How to Groom a Dog at Home
When economic times get tough, many pet owners are left looking for ways to save money on pet supplies and pet care. One great way to save money involves skipping the mobile dog groomer visit or that trip to the neighborhood dog groomer. Regular dog grooming is important to keep a dog healthy and looking great, but it's one activity that most pet owners can do at home to save money. So keep reading for hints on how to groom a dog at home.
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Things You'll Need
- Dog Nail Clippers or a Peticure Pet Nail Trimmer
- Styptic Powder
- Small Pair of Scissors
- Dog Grooming Brushes (Slicker and Undercoat Rake)
- Moisturizing Dog Shampoo
- Moisturizing Dog Conditioner
- Cotton Balls
- Q-Tips
- Dog Ear Cleaning Solution
- Paper Towels
- Bath Towel
- A Couple Hours of Free Time and a Dog Who Needs to be Groomed!
Instructions
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BRUSH THE DOG: Use an undercoat rake (a type of dog grooming brush available at most pet supply stores) to remove dead fur from the dog's coat if your dog has a thick coat, like a Siberian Husky, Golden Retriever, or Akita. If your dog has a thin, smooth coat of fur, like a Pit Bull or Miniature Pinscher, use a slicker brush to remove dead fur. Other dog breeds with longer fur, like a Tibetan Spaniel or Yorkshire Terrier, may need careful detangling and brushing as well.
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EXPRESS THE DOG'S ANAL GLANDS: Manually expressing a dog's anal glands is a routine part of the dog grooming process. Place your thumb and pointer finger on either side of the dog's anus and slowly move the fingers together, firmly applying pressure. Repeat this several times. To avoid coming in contact with the foul-smelling anal gland secretions, place a paper towel over the dog's anus when expressing the anal glands.
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TRIM FUR FROM THE DOG'S EARS AND PLUG THE DOG'S EAR CANALS: Trim excess fur from inside the dog's ears to allow for easy cleaning (after the dog's bath). Then, place cotton balls inside the dog's ears to prevent water from entering the dog's ear canals. This will cut down on the dog's head shaking while he's wet and in the bathtub.
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BATHE THE DOG: Place the dog in the sink or bathtub and wash the dog using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. At the end of the dog's bath, rinse the dog thoroughly to prevent the dog from developing dry, flaky and itchy skin.
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TOWEL DRY THE DOG'S FUR: Use a bath towel to dry the fur after bathing the dog. For short-haired dogs, follow by brushing the dog's fur to remove any remaining dead hairs. For long-haired dog breeds, avoid brushing the dog's fur until it's dry. Brushing long, wet fur can lead to breakage and damage to the dog's coat.
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CLEAN THE DOG'S EARS: Use a dog ear cleaning solution to saturate a couple of cotton balls and gently clean the dog's ears. Apply the pet ear cleaning solution to a few Q-tips to clean the nooks and crannies of the dog's ears, but do not stick the Q-tip into the ear canal, as this can cause ear pain and even hearing loss in your dog.
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CLIP THE DOG'S NAILS: Use traditional scissor-style nail clippers or guillotine-style nail clippers to trim the dog's nails. Or opt for the dremel-style Peticure pet nail trimmers - a popular new piece of dog grooming equipment. If using traditional nail clippers, use a coarse grain nail file (used for women's acrylic nails) to remove sharp nail edges.
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FINISHING TOUCHES: Finish with something fun, like a coat of fast-drying doggy nail polish or a new doggy bandanna! For adventurous dog owners, buy some temporary dog hair dye gel available in bright rainbow colors and dye your white dog a fun color like pink or blue!
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Tips & Warnings
Brush your dog daily. This will make dog grooming sessions much easier to handle for both the dog and the owner.
Use the proper dog grooming tools and brushes when grooming your dog - there's different dog grooming tools for a reason!
Reward your dog during the home dog grooming session with lots of praise and dog treats!
Be gentle! Your dog may be frightened while taking a bath or during a nail clipping, so be gentle and speak soothingly to make the experience as pleasant as possible.
Resources
- Photo Credit Cathy Kaplan Photo
