April 15th, 2020 by Becky Calvert

Seeing as we’re all spending more time at home with our pooches at the minute, now is a brilliant time to spend a little extra time on your dog’s grooming regime. Perhaps it’s the first time you’ve had to think about grooming your dog yourself at home, with many of us opting to leave regular grooming to the professionals! Here are some handy tips for grooming your dog at home.

Buy Proper Equipment

It will be worth your while if you invest in proper equipment instead of having to buy a few cheaper options until you find what works for you. For those of you who are completely starting from scratch, here’s a list of essential tools we recommend you invest in!

• A stainless-steel fine-toothed dog comb
• slicker brush
• an undercoat rake (for double-coated breeds)
• rubber grooming mitt or brush (for short-coated breeds)
• animal grooming clippers (for coats that require clipping)
• proper dog grooming shears – sharp and precise enough for dog fur
• Dog shampoo (our Gentle Touch shampoo is suitable for all coat types!)
• Proper dog nail clippers are also a good investment if this is something you want to tackle at home too – although many pet owners like to leave their dog’s nails for the professionals to trim.

Start Slowly and Take your Time

Whether your dog is used to being groomed at home or at the groomers, a change in routine can often worry our furry friends. It’s important to start slowly when introducing anything new to your dog – especially grooming. Start by giving your dog a brush, if they aren’t so keen it can be useful to just do a small area at a time. Don’t do too much with your dog at once. If they start getting fidgety, they are letting you know it’s time to stop. You need to build your dog up to longer grooming sessions – remember to take regular breaks!

Distract your pooch

A lot of people find it easier to groom their dog when their dog has a distraction. Try smearing natural yoghurt or peanut butter on the side of the bath when you are bathing them – they will be so engrossed in licking it off that they won’t mind as much about you lathering them up with shampoo! Licking also releases calming endorphins so your dog will feel a lot less stressed!

Tire your dog out first

Don’t try to groom your dog on a morning when they’re giddy and ready to start the day. Start grooming your dog after they’ve been out for a long walk or been for a play at the park. A tired dog is a happy dog – so your pooch will be feeling tired and less stressed and therefore more likely to be still and relaxed for grooming!

Check eyes and ears

We can help to prevent ear and eye infections in our dogs by regularly cleaning around these areas. You may normally leave this to your groomer but as it is something that needs to be kept on top of, you will have to do it at home yourself. Doggy tear stains can occur when your dog’s tears don’t drain away from their eyes properly, which causes the irritating red stains that sometimes have gunky residue too. Our Pretty Pooch Tear Stain Wipes are perfect for gently wiping away dog tear stains before they start to build up – so less irritation for your pooch. With a hypoallergenic pH-balanced formula that’s kind to your dog’s skin and fur, our wipes can also be used around your dog’s nose to prevent any build-ups there too!

Ear infections are one of the most common canine health problems, with some breeds of dog being more prone than others. Namely, dogs with long drooping ears such as spaniels are typically more likely to have ear problems as their closed ears collect dirt and trap moisture. With this said, however, all breeds can contract an infection, which could be caused by allergies, ear mites, bacteria or yeast. If you suspect your dog has an ear infection you should seek veterinary advice - but you could help to prevent an ear infection by using our Pretty Pooch Ear Wipes. Our wipes help to remove dirt and wax from building up around the ears, reducing skin irritation with an all-natural eucalyptus oil solution – so you don’t have to worry about using any harsh cleaning chemicals – keeping your dog’s ears clean and healthy!

Don’t neglect any part of your dog!

It’s important to check your dog all over regularly to promote their good health. Along with everything else previously mentioned, here are a few other things you may have forgotten about.

Paws

Your dog’s paws can take a beating! Especially if they are walked on hot surfaces or walked for a prolonged time. Checking your dog’s paw pads for cracks and discolouration should be done regularly – if you find anything unusual it may be best to check with your vet, but usually a few days rest and some paw balm will sort them out!

Teeth

Your dog’s dental health is very important – poor dental hygiene can lead to infection and disease, which I’m sure we all would rather avoid! Dental treats can be good for cleaning your dog’s teeth but try to purchase natural ones – as a lot of the most common ones are actually full of sugar! Your vet may recommend you use a doggy toothpaste to keep your dog’s teeth clean, these should be readily available at your local pet shop. Again, any noticeable problems should be checked by your vet, but prevention is better than the cure so it’s useful to get into a good routine looking at and cleaning your dog’s teeth!

Ticks and Fleas

Your dog’s coat should be checked regularly for both ticks and fleas. Ticks are most common in the summer months, and are mostly found in woodland or long, grassy areas, so it’s good to check your dog over after every walk if you’ve been walking in those sorts of times/places. Fleas are a tricky pest to get rid of, with regular flea treatments from the vet you should be able to prevent your dog from getting fleas, but if your dog seems to be itching more than usual you should check their coat, usually they are easy to spot around the neck area where your dog’s collar sits – simply part the hair and look for little bugs and their eggs.

Anal Glands

Something unpleasant now! But something to know nonetheless! Our dogs have two glands next to their anus – one either side – which contain possibly the foulest smelling liquid you can ever smell (trust me – if you’ve ever smelt it you will know what I mean!) If your dog has regular solid poops, you shouldn’t need to worry about these as they mostly naturally empty themselves. Unfortunately, some dogs need a little help with the emptying of these – which helps to prevent them from overfilling and becoming blocked – which in turn can lead to more serious problems. If your dog seems to be ‘scooting’ (rubbing their bottom on the ground) or you can smell the aforementioned foul smell, it’s best to contact your vet for advice – but to prevent this from happening we can add more fibre to their diet (if they have consistently loose stools), keep your dog slim (overweight dogs tend to have weaker muscles around their bottoms) and regularly check your dog’s bottom for swelling, redness or again, that foul smell (just try not to get too close!)

Don’t give up!

Some dogs really don’t like being groomed, for whatever reason. It is really important to get them used to it though so hopefully with our tips you will be able to introduce grooming into your dog’s usual routine and get them used to it, patience is key with our pooches so don’t give up!