Dog Grooming Methods, Bathing Tips and Grooming Supplies

Dog Grooming Methods, Bathing Tips and Grooming Supplies
Author: Scott Lipe

Before you get carried away buying grooming products for your home grooming, as there are a lot of products out there, think about what you need. It is different for all dogs, and so you need to know what type of dog you have and their type of coat, what is their fur type?

There is some equipment that all dogs need, shampoo, and shampoo brush. Shears or clippers, and brushes. You can get different types for short hair or long, double coated or wire haired coat. You need to have a feel for what you wish to take on, is it just a trim to save money between visits to a professional groomer, or are you taking on the total grooming of your dog.

There are three steps to grooming your dog and these are called; Pre bathing, bathing and post bathing. The pre bathing is where you clean ears, trim nails, de-tangle, brush and comb the coat ready for the bath. Do as much as you can here as this is where your end result will pay. The better you can pre bath really shows in the end. When you have de-tangled your dog and all the knots are out of their coat, you can shape the face and feet for the look you want, think about what type of shape you dog's face is and work Within their natural shape for the best look. Use clippers or thinning scissors on the body coat. Do not take too much off at this point but get the shape and the rough length that you want. You are now ready for the next part. Some owners just want a good short cut for the hot summer months.

The bath, this is where you get the dog wet. Make sure you and the dog are safe, so think about a bath mat and the weight of your dog if you need to lift them in and out of a bath. Once your dog is in the bath, start with wetting the coat fully with warm water. Try to avoid the ear area as this can give your dog problems later. Pay special attention to dirty areas like under the dog or the legs. Using the shampoo lather up your dog and give them a really good cleaning. Be careful of the eyes and ears here. Rinse well with warm water and repeat if you need to. Like with you, the dog's hair will squeak if it had been rinsed totally. Gently squeeze off any excess of water. Lift the dog out of the bath and towel dry. A great tip here is to have everything ready and to hand before you start, as you may find you are very busy with a dog and water.

Post bath is where you do all the fun bits to the dog. Dry the dog's coat with a hair drier, or if it is warm you can allow the hair to dry naturally. Brush the coat though, which will be much easier this time. When the coat is dry re-clip the fur if needed. Tidy up your dogs face and feet for that special look. Your dog will be looking so much better at this point and your hard work will show. Add a drop of dog cologne if you wish and your dog is ready for that special occasion.

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