These tips and tricks take only a few minutes to keep your dog smelling great and staying healthy in between professional groom appointments. At the same time, you’re preventing matted fur, examining your dog for any health related issues and creating a nice bond of trust together. As always, we recommend using treats to keep the experience as positive as possible. You’ve got all kinds of time to wean from the food, there’s no rush with the learning process.
1. Use Pet Wipes
These are a must have for all pet parents. Just as you might have sanitizer nearby with little ones at home, this is the same thing in dog world.
2. Brusha! Brusha! Brusha! Sorry. You have to brush your dog.
It’s important to reduce the amount of allergies, dirt and dander on your dog’s coat. It’s more about brushing, than bathing. Most humans think it’s a bath that’s needed to clean the hair, when really it’s the skin and the coat that needs attention. The brush and especially combing, is what it’s all about! Bathing can actually exacerbate problems if the drying is handled properly and the dog isn’t brushed thoroughly before the bath.
3. Dry Shampoo. Yep. They have this stuff for dogs too.
Baking soda and cornstarch are great for removing that “dog smell” most pups have. You can massage the powder through your dog’s coat using a towel. They also make commercial dry shampoo for dogs that you can give a try. There’s also great all natural freshening spray for those stinky days. Check out a few of our favorites at our Amazon Grooming Storefront page here.
4. Wash all your dog’s stuff!
Their bed, their toys, their blankets. Clean them all! This will keep your pup AND your house fresher and cleaner. Use pet-friendly cleaning products.
5. Clean the face, feet and fanny.
Dental chews are an easy way to maintain clean teeth, but monitoring the fruits and veggies they eat can also help with this. Keeping the gunk out of the eyes, ears and fanny can be life changing too.
Your dog, and your groomer will thank you for following these five grooming steps. Happy grooming!
Christine Fox: Writer and Top Dog of Wag ‘N’ Tails Dog Activity Center in Shelby Township, Michigan: Email: christine@wagntails.net
Check out the Grooming Products on our Amazon Storefront page:
Amazon Storefront
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Wag N’ Tails Grooming. Your dog will lick your face!
