that needs to be taken care of. When it comes to clipping a dog’s hair, you want to get some hair clippers.
Let your dog stand on a table before trimming so you have better access. Begin by trimming your dog’s coat in the direction of their hair flow. You also want to ensure that your hand is angled in a straight line to avoid creating lines or miscuts.
Point the scissors away from you and your pup and carefully trim away with the scissors. You should be especially careful when trimming around underarms, belly, underbelly, and face. Gently grabbing their face, point the scissors away from your dog’s face and trim any longer lengths of hair.
Don’t forget to trim the ear flaps, the side of the face as well as below the jaws. When it comes to the paw pads, you’ll notice hair growth between each paw pad. Slowly harbor away hair with a scissor and expect some notable movement from your pup as you do so.
Brush The Teeth
If you want to save your dog the hassle of decaying teeth, bad breath, or bleeding gums, brushing your dog’s teeth is the way to go. It can save you a lot of health scares in the future as well as money! Here’s how to brush your dog’s teeth without starting a war.
You should brush your dog’s teeth with vet-approved toothpaste like this one here. This should be done a couple of times a week. If your dog is very patient and trained, you can simply open their mouths and use the brush to clean its teeth properly. But if you’ve got a wild spirit for a dog, it’s best to put some toothpaste on chew toys and let your dog have its way with it. Consider it a sneak attack!
Bathe And Dry Your Dog
Now it’s time to give your dog a warm bath. Perhaps physically exhausting, this step will polish your dog entirely. Since you’ve already brushed your dog’s hair, you won’t be facing clogged drains or any shedding mishaps! Most dogs will need to be bathed once or twice a month only.
Get your dog in a bathtub and start filling it with lukewarm water. Always keep checking the water temperature to make sure it’s not extreme in any way. Once the water’s filled decently, wet your dog using the shower and scrub dog shampoo gently. Make sure you’re getting all the areas as you shampoo your dog, especially the underbelly, paws, and around the neck, jaw, and tail.
Once you’ve shampooed your dog thoroughly, you should rinse it off and fill the fresh lukewarm water tub. Now you want to focus on conditioning your dog’s fur. Conditioners make a huge difference to the coat shine and are more noticeable in long fur. Work the conditioner in your dog’s coat for a minute or two and rinse it off. Lastly, you want to grab your dog and wrap it in a microfiber tower. Cue vigorous shaking to ensure your dog isn’t left wet anymore!
Once you’ve shaken and dried your dog as much as possible with the towel, you should grab a hair dryer to dry your dog’s fur properly. The sound may invoke aggression in your dog so you should be careful when doing so. Once your dog is dried, you want to run a comb quickly to detangle any spot that was missed.
With that, you have now learned all the basics of dog training!
Conclusion
Professional grooming means spending a lot of money and time on your dog’s caretaking. But the good news is that you can learn to groom your dog professionally at home. Not only does it save you money but you can also correctly learn how to care for their well-being. From nail trimming to all dog grooming techniques, this article is a grooming dog DIY guide to help you make the best of your grooming sessions!
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I remember when grooming a dog at home?
A: Grooming a dog at home means taking care of a few things. The dog’s attitude and personality should always be looked after. If the dog is showing signs of fear or anxiety by growling or cowering, you should stop grooming immediately. This ensures that the dog feels comfortable and doesn’t hurt you in the grooming process
What should you not do when grooming a dog?
A: When grooming your dog, make sure you’re not letting any water inside your dog’s ear. It can create a labyrinth of health problems for your dog. Secondly, bathing too often can result in coat deterioration as your dog is unable to retain natural oils in its skin. You should also ensure that your clippers are sharp for a smooth nail trimming that doesn’t hurt your dog.
How often should I groom my dog?
A: The grooming routine for dogs depends on their size, breed, and activity. Outdoorsy dogs that love getting dirty require frequent grooming. But small dog breeds that stay indoors will require lesser grooming than bigger dogs. Similarly, dogs with thin coats like Pitbull will require infrequent grooming. So it vastly depends on the type of dog you own.
