How to Groom a Dog at Home

Overview

Grooming a dog does not have to be stressful and definitely is do-able at home.

Many dog parents leave dog grooming to professional pet groomers. But if we learn how to groom a dog at home, not only will it save us lots of money, but it will also give us a chance to regularly check on the health conditions of our dog while grooming.

Grooming our dog at home on a regular basis enables us to observe and identify abnormalities in our dog's body early on, and that can sometimes mean life or death to our pet down the road.

Don't know how to groom a dog? Don't worry! This page contains links to different grooming pages that cover some very basic yet useful dog grooming tips and techniques.

How to Groom A Dog at Home:

Brushing Dog Teeth

It is essential to keep our dog's teeth clean by daily brushing, not only to prevent gum disease such as tartar buildup and gingivitis, but also to prevent bacteria in the mouth from causing systemic problems to other organs such as the liver, heart, and so on.

Access this page to get tips and advice on how to brush your dog's teeth stress-free!

Ear Cleaning

Cleaning our dog's ears is another must-do. Keeping the ears clean means fewer opportunies for ear mites to grow and ear infections to occur. Access our page on ear cleaning for everything you need to know about dog ear cleaning - from the "how" to the "what" (what natural ear cleaning solutions we can use)...

Dog Bathing

Does your dog hate bathing? Does he run away every time you mention the word "shower"? See this page for suggestions on how to make bathing an enjoyable time for both you and your dog! You will also find suggestions of different natural doggie shampoos for various skin issues.

Removing Skunk Smell

Dog sprayed by skunks is no laughing matter because the sulphuric spray is not only extremely foul smelling, but it can also blind a dog for up to two days if it hits the dog's eyes.

In addition, it is very difficult to get the spray out of a dog's coat.

If you have a curious dog and live in a place where "skunk encounter" is frequent, be sure to read this page!

Dog Nail Trimming

Some dogs put up a big fight when it comes time for nail trimming. Some dog parents simply leave this task to the vet or the dog groomer.

Wouldn't it be nice if your dog allows you to trim his nails every time you take out the nail clipper? It can be done! See this page for some useful tips.

Also read this page to see how to care for your dog's paws and maintain paw health.

Expressing Anal Glands

OK, I have to admit that this part of dog grooming is the most unpleasant one, and you may want to leave it to your vet.

However, if you don't mind the mess and the smell, you can do it too! In any event, please do access our page on this topic to learn more about the importance of properly expressing a dog's anal glands and the possible consequences if they are not emptied regularly.

Removing Tear Stains

For dogs with white hair, they may have some unsightly brown tear stains on their face, just below the inside corners of their eyes.

Can the stains be removed? Read our page on Removing Tear Stains to find out.