Dog Grooming Tips (DIY) – How to Groom a Dog on Your Own

Ear Care is Very Tricky

Your dog’s ears are a safe haven for dirt and grease and it may cause
trouble to ears and overall health of your dog’s health. You should clean your
dog’s ear using a wet cloth, sanitary wipe or an ear bud. You should clean your
dog’s ear every four week. The frequency can be increased as per requirement. If
you spot any redness, swelling or discharge from your dog’s ear as these could
be signs of a problem. Grooming dog on your own doesn’t mean you can do
everything as veterinarian’s is also required sometime.

Nose is No Less Important

Being a vital body part, nose care can’t be ignored. You dog’s nose may
get dry due to multiple reasons that include dehydration, sunburn and several
others Their nose even gets dry after a long sleep. You should replenish them
with a lot of water and make sure that the room they are living has a good
temperature. Medicines for keeping the nose moist is also commonly available. Dog
grooming is a detailed exercise and no part should be left out.

Health Teeth is Necessary

Oral hygiene is also important for your dog ignoring which may lead to
dental decay and diseases. Proper cleaning of teeth keeps the plaque and tartar
away. Caring dog owners make it a habit to brush their dog’s teeth at least
twice a week. You should also pay attention to it while grooming dog at home.
You can pick brushes and toothpaste for your puppy from a nearby pet store.
Various types of chews are available at stores to maintain freshness of breath.
Your groomer or veterinarian may suggest how to take care of your dog’s teeth.

While buying a brush you should respect your veterinarian suggestion.
Don’t hesitate paying some extra bucks to buy a quality toothbrush.

Hair Cutting for Styling

You should keep trimming the coat of your dog as and when required. But
you should be patient and careful while doing this. You should learn it from
the several free pet’s hair cutting videos available online. You should buy
different types of hair clippers and scissors so that you could carry out the
task perfectly. You should use a table and allow your dog to sit or stand on it
to cut the coat. You should use different types of scissors to cut different
sizes of hair.

Ideally hair cutting should be started with neck and moved towards the tail.
You should use different settings in dog hair clipper to avoid deep cutting or
scratching the skin. You should be extra cautious while using clipper at
sensitive areas like stomach and underarms. If your dog is not feeling
comfortable with clippers you should try scissors. You should have a set of trimmers
to meet different requirements.

Just cutting dogs hair is not enough you should give it a proper
hairstyle. There are several breed specific haircuts available and you should
choose one that best suits your dog.

If your dog has problem of matting, don’t try to cut the coat on your
own as any sharp movement from your pet may lead to serious injury. In such a
situation you should take your dog to a groomer who is experience at handling
matting.

Trimming the hair on head, leg and tails needs extra attention. Your dog
may make sudden movement while trimming these parts. It is better to have
someone to hold your dog so that you can trim it comfortably. Holding the dogs
head tightly is very important as your dog may make movement.

You should also remember the hair in legs and paws. While grooming dog
yourself, trimming of paws should be done carefully as this area is prone to
receive dirt.

With this hair trimming for your dog is almost complete but still there
are some parts that are left out. Earflaps, jaws and eyebrows are other areas
that needs attention.

If you are not an expert at trimming you should keep doing small
trimming of some areas like face, ears and underarm to avoid taking it to a
groomer. With these small trimming you don’t have to face odour problems. Such
trimming can be done with a normal scissor.

While cutting the hair you should cut it in the direction of hair to
keep it smooth. The direction of dog’s hair is different at different points
and you should be very careful about it. Carefully cutting in the direction of
hair will keep it smooth, even and will perfectly get with existing haircut.

Brushing your dog’s coat is necessary as any negligence on that part can
lead to matting. Apart from being a problem in itself matting reduces the reach
of air to skin. Such a situation may lead to irritation and infection in some
cases. Combs with long teeth are helpful against tangles. Brushing can be made
easy with a brush commonly available at pet store. However brushing gloves are
a good substitute for it.

With regular brushing dust, dirt and dead hair can be removed. Such a
practice keeps the hair smooth, shiny and free of matting. You should brush
your dog’s hair twice a week. Brushes of different types are available in the
market and you should choose one that best suits your requirements. It is
obvious that you can groom your dog on your own with a little effort.

Take Care of Dog Paws

Cleaning the dog paws is essential as this area is more prone to
receiving dirt. You should keep cleaning it with a clean damp cloth. You should
keep checking the paws for cracks. If you find any crack apply some cream or
balm to keep it moist. If cracks don’t heal easily, you should take it to a
veterinarian. Some dogs enjoy a paw message. So, if your dog is also of that kind,
you should take it to a good dog groomer. However, learning a dog massage would
be a great idea. 

