Grooming dogs can be tiring and frustrating. They squirm and they wiggle and some get downright grumpy when you try to groom them. If you have a large or small dog who makes grooming a nightmare here are some tips to help! These are all easy dog grooming tips that anyone can do at home. You don’t need a fancy pet salon or a lot of experience to make these easy dog grooming tips work!
Easy Dog Grooming Tips
Before we start, remember that all dogs are different and will require a unique grooming experience. Pick and choose what works best for you and your pet. The main thing is that you do not want to stress your dog…or yourself…to the point where grooming becomes impossible. Take it slow and in no time you will both be loving the whole process and the results!
Treats
The best way to get any animal to something it does not want to do is with food! Have plenty of treats ready to go so that you can keep your dog occupied and calm while you are trying to groom them.
Equipment
Have several different kinds of brushes ready. If you have a long haired dog you will need a brush for removing loose hair and undercoat as well as a comb for removing mats and tangles. You will also want to have a scissors ready in case you encounter any hairs that need trimming or tangles that you can’t brush or comb out. There is nothing worse than having to get up in the middle of a grooming session to get more items so make sure you have everything ready to go when you start. This will help keep your pet focused and ready to go without any interruption. Always remember to brush and comb out any tangles before you try and give your dog a haircut. This will keep the trimmer from getting stuck or tangled!
Assistance
Two sets of hands will always be better than one when it comes to grooming a dog. If you have someone who is comfortable around your dog who can assist you the process will go much more smoothly! Ask someone to assist you to ensure that you pet stays still and entertained while you get them looking and smelling fresh!
Maintenance
This is a big one! Between grooming sessions you will want to make sure that you do a little bit of grooming work to maintain all that hard work you just put in! You can use waterless shampoo sprays, short brushing sessions, and scissors to trim stray hairs, to keep up on hygiene between grooming sessions. This will help ensure that you do not have to spend three hours each time grooming your dog. The maintenance work is short and simple and you will save yourself encountering a giant mess when it is time bathe or give a haircut!
Attitude
In the end your success rate will mostly be determined by your attitude towards the situation. Stay calm and try not to stress out your dog. If you succeed in these two tasks you will have a pleasant experience. It is always okay to do a bit now and a bit later. Do not feel like you need to complete the task immediately!
Does your dog enjoy being groomed or do they struggle each time?
As long as treats are involved cut my hairs
Lily & Edward
Both of our dogs are short haired. Neither of them require hair cuts, but they do need relatively frequent baths. They don’t really enjoy them, but they tolerate it alright.
i have a grooming table, and sometime they wiggle. the oldest does not like being on the table, but the 2 younger girls are fine. the middle child hates her nails done, she is so bad, that most of the time, i have to take her to the vet and she has to be given a sedative. the oldest gets upset b/c she has a little dementia now and everything causes her stress. sometimes i use 2 ties on the grooming table to hold them still or use a muzzle on the oldest to help keep her still.
It is so true that giving treats will help while grooming your pooch.
My dog always struggles and he is a large dog so it makes it extra complicated.
Our dog mostly only needs brushing and washing. He is a HUGE baby/pain when it comes to his nails. He has alwaays been that way, and I dont know why since he is adopted I have nothing to go on. I use one of thee electric trimmers to file them down but even then it sometimes isnt enough and he has to go in to the vet. He has to be sedated to get them done! He literally screams without a pill on board.
Good tips here. Thanks. Can’t afford to take our dogs to the groomer very often. We usually do it ourselves!
Always have treats ready!