Are you afraid of giving haircuts to your own dog(s), so you normally address a professional and pay him every 2, 3 months or so to get your pet’s hair and nails trimmed? I bet you are. And, don’t get me wrong, you can and you should totally do that if that’s what you need, especially if you’re too insecure about yourself considering this matter. As you definitely don’t want to grab clippers and scissors with your terribly shaky hands to groom your dog, scare him to death and cut his skin as you try to do something. First of all, your pet will be in pain, you’ll feel guilty and shocked. But, the most important thing is that you’ll give your dog a huge stress and he’ll be afraid of being groomed from that moment on. And, as your dog (depending on breed, of course) needs to go through this process regularly, it’s better for him/her to stay calm and quiet, but wine, growl and try to escape in all possible ways.
Oops, looks like I’ve scared you even more. Didn’t mean to at all. In fact, I’m here to tell you how to avoid the situation I’ve described above, make you confident about your choices and abilities. How am I going to do that? Oh, it’s quite simple.
I’m just going to teach you how you can groom your dog without leaving your home, how often you should do that, which technique you may use and how to behave with a dog and treat it when trying to get things done. And, once you’ve completed your researched and finished the ‘homework’, you may totally proceed to the practical part.
Don’t be afraid to mess up. It’s just hair, you know, it will grow back. And, in the end, you may come to the groomer and ask him to perfect your attempt if it goes wrong. You may find one using HireRush.com service, as it has gathered professional’s ads along with their contact information and price lists. It’s also really convenient, as you may specify the search to your local area and find a groomer who works where you live or may even come to your house with all equipment to trim your dog’s fur at home.
But, as we’ve already established, you may totally go for it and try to groom your dog yourself. Now, let’s actually figure out the way to do that. And, may patience, diligence and confidence be your best helpers!
Pre-groom activities
Brushing
First thing you have to research is how short or long you’re supposed to groom a dog of the bread you have, as you can’t cut the fur of some dogs at all. Moreover, the frequency also depends on breed as well.
Next step is to brush through the dog’s fur to make it smooth and free from any mats, as they may not allow the clippers slide fluently along the pet’s hair and guarantee even finish. So, if you find them, take scissors and cut the mats off before you do anything else. There’re various pet brushes, which differ depending on the length and type of the dog’s hair.
Checking eyes and ears
Those are the basic steps to see if there’s something wrong with your dog (if there are any infections or other issues). But, you have to wipe the pet’s eyes, remove eye ‘boogers’ and clean tear marks if your dog has light and long hair. There’re even special tear stain removal products, which you may purchase at any pet store or at the vets. This manipulation is especially crucial for breads with really long hair and big watery eyes.
Check the dog’s ears next and clean it with a cotton pad using a particular cleaning product. You want to reach the inner ear to get rid of all wax and dirt. When that is finished, wipe the ears with damp cotton cloth.
Don’t forget to tell your pup how good he did, give him a nice little treat and cuddle.
If you’ve noticed that there’s something wrong with your pet’s ears or eyes, if he reacts strangely and you can see that a typical procedure is not just unpleasant, but also painful, book a vet’s visit to prevent serious complications.
Teeth cleaning and nail clipping
Generally, you’re supposed to brush the dog’s teeth every single day using a toothpaste and toothbrush, produced specifically for the dogs of this or that size (or even breed).
But, be really careful as you do it, as even the friendliest doggy doesn’t like when people stick their fingers or something else into their mouth. So, if you think that your pet might bite you, it’s better to avoid this step and just visit a vet every once in e while to get the dog’s teeth deep cleaned.
Don’t forget to clip the dog’s nails, as if you don’t do that regularly, his nails might grow into the paw pad or cause other damage. It’s very easy to determine how much you should remove. Dog’s nails have that pink part with blood vessels. So, you just avoid cutting into them and clip the nail off a little bit below that part and get rid of the transparent nail.
