Your Guide to Grooming Your Dog at Home

Along with a healthy diet, heaps of exercise, plenty of love, and regular vet visits, regular grooming is also an essential part of being a responsible dog parent. 

Grooming your pet is more than the occasional brush or a run through the hose-sprinkler during the summer months. You’ll need to get familiar with the correct techniques for looking after your canine’s coat, skin, paws, teeth, and ears. 

To get you started, we’ve put together a quick guide of what you need to know when grooming your dog at home.

Start Grooming Your Pup Young

In an idyllic world, you should introduce your pup to the whole grooming process at a young age. Why? Well, grooming young will get your pupster used to the entire process. Which, in turn, will make it easier as your dog ages. 

Moreover, give your pup heaps of positive reinforcement and attention during the grooming session, especially if you have an anxious dog. If that’s the case, be sure to reward your pet with a treat once the ordeal is over. 

Note: The more your pup enjoys grooming, the more likely you’ll enjoy it as well, making the home grooming a bonding experience you both look forward to. 

Now, how often your dog will need grooming will depend on your dog’s hair/fur length, breed, and how dirty (smelly) your dog gets.

Brushing Your Dog

Brushing is essential for removing dirt, debris, and loose hair from your dog’s coat while keeping it looking healthy and tangle-free. Also, brushing helps prevent matting while spreading the natural body oils throughout your dogs’ coat which helps to give it a natural shine. 

Start at your dog’s head and lightly work your way down to its tail and then down each side. Take your time and gently untangle any knots, ensuring you don’t hurt your pet. And remember, brush all layers as you go. The coat length and breed of your dog will determine how regularly you should be grooming.

Trim, Trim, & Trimming

Some short-haired breeds may not need their hair trimmed, but most puppies will need regular cuts. You should only ever use blunt-nosed shears made specifically for grooming dogs, and make sure they’re always pointing away from your pet in case of sudden movements.

Dogs will most commonly need trimming around their eyes, ears, mouth, jaw, chin, and little butt. Further, you’ll need to cut any areas of matted or tangled fur.

Bathing Your Dog

Giving your dog a regular bath is also vital for its overall health. So after you’ve brushed, it’s time to get wet! Choose some high-quality canine shampoo and bathing products that are suitable for your dog’s age, breed, coat length, and skin type. 

And remember never to use human soaps or shampoos as they can cause toxic allergic reactions. Always use lukewarm water, check the temperature first, and keep the soap out of your pet’s eyes. Most dogs aren’t great with bath time, so thankfully, most breeds only need one once every month or two.

Eyes, Teeth, Ears & Nails

Grooming isn’t just about brushing, trimming, and bathing your dog. You also need to look after other areas of its body too. Regularly check for deposits in the corners of your pup’s eyes and clean them using canine eye wipes or a clean washcloth. 

You also need to regularly clean your dog’s ears with canine ear cleaner or damp cotton wool, brush its teeth with pet toothpaste, and clip its nails before they break, get infected, and cause pain.

Your dog will eventually get comfortable with all of these grooming procedures as time goes on.

Professional Groomer?

If you struggle with any of these dog grooming procedures, you can always get your puppy groomed by a professional. Otherwise, if you don’t want to spend your money on a professional, there’s plenty of excellent dog grooming courses available so you can learn how to groom your puppy yourself. 

Final Thoughts

Remember that even though it can be challenging at times, grooming your dog at home can also be an enjoyable, fun, and bonding experience for you both. By following this guide, you’ll be able to create a regular home grooming routine for your puppy. 

Not only will it help ensure your pet’s always clean and healthy, but it will eventually become a special time for you to bond with your four-legged pal. And don’t forget to give treats after every grooming session!