When you bring a new member of your family home, you will find yourself researching lots of different options. You may look for the best cheap and affordable dog crates or the best options for grooming. Grooming is one of the most important aspects of caring for your new dog, with several factors being considered, including:
- Age
- Breed
- Size
- Hair type
These considerations will give you an idea about the potential benefits and disadvantages DIY grooming will bring. A professional groomer can become expensive if you have a long-haired or curly-haired dog to care for. Luckily, you can buy the supplies you need to clean your canine family member from local stores and online retailers. Before you start your journey into dog grooming, you should do some research into how best to care for your pampered pooch. After a little research, you can learn how often you should bathe your dog and even what type of shampoo you should use.
Washing Your Dog’s Face
You may think this is an easy task to undertake. Pet parents often think a wipe down with a damp cloth will suffice for your dog. In reality, there is a routine a professional dog groomer will follow to wash a dog’s face correctly.
Start with the eyes of your dog. The eyes are a dangerous area for dogs, with the threat of infection always a problem. When you are looking to clean your dog’s face, you should start with the eyes and check for a buildup of dirt and materials. Using a damp cloth, improve your dog grooming skills by wiping any dirt from around the eyes.
If you are concerned about your dog’s eyes looking red and irritated, you can look for eye drops to reduce the risk of irritation. Eye drops can be purchased from online retailers and your local veterinarian. The American Kennel Club reports any discharge can be removed from around the eyes with a cotton ball [1]. If you do not want to use over-the-counter eye drops, you can choose mineral oils to limit any irritation.
Washing your dog’s face should be completed with a damp cloth. Learn how to moisturize dry skin, or you can simply use lotion to improve your dog’s skin health. As you wipe the face, most dogs’ noses will remain damp. If you are concerned that your dog’s nose is dry you can use specialist wax and balm formulations to keep it moist.
Ear Cleaning
This is one of the most important aspects of caring for your dog. Certain dog breeds are prone to ear infections, including poodles and spaniels. A conversation with your veterinarian will help you to understand the requirements of your dog’s ears. Vets can also teach you how to clean dog ears. For most dogs, a monthly ear cleaning with a damp cloth or cotton ball is enough to keep them healthy. If you soak a cotton swab in mineral oil you will be able to get into the ears of your dog and remove more dirt and grime.
One of the important tasks completed by a dog groomer is to pluck excess ear hair. Discussing the ears of your dog breed with your veterinarian will give you all the information you need to understand the ears of your dog. Several dog breeds have been shown to need the excess hair in their ears removed. A dog groomer or vet technician will be able to assist with the removal of excess hair. If you are hoping to pluck your dog’s excess ear hair, you can keep the air circulating and the risk of infection low [2].
Brushing Your Dog at Home
Your dog’s hair should be brushed regularly to keep them looking and feeling their best. If you are the pet parent of a wire or curly-haired dog, you will need to complete weekly brushes of your dog. A weekly brush with the correct equipment will help keep your dog looking and feeling its best. If you do not brush your dog regularly, you may feel the need to bathe your pet regularly. Too much bathing can reduce the naturally-produced oils on the skin of your pet. When the skin of your dog becomes dry, she will start to scratch and become uncomfortable.
No matter how deeply you plan to groom your dog at home, you should start by assembling the correct grooming tools for the task you are undertaking. Even the simple task of brushing your dog’s coat needs to be done with the correct tools. A pin brush, which is made of metal, should be chosen by the owners of poodles and long-haired breeds. If your pet is struggling to come to terms with a buildup of matted dog hair, you can choose a specialist smooth brush designed to remove these easily.
As you brush your dog at home, you should check for any plant materials snagged in your dog’s coat. A stray briar or thorn bush twig can become stuck in the fur of a long-haired dog. You should remember that all dogs shed fur, but some shed more than others. By brushing your dog and removing excess hair, you will limit the amount of fur lost at home.
Clipping Nails
One of the most difficult parts of DIY dog grooming is to take care of the nails of your pet. Whenever you can hear the sound of her nails striking a hard surface as she walks, you know it is time for her nails to be clipped. Clipping your dog’s nails is one of the scariest aspects of grooming your pet at home. The fear of clipping a nail too far back and striking the quick fills most of us with fear. Nail clipping is needed because unclipped nails can lead to a painful walk for your pet. Long nails can break and lead to long-term gait problems.