Bathing a dog
You might wash your dog before you give him a groom, especially if you haven’t done it for a while and a pet looks like he really needs it. Depending on your dog’s size, you may want to give him a bath or wash him in a sink. Some dogs don’t stand the running water, so it’s probably better to fill the bath in advance not to stress your pet out even before you start carrying out the most difficult task – grooming.
Cheer your dog up while washing, make him get used to the sound and feeling of running water gradually, use treats if your pup doesn’t enjoy ‘water procedures’ or is just too young and doesn’t understand what’s happening.
Avoid dripping escapes by securing a dog for the bath time using a special leash, which doesn’t stain and may be subject to soaking.
Make sure that your dog’s fur is completely wet and apply some shampoo starting from the pet’s neck down to his bottom. Don’t wash his head right away, as most pups don’t like that, and you’ll want him to sit still till you finish giving a bath. So, just save the most unpleasant part for last to let your dog get out of water after the most frustrating experience. Note: try not to use shampoo around dog’s eyes, as they get irritated quite easily.
Once you’re done, wrap a soft big towel around your doggy while he’s still in the bath tub, so that he doesn’t soak everything around him when jumping and shaking the water off. Then, let the dog’s fur dry naturally or use a blow-dryer if it’s cold or if the pet has long hair. Warning: blow-dry on cool or slightly warm setting and don’t make your dog go through this process if he hates it.
On the other hand, you may skip the bathing stage for now and proceed to it after the grooming.
Grooming tools
First of all, you’ll need a brush, really sharp (preferably hairdresser’s) scissors and hair and nail clippers. Some people use just basic human clippers without attaching plastic guards. But, those ones might not work as good on dogs, as pet clippers. So, it’s probably better to commit and purchase good-quality pet clippers with sharp blades, as you’re going to save money on many groomers’ visits anyway.
Besides, you’ll have to place something onto the counter to make it comfortable for a dog to sit on. Also, securing a dog to the spot you’re going to work on with a leash might be a good idea for safety matters.
How to groom a dog properly
If you’re going to attempt grooming your dog for the first time, it’s better to prepare thoroughly, have a generous amount of treats in your pocket and accept the fact that the process might take a while and the first results might not impress you. But, you will be able to learn and fix everything the next time around.
Nevertheless, I’m sure that if you read the clippers’ instructions carefully and follow the technique I’m about to share with you, you’ll do it just all right.
So, once you’ve prepared the spot and secured the dog with a leash, brush dog’s hair once again. Choose the blade according to the desired fur length and attach it to the machine. Then, turn the clippers on and give your pet some time to get used to their sound.
Start your groom from the top of dog’s head and move your way down his neck to the shoulders and right to the chest. Do the front legs next. Here you’ll have to pick up the dog’s leg to provide better access, so do it slowly and gently or even ask a pet to give you a paw using a ‘heel’ command. Don’t bend the dog’s leg in unnatural way, as it will be really painful.
Move the pup’s leg to the side to get to the shoulders. Next, proceed to the dog’s back and sides. Be really careful around the hind leg area, as it’s quite difficult to reach. Besides, it’s probably the step dog’s don’t enjoy the most. Also, their skin is really thing and gentle on those areas, so groomers usually pay the most attention to the legs as they trim dog’s hair not to cut into the pet’s skin.
After that, change the clippers blade for a shorter one to groom the belly and bum areas.
Professional groomers recommend running the clippers to the direction of hair growth. Besides, they mention that you don’t have to apply too much pressure onto the clippers too hard if compared to the way you would do it on people. Also, keep your blade as clean as possible.
Make as many breaks as necessary to have some rest and let the dog calm down, as it’s quite challenging for such an active and wiggly creature to sit still for a long time while you groom him. Don’t forget to praise your doggy for good behavior.
Unfortunately, some dogs aren’t so easy to work with, so you might need someone’s help to hold the pet while you groom him. But, there’s a high risk that your dog might attack that person. So, if your dog is giving you hard time, just make everything easier for you both and contact a groomer who’ll be able to conquer the temper and get your stubborn doggy trimmed and cleaned. Visit HireRush.com to find a groomer in your local area and book an appointment.
