How To Groom A Dog?
Your dog can have a healthy and shiny coat if properly groomed and maintained.
Here are the tips to groom your dog:
- Brush your dog’s coat at least twice a week. You can use a slicker brush to remove dead hair. In case of heavy shedding use a shedding blade.
- Bathe your dog with a shampoo properly formulated for the pH of dog skin (has a pH of 7.5). Most shampoos will kill fleas even if they are not standardized for killing fleas. You can use various therapeutic shampoos available for different skin problems. Consult your vet.
- Trim your dog’s nails once in two weeks to prevent any discomposure and infirmities. Cut the tip up to the core but not beyond.
- Brush your dog’s teeth once or twice a week with a child’s toothpaste or doggy toothpaste to remove tooth plaque, tartar and to get rid of bad breath.
- Always dry using towels or a hair dryer with no heat.
How Much To Tip Dog Groomer?
Generally, pet owners tip the groomer 10 to 20 percent of the total grooming cost. However, if the pet handling is far beyond what is required due to poor maintenance of the coat and health requirements, you can pay more according to your wish as there is no hard and fast rule while tipping.
How To Become A Dog Groomer?
No specific educational requirements are needed to become a dog groomer except that you need to have a passion towards pets and grooming. However, a proper training on the job with an experienced and qualified groomer or grooming course at a training college with practical experience under supervision for a minimum of 6 to 10 months is needed to become a groomer.
How Much Is Dog Grooming?
Dog grooming in USA will cost anywhere between $40 to $75 depending on the size of the dog. In addition, health grooming including nail trimming, more of brushing, de-matting, and a customized show-haircut will cost more.
How Often Should You Groom Your Dog?
Double-coated dogs with long hair should have a haircut and grooming once every four weeks to prevent matting. Nails must be trimmed properly with special care.
Dogs with long hair must be brushed twice a week. For dogs with very long and curly hair, daily brushing is required. Remember to brush the hair out of the mat always and not the mat out of the hair to prevent discomfort to your dog.
How To Groom Your Dog At Home?
Dogs must be groomed regularly to have a healthy life and shiny coat. Never blame your dog for something you need to fix.
Step 1: You can start with brushing. A slicker brush may be used to remove dead hair. Make sure to brush down to the skin and don’t neglect areas around the ear and eyes.
Step 2: Use a damp cloth or wet tissue and wipe away the dirt around the eyes.
Step 3: Frequency of bathing depends on the lifestyle and coat of the dog. Rinse your dog’s coat thoroughly with normal water. You may use warm water. Use a good pet-friendly shampoo.
Step 4: Cut the very tip of the nails and take special care not to cut the core. Cut the tip up to core and not beyond.
Step 5: Ear care is very important as the long vertical ear canal provides moist environment for infections to flourish. Remove any fleas, mites, or any wax buildups.
Step 6: Brush your furry friend’s teeth regularly as neglected plaque and tartar can cause infection to form along the gum line.
How Long Does Dog Grooming Take?
Time taken to groom a dog depends on the condition of the dog’s coat, size of the dog, and groomer’s services. For a normal bath and blow-dry, it may take 60 to 90 minutes. For haircuts, show clips, dematting and health cuts like trimming nails, ear and eye cleaning, it may take 2 to 3 hours.
