Professional pet grooming can cost a lot of dough! If your dog has long hair, you likely already know how much work it is to keep him or her looking good. The good news is, there are several things you can do at home that will limit how often you need to take your dog to the groomer, which translates into money saved.
As long as you aren’t afraid to put in a little effort, here are a few ways that you can groom your dog at home.
Bathing Your Dog
Many dog owners have developed a bathing routine. If you haven’t, there’s no time like the present! Instead of having to head out to see the groomer, buy some yummy-smelling pet shampoo, and scrub your doggie yourself, every few weeks.
To make bathing your dog easier, brush your dog before shampooing him or her. This is an especially good idea if your dog has medium to long hair. If you skip this step, any knots in their fur will likely worsen.
Gather everything that you need to bathe your dog: pet shampoo, a towel, collar, leash cotton balls, a brush, and cleaning fluid.
Where to go now? Well that is up to you. You may choose to bathe your dog in the bathtub, but outdoors may be more comfortable for your dog. The bathtub is slippery, so a non-slip mat is needed if you are indoors. But if you bather your dog outside, you can just use the hose, and not have to worry about making a mess.
Take good care of yourself, while you are at it! Your back will likely become strained or your knees bruised if you don’t have a stool to sit on or a towel to kneel down on.
Brushing Your Pet
Brushing your pet is a basic task that some people skip. Even if your dog has short hair, regular brushing will remove some of the old, loose hair from their coat. Brushing your dog regularly will also help your furniture have a lot less loose hair sticking to it.
If your dog has long hair, pet grooming and brushing is of greater importance. Long-haired dogs tend to get matted or knotted. Not only does this become unsightly, they can harbor bacteria or become painful for the dog.
Giving your dog love and attention should be included in the brushing process. Your dog may be more willing to sit still for the brushing if you wait until you have rubbed his belly first.
Doing a Basic Trim
Willing to learn how to use a professional dog clipper? You can get a good set, inexpensively. Since each breed is different, it is a good idea to head over to You Tube and type in how to do a basic trim on your breed of dog. Trimming your dog’s fur on your own can save you some hard-earned cash.
Cutting the Nails Regularly
Every dog owner should have a set of nail trimmers. Not only is trimming your dog’s nails good hygiene, it can become painful for the dog if his nails become too long.
Not to mention, long nails can damage furniture and floors. Over an extended period of time, nails that are long can have an effect on how the dog walks.
Tips
- Nail clippers that are smaller are easier to handle. Unless your dog is giant, small nail clippers will do the trick.
- Be certain that the room you are in has plenty of light. It is important that you can clearly see exactly what you are doing.
- If you accidentally cut the quick, you can use corn starch to stop the bleeding.
- Reward your dog with treats when clipping his nails to help keep the stress level down.
Cleaning the Ears and Eyes Often
Some dogs get crusty eyes and smelly ears. Part of grooming your pet involves removing eye buildup with a moist cotton ball.
For the ears, moisten a cotton ball with witch hazel, mineral oil or olive oil to carefully wipe out the ears. Don’t use Q-tips because they can damage your dog’s ears. You can use a small trimmer to remove ear hair if needed.
Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth
Professionals say that your dog’s teeth should be brushed daily. However, we all know it is pretty rare for dog owners to brush that often.
Nevertheless, regularly brushing your dog’s teeth is a part of good hygiene. A good time to brush their teeth is after you brush their hair, perhaps. Be sure to use special toothpaste that is designed for dogs. Liver-flavored toothpaste? Yum yum.
As your dog gets older, their breath is likely to get smellier. Brushing regularly will help to prevent this.
Grooming Specifically for the Breed
As mentioned, every breed is different, so it is a good idea to learn how to groom your specific breed. You will find plenty of tutorials online. With this knowledge, you can save big by learning to groom your own doggie.
Even if you don’t want to commit to doing a full grooming job on your pet, you can always just do the bare minimum like clipping hair around the face and the eyes. Once your routine has been created, it will become easier.
Conclusion
Besides being good for your wallet, learning to groom your dog yourself is a good way to spend time with your pet. It will feel good to spend time with him or her, and they will appreciate your attention as well.
Investing in the right tools to groom your pet will cost you very little. Start by finding the right tools for your dog, and go from there.
Have fun!