Grooming Tips for Your Dog At Home
Keep your dog looking and feeling great with these grooming tips.
Regular grooming is essential for all breeds of dog as it helps them maintain a healthy, tangle-free coat. This can give you an opportunity to improve your pet’s hygiene by checking for parasites and skin issues. Most importantly, grooming can be a great one-on-one bonding session with your pet.
Dogs with short coats need regular bathing, brushing, and nail trimming. Dogs with longer coats may actually need their hair trimmed from time to time. Scheduling regular appointments with a professional groomer is convenient, but it can get pricey over time. Veken’s at home grooming kit can save you time and money when grooming your furry friend! These tips will help you establish an at-home routine with your dog.
- Brush Your Dog’s Coat
Your dog needs regular brushing to keep its coat shiny and untangled, regardless of the breed. The amount of brushing per week depends on the length and texture of the coat. Long haired breeds like German Shepherds and Siberian Huskies will need more frequent brushing - at least once a week, if not every other day. Short Haired breeds like labradors or greyhounds could go with a good brush once a week or every other week.
Dogs with long hair can easily get matted if not cared for properly, which can cause pain. They will lick or chew themselves at the irritation spot, which results in skin infections. Outside factors like grass or bugs can hide inside a matted coat, and in some cases burrow into the skin causing an abscess. Regularly brushing your furry friend prevents this from becoming a problem at all.
Dogs with short hair benefit from a good brushing, too! Brushing removes loose hair, dander, and dirt from the coat, extending time between when they need another bath.
- Trim Your Dog’s Hair Carefully
This is usually done by a professional groomer. However, you can - carefully - trim overgrown hair around your dog’s paws or eyes in between professional groomings. This trimming can prevent overgrown hair from blocking its vision and irritating its eyes.
Keep in mind: always make sure your dog is calm and preferably lying down. Move about the trimming slowly and calmly, comforting your dog the entire time. Rewarding your buddy with a treat afterwards can make this process easier over time.
It’s easy to accidentally nip your pet with scissors or clippers. If you are nervous or would rather not to trim your dog’s hair, turn to a professional!
- Check Your Dog’s Skin
Dogs commonly get allergic skin diseases that cause itchiness. This itchiness makes them scratch, chew, or lick their skin. Parasites like fleas, ticks, lice, and mites can also transfer diseases.
Make it a habit of checking your dog’s skin every time you groom them. You can do so by running your fingers through their coat, feeling the skin for unusual bumps or lumps. Part the coat to examine the skin more closely for sores, redness, rashes, bald spots, and parasites.
- Check Your Dog’s Ears
While grooming your dog, don’t forget the ears! Ear infections can be painful, so if you notice any of the following behaviors, take your dog to a vet for a check-up:
- The inside of the ears are moist or inflamed
- The ears smell off
- Your dog shakes its head or scratches its ears a lot
- There is more or a different kind of discharge than usual (a little wax is normal)
- Whines when you examine the ears
- Don’t Bathe Your Dog Too Often
Most dogs with healthy skin only need a bath every couple of months to prevent hygiene issues. Bathing your dog more often can strip the natural oils from its coat and seriously dry out its skin.
A dogs skin has different pH levels than humans, so never use baby or human shampoo. Always use a soap-free shampoo specially formulated for dogs. Pour warm water over your dog until it is thoroughly wet and gently massage the shampoo into the coat. Avoid their mouth, eyes, and inside of the ears. Rinse the shampoo off with warm water. It the weather is warm, let your dog shake and air dry outside. If it is cold, towel-dry your dog or blow dry them using the cool setting.
- Teach Your Dog To Enjoy Grooming Sessions
Many dogs need encouragement and positive reinforcement when you first introduce a grooming routine.
Spreading a bit of peanut butter on a washlable surface and allowing them to lick it off while you brush or wash them distracts them from the grooming. Take things slowly and give treats and praise so your dog will look forward to these yummy pampering sessions. Before bath time, lay a slip-proof mat in the tub to prevent them from sliding around, making it easier for the both of you!
Regular grooming not only keeps your dog healthy, it demonstrates your love for your pet and gives you quality time together! Check out Veken’s at home grooming kit for all of your basic grooming needs.
