As all pet owners know, going to a groomer can be extremely expensive, especially if you have a furry friend with a long coat. Not only is it costly, but, it can also be quite stressful for your best friend. In order to avoid this, you should know that you can actually groom your pet at home, providing that you gather the right tools.
If you are looking for some helpful tips that you should keep in mind for grooming your puppy at home, fear not, this article has got your back! The text below is going to feature a list of the top DIY tips and tricks that you can utilize for grooming your dog at home. Let’s take a closer look at the list:
First Things First – Gather Your Tools
Before you do anything else from this list, you should know that you’ll need to gather or purchase some tools. The things you’ll need include:
- A Comb or Brush – you need to purchase a high-quality brush. If your pet has a longer coat choose metal-pinned. On the other hand, if they have shorter coats, one with rubber teeth will be suitable.
- Scissors – you cannot use the scissors that you use for cutting paper on your pet’s coat, instead, buy one that is sharp and professional-grade.
- Clippers – the regular clippers that are made for humans won’t work well with the coat. Hence, you might want to opt for a reliable pair of electric clippers that are easy to use and much safer.
- Shampoo – when choosing a shampoo, it should not contain any dangerous chemicals that can hurt your pet. So, check the label and ensure that it is safe and that the shampoo is specifically made for animals.
- Nail Trimmers – a lot of people assume that you can use nail clippers designed for humans on their dog’s nail, however, this is a huge mistake. Ensure that you buy trimmers that are for animal nails.
- A Toothbrush And Toothpaste – another thing you might want to consider getting is a toothbrush and toothpaste, especially if you want to keep them completely clean and healthy.
Wash Your Pet
If the coat is quite dirty, you might want to wash your furry friend before the grooming process. You must check the temperature of the water before bathing your pet and if it is too hot for your hands, it is too hot for your pet as well. Now, whether you bathe him inside or outside will depend on the size, however, if you want to do it inside, lay towels on the floor to minimize the mess.
Keep in mind that you must get the shampoo entirely out of the coat before actually brushing their fur. You should also know that dog shed a lot of hair when bathed, hence, you might want to place steel wool around the drain in order for it to catch all the strands. Once you finish, simply take it out and throw it.
Brushing
Your dog needs to be completely dry before you start brushing. And if you want to get rid of all the tangled and matted strands, start from the head and slowly move down to his body. You should not brush too hard because it can irritate your pet’s skin. If there are any matted areas that cannot be brushed out, you can deal with it later on, which leads us to our next step…
Use Clippers For Problematic Areas
According to Kev’s Best, one of the main reasons people choose to take their dog to the best groomer is because of their hair getting so entangled that it cannot be brushed. However, you can use clippers to get rid of the matted hair. Most of these devices come with guards that allow you to cut in different lengths, hence, if you are not sure which one you should use, start with the largest one.
Scissors Are Suitable For Working Around The Ears, Face, And Legs
Scissors are perfect for trimming the hair around your dog’s face, ears, as well as legs. Keep in mind that you should only use the tip of the scissors, so if your puppy makes a sudden movement, you’ll be able to move the scissors quickly from them. When cutting the hair around their ears, you must hold them down.
This is one of the reasons why you should have someone help you with the entire process – especially when using scissors – since this will allow you to keep your pet out of harm’s way. And, by doing so, you’ll be able to prevent and minimize any possibilities of you accidentally hurting your puppy.
Cut Their Nails
Although you might need to purchase a lot of things to groom your dog at home, it will be a one-time investment that you can use for a lot of years. Luckily, you can purchase trimmers for under 20 dollars, ones that usually come with how-to guides that can help you cut his or her nails in a healthy and safe way.
Clean Your Puppy’s Eyes And Ears
It is actually quite easy for dog owners to forget to clean their dog’s eyes and ears when they are grooming them at home. However, these are also extremely important areas. Now, there is a wide range of tutorials that you can find online, all of which will teach you how you can clean the ears without any hassle.
Brush Their Teeth
Although you should be brushing your puppy’s teeth every day, you should at least ensure that you do so when you are going through the entire grooming process. You’ll need to buy toothpaste designed for puppies since you cannot teach them not to swallow it. If you do not do so, your dog can end up with stomach problems from ingesting toothpaste made for humans.
Conclusion
By following the steps mentioned in the article above, you’ll be able to make the entire process of grooming your dog at home easier, less time-consuming, less messy, as well as less stressful for both you and your furry friend. So, now that you know what you should do, do not waste any more time. Instead, go back to the beginning of the article, write down what you might need to purchase, and then go through the rest of the process.
