Paper Example on Grooming Your Dog at Home - A Money-Saving Option

Dogs are man's best friend as they bring incredible joy and pleasure to families all over the world. For dogs to become habitable in the typical household, they need to be groomed regularly, whether personally or by a grooming service. Grooming services tend to be expensive, but grooming can quickly and easily be done at home for those who want to save money. Grooming provides hygienic care to dogs and gives them an attractive and suitable appearance. Every dog owner needs to adhere to a grooming schedule. For grooming to be successful, dog owners need to associate their home grooming sessions with attention, treats, and praise, as grooming can be stressful for most dogs (Pariso and Corsilla). The process of dog grooming includes bathing, trimming nails, cleaning ears, and occasionally brushing teeth.

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You can wash your dog once a month or less as over washing them tends to make their skin dry and itchy. Most dogs loath bathing; consequently, when bathing dogs, one needs to use a soothing tone and treat them regularly. When bathing a dog, it is suitable to use a gentle shampoo designed for dogs. It is harmful to use human shampoo on dogs as the ingredients in the shampoo may be harmful to the dog's skin (Pariso and Corsilla). If the water is too hot for you, then it is also too hot for the dog. It is advisable to wash your dog outside to avoid clogging the drain as dogs shed a lot of hair when they are being bathed. Bathing dogs before grooming is important as it cleans their coats and removes any unwanted parasites living on the dog's fur. Make sure to check for redness and flakiness of the dog's skin. Such problems may require a visit to the veterinary clinic.

Once the dog is fully washed up, and the coat is dry, it important to brush the fur to remove tangles and matted hair. Brushing begins from the head going down to the lower parts of the dog's body. One needs to be careful and gentle when brushing the sensitive body parts such as the underside of the dog's stomach (Rowlands). The places where the fur is heavily matted, you simply brush around them, and you will deal with them afterward. When brushing, be gentle to avoid irritating the dog's skin. Brushing may take longer, more so when dealing with the long-haired breeds.

After brushing, clippers are used to cut the dog's hair to the desired length. Clippers are more efficient and safer as compared to using scissors. The clippers need to be sharp to avoid pulling on the dog's hair. When using a clipper, one needs to check its temperature because they overheat after extended use. Clippers are used to cut hair from the head going down, and guards are attached to the clippers to guide on what length to cut. Begin by carefully clearing the matted areas you came about while brushing. Matted areas are sometimes very close to the roots and are highly susceptible to infections; thus, one needs to be very mindful when using clippers around these areas (Rowlands).

Finally, scissors are used to do the finishing touches on grooming. The scissors are exceptionally useful in touching and trimming the hair around the dog's face and legs. When grooming at home, it is advisable to have an extra hand helping out to avoid unnecessary accidents when shaving and trimming the dog. Conclusively, it is important to groom your dog to keep them healthy and to ensure they look neat, cute, and tidy.

Works Cited

Pariso, Dominique, and Liza Corsillo. "How to Groom Your Dog at Home, According to Experts." The Strategist, 8 May 2020, nymag.com/strategist/article/how-to-groom-a-dog.html.

Rowlands, Richard. "How to Groom Your Dog at Home: Actual Tips 2020." SitStay, 30 July 2018, sitstay.com/blogs/good-dog-blog/how-to-groom-your-dog-at-home-1.