Best tips for grooming a dog at home

We are sure that only dog owners understand the struggle of finding a dog’s hair everywhere. It’s an undeniable fact that our pets’ shedding presents a natural process. It allows a dog to release the dead hair, so we can’t affect it much. However, with the right tips for grooming a dog at home, we are sure that you’ll succeed in making your house a ‘less hairy’ place for living.

What are the benefits of grooming a dog at home?

Is there anything better than spending a lazy weekend with your furry friend in your lap? Well, definitely not. On the other hand, you’re probably enough to find a bunch of hair every time your dog walks away. Therefore, you need to think about how to help your pooch to get rid of a dull coat since dog hair says a lot about its health.

Dog deodorant is rich in natural ingredients such as lavender oil, lemongrass oil, and peppermint oil.

It reflects not only the care it gets but also says a lot about a dog’s nutrition. That’s why besides regular grooming (once or twice a week), your furry friend needs to be fed by a high-quality menu.

Eating too many carbohydrates and artificial ingredients will show up through your dog’s dry skin, itchy, and flaky coat. In case you own a curly-haired breed, then we must say that you’re a lucky guy. Since they don’t shed at all, your home will always stay clean, and you won’t spend time on grooming (well, except that you’ll have to take them to a dog groomer occasionally).

On the other hand, owning a short-haired dog or a long-haired dog that sheds requires regular combing and brushing. Brushing helps your pooch to distribute natural skin oils, so its fur will always look shiny and smooth.

Another benefit of grooming a dog at home is that it will help you to reduce the need to bath. The last and most important thing is that grooming/ brushing will help you to build a strong relationship with your four-legged friend.

What does dog grooming include?

In case you own a short-haired dog breed, grooming includes regular bathing and brushing a dog’s coat. When choosing a dog shampoo, it’s always better to choose the one that is made for sensitive skin. In that way, you’ll keep your pet away from skin irritations.

Note that dogs should not be bathed with a shampoo for humans because our pets have different pH of the skin. Human shampoos are too acidic for their skin. Even using baby shampoo is not advisable, so you need to be very careful when buying it.

When we talk about how often should you bathe your dog, we can’t give you the exact answer. It’s because it all depends on your dog’s lifestyle. In other words, if your pet acts like sort of a piglet and likes to roll in the grass, then you should definitely bathe it often. As the first aid, you can also use a wet towel or wet baby wipes to clean the fur from dirt.

The brushing of a dog’s coat should be approximately performed twice a week. You can do that in your yard or in your bathtub if you want to save your home from hairy messes.

Nail cutting presents another essential part of your dog care routine. Ingrown nails, and developing pus bags beneath the dog’s nails can be very dangerous to your furry friend’s health. It can even lead to issues with mobility due to pains. Therefore, it’s advisable to perform it every couple of weeks.

Since our pooches discover the world with their lovely paws, we also suggest you take care of their paw skin. Dry, cracked, and red paw pads can lead to serious health issues, so that’s why we recommend you have a look at the following Flora 4 Pets Paw and skin healing balm.

Owners of long-haired dog breeds such as Bearded Collie, Maltese, Old English Sheepdog, Poodles, and other similar breeds should perform a hair cutting every 2 months. Therefore, you need to know how to cut dog hair.

Cutting a dog’s hair is not an easy task because dogs usually can’t sit still and wait for you to finish. In most cases, they feel frightened of scissors, so that’s why we recommend you to do it gradually. You can’t teach a dog to get used to hair grooming overnight.

What do you need to groom your dog at home?

Besides grooming can be one exciting routine both for you and your furry friend, it will also help you to save your money. Instead of taking a dog to see a dog groomer, you can help your pooch to look pretty and clean too. Here is what a dog grooming kit needs to include.

1. Dog shampoo
   As we already mentioned, choosing the appropriate dog shampoo will mean a lot to your pet. We suggest you not to buy cheap shampoos because of, in the end, it will cost you double.
2. Dog towel
   Another item that you need is a dog towel. You can choose one of your towels and use it for drying your dog’s coat. In case you own a long-haired dog, don’t forget to use a hairdryer too. If your doggie gets afraid of the noise of a hairdryer, we recommend you to teach it gradually. It includes feeding a dog with treats, telling him/her praise words and petting him/her.
3. Dog clippers
   A good pair of dog clippers or a professional nail trimmer is the next item you need to buy. It's always better to choose a quality one. Otherwise, you can scare your dog, so it will never want to get a nail cut again.
4. Dog brush or a brushing glove
   Here we come to the most essential part- a dog brush or a brushing glove. Brushing gloves present an excellent option for dogs with shorter coats because they are softer. Gloves usually have silicone pins, so at the same time, they provide a dog a sort of a massage. On the other hand, dog brushes with needles are great for dogs with long hair.
5. Grooming scissors
   Is your dog a cute hairy monster that becomes a werewolf every two months? Well, in case your furry friend needs a hair cutting, then you’ll need grooming scissors.
6. Toothbrush and a dog’s toothpaste
   Don’t forget that our pets need to brush their teeth too. In order to escape developing tartar and plaque, our advice is to buy a toothbrush and a dog’s toothpaste. You shouldn’t use human toothpaste because it can be poisonous to dogs.
7. Dog tear stain remover
   In case you own a dog that often develops tear stains, our advice is to remove them by using a Dog tear stain remover. Indeed, tear stains often present only a cosmetic issue, however, why not make your pooch prettier than it already is? We are sure that your furry friend would be thankful.