Who says that you need to be a professional pet groomer to do basic dog grooming? Professional pet groomers encourage dog owners to provide some basic dog grooming routines before the next grooming appointment at your preferred pet grooming shop.
Below are the 5 basic dog grooming routines that you can do for your dog at home with a few simple sets of pet grooming tools & accessories and you're good to go!
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Brushing your Dog's Hair or Coat.
Brushing is the easiest basic dog grooming routine that you can do at home which helps to prevent your dog's hair or coat from being matted.
If the matted hair or coat becomes severe, the best advice is to shave it off which will ruin the overall look of your dog if you like them with thick and long hair or coat style.
Hence, regular brushing is one of the basic dog grooming routines that are beginner-friendly and highly recommended to do so.
Tools Required: Slicker Brush or Pin Brush.
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Trimming of your Dog's Nail.
Nail trimming and maintenance is one of the basic dog grooming routines that should be done, and you can trim your dog's nail at home with the correct pet grooming tools.
Dog's nails grow continuously which requires regular maintenance that helps to prevent overgrown of nail quick. When a dog's nail grows, the nail quick follows as well and the worst thing to happen is that it might hurt your dog when they're walking. In the long-term, they might affect your dog's joint health due to the walking posture of your dog.
We recommend dog owners to seek professional pet groomers for help or advice in receding the nail quick as it can be a painful experience for your dog.
Tools Required: Nail Trimmer & Nail File or Electric Nail Grinder. -
Bath your Dog Weekly.
Another basic dog grooming routine that is beginner-friendly - bath your dog!
In Singapore, it is advisable to bath your dog weekly due to the hot and humid weather. We understand that due to work or other commitments, sometimes it is hard to spare the time to give your dog a full bath.
Alternatively, there are pet wipes or dry shampoo that can clean your dog temporarily before their next full bath or dog grooming appointment.
If you do give a full bath to your dog weekly, you can consider getting a high powered pet dryer which helps to dry your dog at a faster rate compared as compared to hair dryers.
Tools Required: Pet Shampoo and Pet Dryers -
Ear Cleaning for your Dog.
Ear cleaning for your dog is also one of the basic dog grooming routines that can be done easily. If you're unsure of how to do it, you can easily find the instructions on "how to clean your dog's ear?" online.
There are some dos and don'ts when comes to ear cleaning of your dog, be sure to understand the process before trying out on your dog.
Tools required: Ear Cleaning Solution or Gel and Ear Wipes.
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Teeth Cleaning for your Dog.
After a prolonged period of neglecting your dog's oral health, you may see the plaque or tartar buildup on your dog's teeth which could result in bad breath, tooth decay or other oral diseases.
Brush your dog's teeth as one of the basic dog grooming routines for a few times a week and there are even oral care maintenance products that do not require brushing.
Tools required: Toothbrush & Toothpaste or Oral Care Solution without the need of brushing.
A Bonding Session with Basic Dog Grooming
The process of basic dog grooming not only helps to improve your dog's overall body hygiene. It is also a very enjoyable process for your dog when the pet groomer is you!
Regularly providing basic dog grooming for your dog is also a good way to check if there are any skin problems or hidden wounds that you could have missed unless inspected closely.
Most importantly, be patient and take your time! Some of the basic dog grooming routines such as ear cleaning or teeth cleaning would require patience as dogs will tend to fidget around and accidents can happen.