Dogs are known to be the best companions of human beings. Unlike many other animals, dogs are a rare combination of beauty, brains, and character. They look great, behave gentlemanly if trained and are quite intelligent. What's more, they are also known to possess a sterling character and are very loyal to their adopters. However, as many dog breeds have large hair and they remain active all day long, the dogs need constant grooming. Thought there are any professional grooming parlors in the city, the care and attention offered by you are simply unmatchable. So, investing some time and effort in grooming your dog can actually make your relations much better and also offer a personalized care to the dog. So here is a simple guide on grooming your dog at home:
Hair Clipping
As your dog likes to remain active whole day long, it is but natural that its fur will trap much of dust and catch a variety of fleas. Some of them are very annoying while others might even be fatal for your dog. Hence you need to jeep its hair short by offering it a regular "haircut":
Tools and Skills
Contrary to the belief, the dog grooming does not require any special tools. Just a simple clipper along with a good quality hairbrush and a comb is enough.
• The dog's hair can be clipped using clippers. The best thing is that contrary to the belief, one can clip the dog's hair using ordinary clippers. The only thing to remember is to adjust the length of clipper to cut the long hairs of dog. Ordinary human clippers employ the use of plastic guard is that the clipper cuts at the longer length. One more things to keep in mind is to keep your dog amused and absorbed in some activity when you are clipping its hair. You can either have toys or favorite treats keep them amused.
• The dogs are very sensitive to the noise and touch. Hence you need the right kind of clipper that should glide through smoothly. In the same manner, the comb should have ideal gaps between the teeth so that it should not tug at hair. Also, avoid the noisy clippers as the sound may startle your dog or frighten it.
• One thing to ensure is to avoid pushing the clipper too close to the skin that can not only be painful but can also cause serious injury. Also be careful with the speed. Going too fast is not recommendable at all. Go for the constant and steady speed.
• The dog's hair can be clipped using clippers. The best thing is that contrary to the belief, one can clip the dog's hair using ordinary clippers. The only thing to remember is to adjust the length of clipper to cut the long hairs of dog. Ordinary human clippers employ the use of plastic guard is that the clipper cuts at the longer length. One more things to keep in mind is to keep your dog amused and absorbed in some activity when you are clipping its hair. You can either have toys or favorite treats keep them amused.
• The dogs are very sensitive to the noise and touch. Hence you need the right kind of clipper that should glide through smoothly. In the same manner, the comb should have ideal gaps between the teeth so that it should not tug at hair. Also, avoid the noisy clippers as the sound may startle your dog or frighten it.
• One thing to ensure is to avoid pushing the clipper too close to the skin that can not only be painful but can also cause serious injury. Also be careful with the speed. Going too fast is not recommendable at all. Go for the constant and steady speed.
Preparing for Hair Clipping
First, you need to ensure that your dog's fur very well. If it isn't then dry it up using a towel. Once it is dried up well, brush in the opposite direction of hair growth. Then use the clipper to clip in the direction of the growth of hair. While moving across the skin of the dog go maintain a constant speed while moving the clipper surely. Clipping against the dog's hair growth will result in very short hair. The neck is always the best spot to start with while clipping the hair. Start from the neck and go down through shoulders. Be very careful with certain delicate areas like throat, stomach, armpits, and reproductive organs as a minor mistake can be fatal to your dog.
Important Things to Remember
• During the process of clipping the dog may startle and start jerking or make sudden movements that can be harmful to it. So, it is best to have another person holding it very well, though gently while you clip its fur.
• Different breeds of dogs have different hair growth and thus they need different clippers. For the best results, it is recommendable to check with your veterinary doctor to ensure the right kind of clipper for your dog.
• Depending upon your creativity you can also give a stylish hairstyle to your dog but it is always better to ensure that the new style would make your dog look handsome and not weird. And last but not the least, always remember that the safety of your dog is of utmost importance.
• You should consider switching the clipper off occasionally to avoid it from getting very hot and burning your dog's skin. Touch the clippers the tips of your finger occasionally to ensure that it is not hot. If it is, turn it off and allow it to cool down.
• You can change the blades occasionally as using the same blade constantly can make it very hot. Dogs are naturally proactive by nature. So, keep the trimming session as short as it is reasonably possible. Ideally, 15-20 minutes should be enough to offer your dog an excellent haircut.
• Depending on the specific breed of the dog you can choose to offer clipping sessions after every 7-9 weeks. Apart from clipping, you should also consider brushing your dog's hair regularly to prevent the knots from forming. Combing with an ideal dog comb will also keep your dog's hair well-arranged and that can be helpful while clipping your dog's hair.
• One particular area to be careful with while clipping your dog's hair is the anus. In fact, the anus is one of the most sensitive areas and is also surrounded by hair. Being careless clipping the hair around the anus can be fatally detrimental to your dog. Go slowly and always be considerate about the main anus so the clipper should not harm it. In the same way, the genital area should also be dealt with very carefully.
• Different breeds of dogs have different hair growth and thus they need different clippers. For the best results, it is recommendable to check with your veterinary doctor to ensure the right kind of clipper for your dog.
• Depending upon your creativity you can also give a stylish hairstyle to your dog but it is always better to ensure that the new style would make your dog look handsome and not weird. And last but not the least, always remember that the safety of your dog is of utmost importance.
• You should consider switching the clipper off occasionally to avoid it from getting very hot and burning your dog's skin. Touch the clippers the tips of your finger occasionally to ensure that it is not hot. If it is, turn it off and allow it to cool down.
• You can change the blades occasionally as using the same blade constantly can make it very hot. Dogs are naturally proactive by nature. So, keep the trimming session as short as it is reasonably possible. Ideally, 15-20 minutes should be enough to offer your dog an excellent haircut.
• Depending on the specific breed of the dog you can choose to offer clipping sessions after every 7-9 weeks. Apart from clipping, you should also consider brushing your dog's hair regularly to prevent the knots from forming. Combing with an ideal dog comb will also keep your dog's hair well-arranged and that can be helpful while clipping your dog's hair.
• One particular area to be careful with while clipping your dog's hair is the anus. In fact, the anus is one of the most sensitive areas and is also surrounded by hair. Being careless clipping the hair around the anus can be fatally detrimental to your dog. Go slowly and always be considerate about the main anus so the clipper should not harm it. In the same way, the genital area should also be dealt with very carefully.
Nail Clipping
It is also necessary to get your dog's nails trimmed regularly as the overgrowth of nails can be painful for the paw pads. They can also affect the normal walking of the dogs.
• Many people use the human nail clippers for trimming the dog's nails that are not a right practice. It needs you to exert extra pressure and can be harmful to the dogs. There are specially designed nail clippers available in the market. Do not cut the nails too close as that can harm the cuticles of the dog.
• Instead of cutting off a large portion it is recommendable to cut a nail in several small bits as that will ensure that the nail clipper does not touch the cuticles. It is always better to go for a good quality nail clipper that is sharp and offers sure clipping. Avoid using the nail clippers that need several attempts as that can not only elongate the entire process but will also affect the quality.
• Many people use the human nail clippers for trimming the dog's nails that are not a right practice. It needs you to exert extra pressure and can be harmful to the dogs. There are specially designed nail clippers available in the market. Do not cut the nails too close as that can harm the cuticles of the dog.
• Instead of cutting off a large portion it is recommendable to cut a nail in several small bits as that will ensure that the nail clipper does not touch the cuticles. It is always better to go for a good quality nail clipper that is sharp and offers sure clipping. Avoid using the nail clippers that need several attempts as that can not only elongate the entire process but will also affect the quality.
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