How to Groom Your Dog at Home?

Precious as your furry best friend is, she needs to be taken care of day in and day out – exercise, balanced diet, and grooming.

Far from pet spas and vets, you can very well groom your dog at home. Grooming your dogs at home can actually lower stress levels and reduce blood pressure for both you and puppy.  Not only does grooming ensure a relaxed human-canine bonding time, but it also helps address problems ranging from ticks and skin conditions to ears and eyes.

Before you groom your dog, checklist:

• Check when your dog is calm – post walk or a play session. Look for a spot where she won’t be easily distracted.
• Calm your dog by petting all over her body. Gently massage the tails, paws, tummy, and ears.
• Keep a brush, comb, shampoo, and other toiletries handy. Also, patience!

Groom your dog at home

A. Brushing

Regular brushing is great for your dog as it removes dead hair, grass, dirt and prevents matting. Brushing helps distribute the natural oils for a healthy fur coat and stimulates the blood supply to the skin.

How often?  
You should brush your dog once or twice a week.

How to get started?
Get a brush apt for your dog’s fur coat. Praise your dog as he sits through the brushing and he’ll more than love the gentle massaging sensation. 

B. Bathing

Not only does a bath helps removing dirt, old fur, and oil from your dog’s skin, it also gives you an opportunity to examine your dog for any skin conditions or parasites.

How often must you bathe your dog?  
Once every two to four months. Bathing her too frequently will dry out her skin and strip the natural oils from her coat.

How to get started?  

• Gently lather the shampoo all over your dog’s body. Use a shampoo that helps control external parasites like ticks, fleas, and lice in pets. 
• Be careful as to keep the shampoo from getting into your dog’s ears, eyes, and nose.
• Once the shampoo has been completely rinsed off, use conditioner to improve the overall appearance of your pet’s coat.

So, how do you take care of bad odor in between baths?

Try a no-rinse spray for pets as a hassle-free way of naturally cleaning, deodorizing, conditioning, and detangling your pet’s coat. The fresh citrusy smell of Jambira, antiseptic properties of Tulasi, and insect repelling Ushira roots keep your pet’s coat free from bad odour and insects.

C. Nails

Nails should be checked and clipped approximately every two weeks else they may curl up and pinch your dog’s paws.

How to get started? 
Get your dog used to having her feet touched before you attempt a nail trim. Rub your hand up and down her leg and then gently press each individual toe and ensure to give her lots of praise and some food treats as you do this.

D. Ears

To prevent ear infections, it is necessary that you keep the inside surfaces of your dog’s ears clean.

How often?
Clean your dog’s ears about once a week.

How to get started?
Use a cotton ball with an ear cleaning solution, or you can use a baby wipe wrapped around your finger. Please don’t use water as it doesn’t evaporate very easily and may enter the ear canal.

E. Teeth

Like humans, dogs too can suffer from cavities, gum disease, tartar buildup, etc.

How often?
Clean your dog’s teeth two to three times per week.

How to get started?
A toothbrush designed for dogs would serve the purpose just fine along with baking soda or water.

Since your dog’s diet is pivotal to her overall health – ensure that she gets balanced Omega 6 and Omega 3 (Essential Fatty Acids) fatty acids, which are essential for skin health and nerve cell formation. Here’s a ready reckoner on foods that are safe for your dog. 

https://twitter.com/FernFly/status/1096095724549238784

We hope you’ll try some of these tips to groom your dog at home. Here’s wrapping up with the most important tip of them all – remember to praise your dog and offer him a delicious treat when the session is finished!

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