Simple home grooming techniques that will give you a healthier and happier dog

Regularly brushing your dog not only has the added benefit of keeping it looking and smelling nice; Grooming your dog regularly also gives you the opportunity to deepen the bond you have with your pet and monitor his overall health.

If you have a puppy, take time now to help him get used to being groomed. You can do this simply by spending time with your pup and gently using his whole body; examine its tail, legs, ears and teeth, etc. Talk to your pup in a friendly, positive tone, and have some treats with you, so you can reward your pup for his positive behavior. If you have an adult dog who isn’t totally satisfied with the grooming experience, go back to basics, using the plan outlined here.

Although basic grooming procedures are generally the same for all dog breeds, the amount of time you’ll need to spend grooming your pet and the tools you’ll use will depend on the quality of the dog’s coat and its length.

Smooth-coated breeds are very low-maintenance, needing only an occasional bath and brushing. Short-coated dogs that have a denser undercoat and topcoat, for example German Shepherds, will require brushing at least once a day, so the undercoat doesn’t become matted down. Curly-coated breeds, for example the Kerry Blue Terrier, will need regular brushing, along with a bath and trimming for a couple of months. Breeds that have rough coats need regular brushing, at least once a day to prevent matting. Longer-coated breeds like Yorkshire Terriers and Collies need daily brushing and combing, along with bathing and clipping when necessary, to keep their coats in good condition.

The tools you’ll need for grooming will vary depending on your dog’s coat, however your dog’s grooming kit should include the following:

• Natural/Organic Dog Shampoo

You can buy organic dog shampoo from any number of online vendors or big box pet supply stores. Using an organic shampoo is much kinder to your dogs skin and coat as it has the correct pH balance and does not contain any harmful chemicals, artificial colors or preservatives.

• Tweezers

• tick removal implement

Tick ​​removal supplies can be purchased at your local pharmacy, however tweezers work just as well for removing ticks.

• Brush, comb and golden glove

The brush and comb you choose should be suitable for your dog’s coat. For example, for dense coats use a comb with wider teeth, for soft coats choose a comb with closer teeth, alternatively a grooming glove.

• electronic clippers

• nail clipper

• A small pair of blunt-tipped scissors for trimming unwanted hair between the dogs paw pads or around the eyes.

• Vitamin E oil for cleaning your dog’s ears.

• Dog toothpaste and toothbrush

• Towels to dry your pet after bathing

• Ecological wipes, to clean the contour of your dog’s eyes

Now is the time to start grooming your dog, so let’s start with the messy part first, bathing him.

Bathrooms

You can do it outside or inside, depending on the size of your dog. If you use the bathroom, first place a non-slip rubber mat in the bathroom, so your pet does not slip. Put a large cotton ball in each of your dog’s ears and place him in the bath.

Start by covering your dog’s entire body with warm water, if you are using a shower, keep the shower head close to the dog’s body. Next, add small amounts of dog shampoo to your dog’s body, paying attention to his rectum and genital area, and between his paws. Once you have done this, you can give your dog a good rinse with lukewarm water.

Towel dry your dog to begin with, then use a dryer if desired, however, do not place the dryer close to your dog’s skin, and do not point the dryer directly at the dogs ears.

Next, let’s take a look at the general grooming procedure that you can perform on a more regular basis. To start, check your dog’s coat for dirt and parasites like fleas and ticks. Also check the condition of your dogs skin. When you’re happy that his skin looks healthy, you can move on to combing his coat.

combing your dog

Always comb your dog’s coat in the direction the hair grows, combing a small section at a time. If you find a knot in your pet’s fur, use the first tooth of the comb to gently free the knot. Hold the base of the knot as you do this so you don’t cause your dog any pain.

brush your dog

The next step is to brush your dog’s coat gently, but not too hard as it will cause ‘brush burns’. Brush your dog’s coat in the opposite direction of hair growth. Attend to all areas of the body, i.e. body, tail, chest, legs, and behind the ears. When doing this part, check your dog’s paws and between his pads for lodged grass seeds, sand and dirt, etc. Clean and trim any excess hair.

Having done the hardest work, brushing and combing. The next part to focus on is nail trimming. Most dog owners avoid clipping their dogs’ nails, many leaving it up to their vet, but with a little practice, clipping their dogs’ nails should become a routine procedure.

Cut your dog’s nails

To get started, check to see if your dog’s nails need trimming. Dogs typically wear down their nails from walking on pavement, however they may still need a trim every several weeks or so.

To get started, identify the rib on each nail; the rapid is the blood vessel inside the nail. It can be seen quite easily on light-colored nails as a red-colored line, but it is impossible to see on dark nails. Care must be taken not to cut the blood vessel, as this will obviously be painful for your dog and also cause some bleeding.

Cuts the nail in one stroke below the blood vessel. On darker nails, make several very small cuts. If you’re not sure how many nails to cut if you have a dog with black nails, less is better than more.

Cleaning your dogs ears

Now it’s time to move on to your dog’s ears. Wax, dirt, and fungus can build up on dogs, especially lop-eared breeds. During the grooming process, check your dog’s ears for signs of wax, dirt, etc. The smell inside your dog’s ears, a bad odor, could mean your pet has an infection, especially if he’s been scratching his ears or shaking his head a lot. To clean your dog’s ears, use a natural cleaner, such as an essential oil blend. You can use the following mixture to clean your dogs ears to keep them free from wax buildup and infection.

Ear cleaning essential oil blend

2 drops of Roman chamomile

T-tree with 2 falls

4 drops of lavender

Mix with 20 mls of Sweet Almond or Jojoba oil. Pour into a dark bottle and keep out of sunlight or in the refrigerator. This will last several months. Use the mixture to clean your dog’s ears each time you groom him.

Cleaning your dogs eyes

Finally, let’s take a look at cleaning your dog’s eyes. It is important to clean your pet’s eyes regularly, in most breeds this can be done during the normal grooming session, however with breeds whose tear ducts can be easily blocked it will be necessary to clean around the eyes more frequently. .

Check your pet’s eyes for signs of discharge, especially in the corner of the eye. Use your blunt-tipped scissors to gently cut away any unwanted hair, especially in the corner of each eye. When you’re done, gently wipe around each eye with a damp washcloth or organic baby wipe. These types of wipes are especially good for cleaning your dog’s sensitive areas, such as around the eyes, since they do not contain alcohol or any other ingredients that are harmful to the dog.

Work done. The more often you brush your dog, the faster he seems to come back. With that being said, your dogs physical and emotional well-being depend on them staying clean and healthy, so make grooming a very special and fun time for you and your dog.