For your dog’s long term health and comfort, regular grooming is so important. Maintaining your dog’s fur at home between regular grooming visits with a professional. As we discussed in a previous blog post about matting, there are dangerous consequences to leaving your pet’s fur tangled for long periods of time.
From matting to fleas, letting your pet’s fur go unbrushed could have serious and long term consequences for your dog.
For those who find it difficult to brush their pup once a week, never mind every other day (which you should do if your dog has been shedding frequently), the below will provide some guidance on how to brush your pup — the right way.
Supplies
Good Brush
You’ll want a good brush with a firm rubber backing and short bent wires. It also helps to buy a brush that works with your hand and grip. Having a brush like this will create a gentler experience for your dog and also for you. Brushing can be a bit strenuous when reaching spots like their legs (which are one of the most neglected areas during at-home grooming sessions), but it shouldn’t be overly uncomfortable for you or your pet.
Solid Comb
As we discussed in our previous post, choosing a solid and metal comb with one side with medium teeth will work well.
A Grooming Product
A doggie dry shampoo, anti-static grooming spray, or a powdered conditioner are great to have in your toolkit. Before choosing a product though, speak with your professional groomer who can recommend the best products based on your pup and their coat.
Surfaces
While you could brush them on the floor or even in the bathtub, doing this could send the wrong message to your pup. Seeing you on the floor with them could prompt excited play or being placed in the tub could make your dog anxious if they don’t enjoy baths.
For your comfort and your dog’s, it’s best to groom them on a taller surface like a table, a cleared counter space, or the top of your washing machine. Adding an old sheet will protect the surface for an easier clean up after, and you can also place down a rubber mat to provide a grippy surface for your dog.
Subdue
It might not seem natural to take a stoic approach when you start the brushing process, but it might be necessary. By treating this process seriously, your dog will hopefully not take this as an invitation to play. Don’t be afraid to take a firm and gentle grip on your pet to keep them in place as you brush.
Start
You want to make sure that you brush each part of them and while they might not have a lot of hair, that doesn’t mean tiny tangles aren’t hiding in their fur. A delicate approach to detangling these knots is important to not cause your pet to be in pain. Different knots and tangles may require either smaller or medium teeth and it’s important to use a solid comb that won’t break like plastic.
Sometimes people make the mistake of brushing the top of the coat and don’t get close enough to the skin. This is why when people bring in their pets, they are shocked that their groomer is pulling out the shorter clippers and leaving their pup with a lot less fur. Being gentle and thorough while brushing your pup is completely possible and the more you do it, the more your pup will get used to it as well.