How To Groom Your Dog

With the ever increasing rate of a professional dog groomer, more and more pet owners are finding that they want to learn how to groom their pets them self. Hopefully, this article will help them to do just that! As a loving pet owner myself, I have found all these techniques to be personally beneficial and I wanted to share them with you.

Remember, grooming should be a time of bonding for you and your pet. Make it fun! Start by talking to your dog and letting him know it’s bath time, this will help ease their tension, and continue talking to him in a loving, mild manner throughout the grooming process. Help him to enjoy being groomed.

Brushing

Begin the grooming process by brushing or combing your dog completely to loosen dander and remove loose hair. You always want to brush your pet’s hair in the same direction that it grows.

Bathing

If it is warm enough outside, that is where I would suggest for you to bathe him. However, if it is not or you would just prefer to bathe him inside, I would recommend the bath tub. (Keep in mind that your pet is going to shake the water off as soon as he can, probably even once or twice with the soap on him, be prepared to get wet!) Start by placing a cotton ball in each to avoid the water from getting inside. Next, rinse your pet with warm water paying special attention NOT to get water in his eyes. Slowly add shampoo gradually as you begin scrubbing from his head to his tail. Make sure you have a thick lather. If the lather is grey, you will want to repeat the process to ensure you have removed all the dirt. Be sure to clean his pads of his feet too. All you need to do know is just rinse thoroughly. As a final rinse I like to use a leave-in conditioner. It is a wonderful recipe that leaves your pet smelling spring fresh. (Don’t forget to take the cotton balls out of your dog’s ears.)

Dog Bathing Guide

Nail Clipping

Use nail clippers that are specially made for dogs. Scissors will not work properly and will leave your dog’s nails in worse condition than when you started. Remove very small amounts of nail at a time. At the first clip you should see a white dot in the middle of the nail. When you clip a little more nail, you should see a red dot in the middle of the nail. This is the beginning of the quick (the blood supply to the nail). Do NOT trim any further. If you accidentally cut too much and the nail starts to bleed, place a teabag on the nail and add pressure until the bleeding stops. When you are finished clipping his nails you can use a fine grain nail file to soften any rough edges.

Ear Care

Not many people realize how important ear care is to the grooming process. First of all, we as pet owners should be in a routine of checking our dog’s ears weekly for odor, which is a warning sign of infection! A great home remedy for a weekly cleaning is to use peroxide. Use long Q-tips to apply the peroxide inside of the ears, being careful not to go in too far, which can cause a punctured ear drum. My rule of thumb is – only put the Q-tip in the ear as far as I can still see the tip! However, as part of the grooming process, as long as your pet has healthy ears, you can use a mixture of one part alcohol to one part vinegar. Using the same technique described above for the weekly cleaning. This will help keep your pet’s ears healthy and infection free.

Teeth Care

Dogs can get cavities and periodontal disease; therefore their teeth should be cleaned at least twice a week. As part of the grooming process I have been using this method of cleaning my pet’s teeth for years and it has worked very well. Cut a piece of gauze pad just large enough to wrap around your pointer finger and dip it into a paste made of water and baking soda. Then scrub the dog’s teeth vigorously in the same manner in which you would use a toothbrush. Of course, you can use a soft toothbrush if you want to, if your pet isn’t very friendly and you don’t want to lose a finger. I hope that’s not the case.

Finishing Touch

Now that the grooming process is over make sure you give your pet a final brushing to bring some of the natural oil from the hair follicle through to the coat. I also like to give my dog a spa pedicure. Actually it’s a natural remedy to soften those tender paws. Your pet will love it!

Treat Time

I think you would agree that after that whole process your pet deserves a treat! Well I have some very special recipes that your pet is guaranteed to love. Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and have learned a trick or two.

Dog Bathing Equipment

Dog Bathing Accessories

Dog Bathing Tubs