Step by Step: Grooming Tips to Save You Time, Trouble and Money

It’s that time again. Your dog needs to be groomed. But, you don’t want to take it to the groomers again. It’s getting expensive, and you think you could do it at home for a lot less money. While it’s true that you can save yourself some coin by doing this in your back yard, you do need patience – you also need a few supplies.

Watch a Tutorial

The first thing you want to do is download a tutorial video. Why download? Because watching videos online chews up bandwidth on your mobile device or laptop – something that’s at a premium these days with tiered rates and data packages. Just make sure the videos are not copyright-protected. When you find a good one, download it using Video downloading software such as on the http://www.youtubedownloadersite.com website. Then, the only thing you have to worry about is battery life of your device.

Get All Your Supplies Gathered

You’ll need a few things before you get started. First, and foremost, you’ll need dog shampoo. You’ll also need a good brush for the coat of your dog, an undercoat brush, ear cleaner, a pair of nail clippers, something like a rag to clean your dog’s ears with, and some pet toothpaste and a toothbrush. Oh, don’t forget lots of towels and possibly a hair dryer.

Brush The Dog First

Brush your dog really well. Make sure you get both the top coat and the undercoat. The undercoat is especially important because this is where a lot of shedding takes place. Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell if you’ve gotten it all. With a top coat brush, it’ll be impossible to get rid of all of the hair. It’ll just keep coming. When you’re done, give your dog some love. He or she has endured a lot up to this point. Plus, dogs just love to be petted so, naturally, you’ll want to associate positive feelings with the process.

Do The Clippings

It’s time to clip the nails. This part can be tricky if you’ve never done it before. If left uncared for, some nails can grow to enormous lengths, twisting the toe and causing pain for your friend. They can also produce an irregular gait that can lead to skeletal damage. Make sure you’re clipping the nails regularly.  You only need to trim about 1/16th of an inch off in most cases. If you clip more than that, you’ll likely hit a blood vessel and cause bleeding. It’s not a huge deal, except that your dog might wince in pain (not good), and you’ll get blood all over the place. But, it won’t cause any permanent damage.

If you do draw blood, styptic powder or corn starch, along with a little pressure, should stop the bleeding.

Brush Your Dog’s Teeth

Brushing your dog’s teeth should be done on a regular basis. Most veterinarians say that 80 percent of all dogs have periodontal disease. Ouch. If your dog is constantly swallowing plaque it can eventually lead to kidney or liver troubles. Use either a brush or a special pet brush, which is actually just a surgical glove with bristles attached to it. Dogs usually prefer the touch of a human than a foreign object.

Do The Ears

Be careful around the ears. They’re sensitive. There will probably be a fair amount of wax, but nothing should smell funny. Gently clean out the ear as best as you can.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

Now for the fun part. If your dog doesn’t love water, be really gentle – if your dog loves water, you might be able to get away with a more spirited bath. Once your dog is nice and wet, it’s time to apply the shampoo. Only use shampoo made specifically for dogs. Start by working the soap in and around the neck and move downward.

Be careful around the ears, nose, and mouth. You don’t want shampoo getting into these areas. If your dog has a thick coat, you’ll probably need a curry brush like the Kong Zoom Groom. Work the soap deep into the coat and then rinse away. It’s better to dilute the soap and have to bathe the dog twice than to try and use a more concentrated solution, because the concentrated solution may not rinse very easily and you may end up leaving a residue.

Dry Off The Dog

Dry off the dog using a cotton towel or a hair dryer. If you use a hair dryer, always use the cool setting. It’ll take longer, but it will protect your pet from burns or hot spots.

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Steven Young has operated a dog kennel for a number of years. In his spare time, he likes to write about dog care and training.