A guide to dog grooming

Whether your dog needs a simple quick clip or a full-on makeover, the feeling of embracing your knot-free, freshly groomed pet is blissful. We know it’s important to find the right pet groomer who can provide the best type of care for your four legged friend, so here are three tips to ensure a smooth pet groom.

When to groom your dog

According to pet groomer, Jane from Puppy Love, the best time to organise a groom is when your pet’s matting or knotting, is closer to the top of the fur. If the knots are close to the skin, it’s likely that the dog will need to be shaved by grooming from underneath the knots.

Do your dog a favour and organise a groom while the knot is not yet close to the skin.

How often to groom your dog

The frequency of your grooms is an individual choice, depending more on lifestyle and preference. If it’s a clip, aim for every 10-12 weeks, but for a wash, dogs with easy to manage coats can go 6-8 weeks. Take care of your pet’s fur with frequent brushing and washing between grooms.

Keeping your dog calm during a groom

To help your pet enjoy the pampering experience, make it as comfortable as possible by keeping a favourite toy or blankie handy.

It’s important that you let the pet groomer know beforehand of any anxiety or nervousness in your pet so the expert can do their best to accommodate. It can involve helping your pet get used to the sound of the clippers or sometimes, it’s as simple as a little love. Jane says that before every pet groom, she loves getting on the dog’s level to connect with them personally.

After the groom is done, don’t forget to reward your pet with long cuddles or appease your dog’s love of food with a tasty treat during the groom.

Clipping

Clipping is the most popular pet grooming request on Oneflare, followed by bath requests. While clipping seems easy to imitate, Jane recommends a professional clip rather than a simple DIY.

“Most owners pick up some clippers because they see it’s easy but they can end up cutting their dog, developing a fear of being groomed.”

If you need a simple cut between professional clips, soften the nails first with a bath or gradually clip little by little. There are many grooming tools at your disposal, ensure such as Bristle brushes, wire-pin brushes, shedders, rakes, blades and each tool has their place. Dematting your dog is often a crucial first step if your dog has long coat.