A Step-By-Step Process To At Home Pet Grooming

As pet parents, we all want our pets to look good. We love our pets, but we also know that grooming is not always the most agreeable activity we face when together. Sure you can go to the groomer, but in our modern day luxury is taking a backseat to necessity and corners have to be cut somewhere.

It’s time to pull out the scissors and get to trimming, because believe it or not grooming your pet from home can be fun! Wendy Diamond of AnimalFair.com was here with some simple steps to help get your pet the right coif without breaking the bank!

1. Not all dogs are huskies! Help your pet stay warm. If your dog’s hair is groomed short, let it grow longer. They were lucky enough be born with their own fur coat... let them use it! Remember that the pets still need brushing. Long-haired dogs usually need to be brushed daily or every other day to prevent matting and tangling and medium-haired dogs should be brushed weekly.

The Dyson Groom tool is great for this- it’s a mess-free accessory that let’s you vacuum up lose hair and dander as you groom, before it ends up on the floor or the couch. It helps capture and retain allergens, so it’s good for allergy sufferers too. Suitable or medium or long haired dogs, it fits onto the hose of a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It’s is available at www.dyson.com for $69.99.

2. If you can’t get to the groomer, normal scissors will work for a quick trim- especially during the winter when keeping your pet’s fur longer. Normal scissors can get the trimming that you need done to keep your pet kept and clean.

3. Don’t do a shower a day to keep the pests away. Showering is very important for pets, but bathing a dog too often will dry out its coat and cause skin irritation. Most dogs should be bathed about once every one to two months. Remember to use shampoos that are safe for pets. Petco carries a wide line of pet shampoos, ranging from O My Dog’s Natural Odor Control Shampoo to PETCO Flea & Tick Shampoo. (For more information visit: petco.com)

4. An easy way to bath your dogs, RapidBath! HydroSurge makes a new home pet bathing system that is easy for pet and pet parents. The HydroSurge RapidBath saves time, money and pet parents from headaches and is available for $49.95. (For more information visit: rapidbathing.com)

5. You can groom your dog’s paws at home, even if it feels im-paw-sable! When trimming your dog’s nails, take it slowly or even in several sessions to keep the stress level down for both pet and pet parent. Pets can get ice, salt, and chemicals melted to their paws when they go outside or on walks. Wipe your pet’s paws after they get back to avoid chaffing or getting raw, and to prevent your pup from licking the salt off his paws. You can buy a pair of pup booties! But if the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t make them because not all dogs like booties.

6. After an at-home grooming session your pet will be thirsty (for water and puppy love!). Make sure your pet has a full water bowl outside. Check outdoor bowls often because the water can freeze. Break the ice because so your puppy's or kitty’s tongue won’t to stick to it! Make the investment in a heated bowl or a bowl that has a heating element for dogs that are outside.

See that wasn’t so bad! Of course, you can learn more about at-home grooming from the chapter in Wendy Diamond’s fabulous book It’s A Dog’s World or at AnimalFair.com!