Home Dog Grooming

Home dog grooming may be a little confusing to those that have never done it before, but it doesn't need to stay that way. The reason for this is that most people automatically think that dog grooming has to include giving Fido a haircut, when in reality you don't often need to worry about that. So if you are interested in doing some home dog grooming, and saving little bit of money, then simply follow these directions.

Keep in mind that these directions are for doing some basic grooming only. As such these directions will only cover the topics of brushing, washing, and trimming the nails of your dog. As such, information on how to clean the teeth of your dog, or giving it a haircut, you will be covered in other articles.

1. Get your gear. Before you can begin grooming your dog, you will need to make sure that you have all the items and tools that you will need for the job. Typically this will mean that you need to get a hairbrush, some doggie shampoo (and maybe conditioner), nail trimmers, and a towel. For the shampoo, conditioner, and nail trimmers make sure that you carefully read and understand the instructions that come along with them. If you don't, you can very easily end up accidentally hurting your dog and you don't wan to do that.
2. Begin by brushing. Take your fuzzy friend outside (on a leash if necessary) and begin to brush their coat. By brushing your dog, you are removing the older hair and can even help the dog to shed their old winter coats or older hair. If you don't do this regularly your dog can easily end up with matted hair that is both ugly and a health hazard. Gently, using long slow strokes, brush the hair of your dog. At a minimum, you should do this for about twenty to thirty minutes to ensure that you have removed any loose hair.
3. Washing is next. Hopefully you have washed your dog before, and have worked out how to keep the dog in the tub while you are washing him or her. All you need to do really is get the dog wet, and then scrub away like you would when washing hair. Like it usually says on the bottle, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat." Make sure that you are using a product that is safe for animals, and that you have read the instructions on the packaging to ensure that you use it properly. When drying your dog, use an older towel, and pat dry. Rubbing the dog dry can often lead to snarls, and those can be difficult to get out.
4. Trim those nails. Before trimming the nails of your dog, make sure that you carefully read the instructions that came with the trimmer. The reason for this is that if you cut the nails at the wrong angle, or too close to the quick, you can hurt your dog and cause him or her to bleed. In addition, dogs usually don't like to have their nails trimmed so you will need to have some patience. If you are unsure about how do trim the nails, have a professional groomer show you the proper method, and then practice it a bit before you do it yourself.