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Bath and Style Your Dog

As you have finished doing trimming and nail cutting but your DIY dog
grooming is not yet complete. It is time to give your puppy a bath. Warm water
should be used to give your dog a bath. Most people use baby shampoo for this
purpose. However, there are special shampoos for dog. You should choose a
shampoo that best suits your dog’s requirements. Some dogs are also allergic to
some shampoos. So, if your dog is allergic to a shampoo, you should keep it in
mind. Shampoos for particular conditions are available at pet stores and you
should choose one that best suits your pet. While bathing your dog you should
make sure to not to bath it at a place where temperature is not too low as it
may result in falling the body temperature of your dog. Such negligence leads
to compromising health of your dog.

While bathing your dog you should pay attention to areas around the neck,
particularly the place where collar lies. Apart from cleanliness you should
also check this area for cuts bruises and injury of any sort.

You should give your dog a bath once or twice every week.

After proper bathing you should use towel to dry your dog. You can also
use dryer to dry him faster. Once dried you should brush the coat.

While styling a dog some of us have tendency to spray different kinds of
scents. As some dogs are allergic to such scent it may aggravate respiratory
problems. Before using any such fragrance, you should take your veterinarian
into confidence.

Tick Removal Should Not be Forgotten

Tick removal is an important aspect of dog grooming and you must pay
attention to it. You should check your dog every day for tick during the tick
season. There are several online tutorials for tick removal on internet. A
groomer or veterinarian can also guide you on the same. Tick removal tools can
be purchased online. The earlier you remove the tick better it is for dog’s
health.

Problems Related to Anal Sacs

Anal sacs are small pouches situated on the both sides of anus. These
sacs consist of glands that impart scent during bowel movement. If your dog is
licking or scratching anus then he might have anal sacs infection. You should
take him to a veterinarian who would take care of this. If you are a dog lover,
you should learn from your groomer or vet how to handle anal sacs.

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Groom it When it is Calm

While grooming your dog yourself make sure that it is in good
temperament. If your dog is hyperactive, your grooming efforts may lead to
injury. As you are an owner you better know when your dog is feeling comfortable?
Is it after a walk or having a good food?

Have a Grooming Kit

If you are planning to groom a dog on your own, then you should have a
right kind of kit. Package grooming kit with all the essential tool are
available in the market as well as online. Clippers, blades, scissors and
brushes can be bought online. Shampoos, sprays and wipes can also be purchased
from a nearby pet store. Before using them for grooming you should go through
the instructions given on the kit. If your dog has a tick problem, you should
make sure that kit also has tools for tick removal.

When it comes to scissors one size doesn’t fits all. There are scissors
of different sizes and for different organs and you should pick one as per your
requirement. While doing so the dog’s coat length and thickness should also be
taken into consideration.

While buying a clipper you should prefer one that makes minimum noise as
sometimes clipper noise can also irritate your dog. Besides being sharp and
smooth being less noisy is also an important quality for a clipper.

Collect Grooming Essentials

While grooming a dog at home you should collect all the essentials
required for it. In other words, you need to be organized. Every big and small
essential should be at its place so that you don’t have to look for them while
grooming your dog. Some of the common essentials for grooming are cotton balls,
towels, wash clothes, soaps and shampoos.

While choosing shops and shampoos make sure that they are specifically
made for pets as no human shampoos should be used. You should also have brushes
of different kind to wash hairs. There are breed specific brushes and you
should choose one that shoots your breed of pet. For example, pin brushes are ideally
suited for dogs with long coats. However, dogs with small and medium hair can
be brushed with bristle brush. Styptic powder is another essential as it helps
stopping bleeding during nail trimming.

Look for a Calm Ambience

While planning for dog grooming at home you should look for a tranquil
ambience. It should be free from distractions and noises. The windows should be
closed and your phone should be on the silent mode as its ringing in the mid of
grooming session will cause unnecessary distraction. Having a peaceful ambience
is necessary to groom dog without any hassle.

The room where you are grooming dog shouldn’t be slippery as it may harm
you and your dog. You are advised to wear shoes so that any slip could be
avoided.

There should be proper lighting in the room where you are going to groom
your dog. The light should be focussed on the grooming table. Lightings that
can be adjusted are good for this purpose. This light should be gentle and not
too bright as it may irritate your dog.

Know it is Time Taking

As you are grooming dog on your own it may take longer than what you
have assumed as you are not an experienced groomer. Prepare a checklist and do
the task accordingly. Do one thing at a time. If you have brushed your dog
today, trim and bath a few days later. If you are lacking in some skills then
consult a veterinarian or groomer for assistance. To make the dog peaceful
during the grooming you should ask a family member who is friendly to dog.

Don’t Treat Injuries on Your Own

While grooming your dog, you may come across injuries. If you find any
laceration, wound or cut then don’t treat it on your own. instead, you should
take it to a veterinarian who will provide proper treatment. Injuries, if not
treated well, might lead to bigger health issues.

Pre-Grooming Training

Winning your pets confidence is essential for grooming it successfully.
During grooming your dog may go through several uncomfortable situation so your
dog’s trust in you will help you sail through these situations. Brushing,
shampoo and nail cutting are uncomfortable experiences and your dogs trust in
yourself may make it easier for you.

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