Thankfully, new technology is available to help you care for your dog’s nails without the fear of striking the quick. Today’s best dog nail grinders have taken the place of clippers and limited the risk of damaging your dog. Before you start to grind the nails to the desired length, check for the quick that will be visible as a pink or black spot in the center of the nail. Choosing to trim or grind the nails of your pet from an early age will get them used to the process and stop them from becoming agitated when you trim your dog’s nails.
After you have trimmed your dog’s nails, you will want to clean them. Using a damp cloth, softly wipe the pads and paws clean. Dry paws can crack and become irritated, which is why wax and lotion are recommended.
Bathing Your Dog
Bathing your dog using DIY dog grooming techniques should be pleasurable for both of you. The first step is to soak your dog’s coat thoroughly. You should have already wiped her face with a damp cloth, meaning you will only need to wash her body from the neck back. After soaking her coat, use a dog shampoo that suits the skin of your pup. If you are concerned about dry skin or excess matting, you can find shampoos designed to help with these situations.
Once you have begun to work the shampoo into a lather across their back, you will see benefits from leaving the shampoo on your dog’s coat for a few minutes. After a few minutes, you can rinse her thoroughly and dry her with a towel. Towel drying is the first step and can be followed by the use of a hairdryer to dry her quickly. Bathing is one of the simplest and most enjoyable parts of DIY dog grooming.
Express the Anal Sacs
Step-by-step guides for how to express dog anal glands are available online. Oil builds up in the anal glands of your pet and often needs to be expressed. The anal sacs sit on either side of your dog’s anus and can be manually massaged to remove excess oil. The buildup of oil within the anal sacs can lead to a pungent smell surrounding your dog. Another problem is the discomfort she will feel when her anal sacs are clogged.
A dog groomer needs to become comfortable massaging the anal sacs of a dog to remove the excess oil from within the gland. Many dogs can be massaged from the exterior of the anus, with other techniques requiring you to insert a finger into the anus to improve the process.
Trimming Your Dog’s Coat
This is the moment the majority of pet parents become concerned about their skills. A professional dog groomer makes cutting the coat look simple. The basics of trimming a dog’s coat include assembling the correct tools. The first step is to gather your clippers and scissors. Once you have these you should decide if your dog is long or short-haired. You may not feel this is important, but short-haired dogs should be trimmed with scissors followed by clippers. The process for long-haired dogs is the opposite, with clippers followed by scissors.
The general rule of thumb is to start at the neck of your pet and work downward towards the tail. The dog’s fur should be trimmed in the direction of the natural flow of their coat. If you trim your dog’s coat in the wrong direction, you will leave lines in their coat that can easily be seen.
When using dog clippers, you should start with the largest size guard and work down to a manageable length. By holding the clippers flat to the body of your dog, you will limit the risk of cutting close to their body and hurting her. If you are feeling confident, try different dog haircut styles.
Cleaning Teeth
Using dental sticks and treats is a good option, but you need to brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dog teeth cleaning are available and usually make the process easy. If you try to clean your dog’s teeth with a brush and they bark, you should get them used to the process slowly. Start by rubbing their teeth and gums with your finger. Once they have become used to this process, you can apply toothpaste to your finger and rub it on their gums. Finally, reintroduce the toothbrush.
FAQ
How do I groom my dog myself?
This can be a tricky process and requires some practice to perfect. However, assembling the right tools and following these simple steps will help. If you are unsure about DIY dog grooming, you can ask your veterinarian or a professional dog groomer for some tips.
How do you groom a dog for beginners?
Take your time when first grooming your dog. If you are nervous, your dog will feed off your energy and become distressed.
How do I groom my dog at home like a professional?
To groom your dog at home like a professional dog groomer takes practice and patience. Gathering the right tools is the first step followed by learning the tricks of the trade.
Can I shave my dog myself?
Yes. You can shave your dog yourself. Simply follow the rules of clipping your dog in the natural flow of the hair. Starting with the longest guard for your clippers, work your way down the guards until you reach the desired length.
