While you are combing, if you find a tangle, use a brush and try to work out the tangle. Be mindful not to brush burn your dog from brushing for too long in the same spot. You can check by looking under the fur to see if the skin becomes red with irritation. You can brush short-haired dogs with simple tools like curry brushes or gloves. Comb and brush medium- to long-coated dogs with more specialized tools like a steel comb, slicker, a pin brush, or an undercoat rake. Whatever you use, it must remove loose hair and distribute oils from the skin throughout the coat.
This is especially important with a puppy, which can be trained from a young age to tolerate this much handling well.
If you don’t think you can safely remove the mat without hurting your dog, take him to a professional groomer. On occasion, mats can get so tight and close to the skin that bacterial infections occur underneath the mat. If you suspect an infection, take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible. The visual symptoms of bacterial infection are redness and moisture, with pus secretion in advanced cases. Your dog might chew or scratch at the area because it itches.
A healthy eye should be clear and should not show any signs of irritation or unusual discharge. Don’t try to trim hair away from the eyes yourself, as you might injure your pet. Ask your vet or groomer to do it for you.
Bring ear cleaning solution up to body temperature before putting it in the dog’s ears. Place it in a body-temperature water bath, just as you would with a baby bottle. When you’re done wiping out the ear with a damp cotton ball or cloth, gently dry it out with a dry one. Praise your dog! The ears are a sensitive part of the body, and he may need some comfort.
Excessive discharge, inflammation, one ear is much dirtier than the other, and odor are signs of an ear infection that need medication.
Start by placing a small amount of dog toothpaste on your finger and spreading it across the teeth for a few seconds. Reward the dog for cooperating. Once the dog lets you work your finger in his mouth for 20-30 seconds, you can graduate to gauze or finger toothbrushes from the pet store. Work your way up to a dog toothbrush. No matter what, ease your dog into the process so that it can be a pleasant experience rather than a stressful one.
Look for red gums or brown material attached to the teeth — these are signs that a home tooth-brushing will be painful for your dog. Don’t try to brush his teeth until he’s seen a vet.
Trim a very small amount of nail (1/16 inch) away with a pair of dog nail clippers. Human clippers are okay for a very young puppy or small dog. Guillotine style clippers are less effective than the scissor type. Also, use the appropriate size clippers for your dog. If your dog has clear nails, you can see the pink part (The quick) where the blood vessel’s located. Avoid cutting the pink part, trimming only the clear hard nail. Take extra care with dark-nailed dogs not to clip to the quick (blood vessel). Go slowly, and only take a little bit off at a time. Dremeling is much safer and easier to avoid hitting the quick, as it shaves only a little bit at a time. Use a cordless pet-safe Dremel tool, as the corded ones will not stop turning if they catch hair. Don’t dremel for too long as it will burn the nail and prolong the trimming process for the dog which causes more stress. The best recommended process is trim first then dremel to shorten a little bit and round out the nail do it’s not sharp. If you cut too far and hit a blood vessel, apply styptic powder, cornstarch, or flour with a bit of pressure and hold for a few seconds to stop any bleeding. For most dogs, this is the worst part for them. Some people do this step last to avoid the dog immediately becoming too stressed to do much grooming afterward. If trimming nails last and quick the nail, you can wash just the paw with a little water or wipe it off with hydrogen peroxide to get the blood off after applying blood clotting substances.
Dog shampoo Treats Several towels Place one towel on the edge of the tub to keep water from splashing over the tub. The rest are for drying.
Read your shampoo directions carefully as some have specific dilution instructions. If you can’t find any such directions, then use as is for diluting too much may affect how clean the dog will be. Some shampoos are for treatment of fleas and ticks ONLY, they’re not for prevention so it’s advised to not use them for a normal bath.
Replace the dog’s regular collar with one that will not stain the coat or suffer water damage. A slip lead that adjusts to a struggling dog is best but the dog may choke itself no matter the restraint so monitor his breathing carefully and adjust or simply push them back when necessary.
Once the shampoo is applied, running a rake or rubber curry brush through a double-coated dog’s coat will help to loosen it and better distribute the shampoo - just be careful not to rake one spot for too long. Shampoos may be easier to apply and rinse off if diluted properly.
If you have a double-coated or long-haired dog, you may need to blow the coat dry.
Make sure that the blow dryer is on the cool setting! It may take longer than usual, but it’s worth the time because there will be less of a chance your dog’s hair and skin will dry out. If your dog is afraid of the sound or sensation of the blow dryer, don’t push him. Towel-dry him as best as possible and let him air dry somewhere he can’t make a mess, like a laundry room. Don’t allow the dog out completely wet as the water will cause irritation and dryness if not at least towel dried first.
Before clipping your dog, you should have an idea of the look you are trying to create. Read, ask questions and watch videos to get an idea of how to achieve the desired result. Then you may start.
Make sure to use dog grooming blades that will give you the coat length you desire. Scissors will likely not give you a nice, even coat, and you may hurt the dog with them if he moves suddenly. Grooming clippers are recommended over scissors.
Be careful when clipping around the legs, tail, and face. These areas can be sensitive. The dog will also dodge around and may end up cutting themselves by jerking so fast. Check the clippers frequently to make sure they don’t get hot enough to hurt your dog’s skin. If the clipper blades do get hot, stop and use a product like “Clipper Lube” spray on them.
