Groom a Dog

Regular grooming is very important. It keeps your dog clean, healthy and manageable, as well as preventing yeast infections caused by matted hair, periodontal disease caused by uncared for teeth, ear infections from excessive buildup of wax, dirt and bacteria, etc. This article covers basic at-home grooming and ways to make the process more pleasant for everyone involved.

Steps

 * 1) Gather all necessary supplies before beginning to groom the dog. Make sure you have all you need to clean eyes and ears, trim nails and/or hair, brush teeth, bathe, and dry.
 * 2) [[Image:103952727_895f8fe16b.jpg|thumb|Puppy gets brushed]]Always brush your dog first, and do it thoroughly. Mats enlarge and become unmanageable when wet. If a mat goes undetected or coat care is neglected, you may have to shave or cut out the mat so that bacteria don't grow between it and the skin and cause a yeast infection. Short-haired dogs will probably only need to be gone over with a curry brush or glove, while medium- to long-coated dogs may require special tools like a slicker, a pin brush, or an undercoat rake.  Whatever you use, it must effectively remove loose hair and distribute oils from the skin throughout the coat.
 * 3) Follow with any necessary clipping or other grooming that needs to be done before the bath. For example, trim out any mats or large amounts of hair that will only waste your time shampooing and drying. Dogs look best when groomed after they are bathed and blow-dryed.
 * 4) *Eyes - Some breeds require more maintenance in this area than others. While it may be a simple matter of pulling eye boogers away from a potentially irritating spot in the corner of the eye, long-haired or white-haired dogs may require special attention to make sure that all gunk is truly out of the coat.  There are products made specially for removing "tear stains" from a white coat available in many pet supply stores or catalogs.  A healthy eye should be clear and should not show any signs of irritation or unusual discharge. Your vet can cut hair around the eyes for you, which can cause tear stains (do not try this yourself).
 * 5) *Ears - A clean ear may contain some wax and shouldn't have any particular smell to it. Warm any cleaner or medication in a container of body temperature water (as you would a baby bottle) before you put it in the ear.  Cold is painful in the ear canal. A few drops of warmed rubbing alcohol will dry water from the ear canal and kill bacteria, yeast and mites. To clean your dog's ears, apply some ear cleaning solution to a cotton ball and simply wipe dirt and wax away from the inner ear.  Don't rub vigorously as to cause sores, and don't travel too far into the ear; both could cause damage.  And don't expect your dog to like the process; you may be met with some resistance.  When you're done wiping out the ear with a damp cotton ball or cloth, gently dry it out with a dry one.  If your dog's ear looks swollen, red, irritated, dark or blackened, shows signs of discharge or sores, or smells really bad, call your veterinarian.  This is not normal and could be signaling an infection or disease.
 * 6) *[[Image:Brush-dogs-teeth.jpg|thumb|Brushing Dogs Teeth - Human Contact]]Teeth - According to veterinarians, about 80% of dogs have periodontal disease. Ouch!  If plaque is continually digested on a larger than normal scale, it can cause kidney or liver troubles.  And how unbelievably painful can you imagine suffering through teeth rotting out of your head to be?  Double ouch!  Try to brush your dog's teeth at least 2 to 3 times a week, or use PetzLife antimicrobial spray if you don't have time or your dog is particularly resistant to the idea.  Use only those products made specifically for dogs so that you don't unintentionally poison your dog.  You can use gauze over your finger or a toothbrush, or there are more advanced and effective products available. For example, PetsToothBrush is a surgical glove with bristles attached to the thumb and forefinger. But either way, ease your dog into the process so that it can be a pleasant experience rather than a stressful one and you don't get yourself bitten. Pets will usually prefer human touch rather than a hard plastic brush.  If your dog already has a considerable buildup of tartar and plaque, veterinary cleaning may be needed.  Some dogs will let you scrape the tartar if you are brave enough to try it. Just purchase a dental scraper and be gentle. Otherwise, brushing or spraying about 3 times weekly supplemented with the occasional frozen raw bone (acquired at any butcher or deli) should be enough for maintenance. Remember that you should not use human toothpaste on your pets. Pets will swallow the toothpaste and may get sick. There are several pet toothpaste products available, just be sure that whatever you use is specifically approved for pets.
 * 7) *Nails - If left uncared for, nails can grow to enormous lengths, twisting the toe and causing a pained, irregular gait that can lead to skeletal damage, sometimes even curling into the pads of the foot. To keep your dog's nails short, clip them regularly.  Depending on the dog, you may need to do it as often as once a week or as infrequently as once a month.  To clip the nails, trim a very small amount of nail (like 1/16 of an inch) away with a pair of dog nail clippers (unless it is a very young puppy or very small dog, in which case human clippers may suffice).  Should you accidentally clip too much nail away and hit a blood vessel, styptic powder or corn starch applied with a bit of pressure should stop any bleeding.
 * 8) [[Image:108356632_bc9dea6941.jpg|thumb|Is it over yet?]]Get your dog into the tub and, if necessary, secure to something such as a suction cup-type bath lead to keep him or her in place. Some dogs are frightened by the sound of running water - if this is the case, you need to desensitize the dog to the sound. Filling a tub with water and using it for bathing just leaves your dog sitting in dirty bath water.  The regular collar should be off and replaced with one that will not stain the coat or be damaged by water to restrain the dog in the tub.  Do not put on the dog's regular collar until late in the day (if you bathe in the morning or early afternoon) or the next day (if you bathe in the evening).  A collar can cause sores around the neck of a dog who is not fully dry.
 * 9) [[Image:113780743_87c4920281.jpg|thumb|Getting hosed down]]Thoroughly wet down your dog. If you have a medium or large dog, or one with a double coat, a water pressurizer attached to the hose or a hose attachment for the sink, bath spout, or shower head can help you clean all parts of your dog's body with ease. Just don't force the dog if the noise hurts its ears. Desensitize it to the sound of running water so it won't be frightened.
 * 10) Begin shampooing at the neck and move downward. Shampoos will always be easier to apply and rinse off if diluted. It's better to give 2 diluted shampoos that rinse thoroughly than one strong shampoo that leaves residue. When you are shampooing a certain area, give it a few squirts and use your hand to spread the shampoo.  For double coated dogs, a curry brush such as the Kong Zoom Groom will help you work the shampoo into the coat, especially long-haired dogs cannot simply be scrubbed with a curry.  They will need to have the shampoo worked into the hair by smoothing it into a length of coat and continuing like that over the dog, or you will pay in gigantic mats.  Save the head for last, and don't actually use soap around the ears and eyes. Be careful around the nose and mouth too.
 * 11) [[Image:12008317_4d9b9173c5.jpg|thumb|Don't miss a spot!]]Thoroughly rinse your dog. As long as you see dirt or soap bubbles in the water coming off of an area, keep spraying, then move on.  Shampoo left in the coat will cause hot spots, an irritating spot of bald, itchy, red skin.
 * 12) Towel dry your dog as best as you can. If your dog has a very short coat or you prefer to let your dog's coat dry naturally, you're done.  If you have a double coated or long-haired dog, keep reading.
 * 13) *Blow dry the dog as best as you can without completely drying him or her. You don't want to dry out the skin.  If you have a dog with especially long hair, you may need to dry the coat while brushing it.
 * 14) *Dogs with curly coats like poodles and Bichons need to be dried thoroughly or the hair will revert to curl. Feet always need to be dried thoroughly as well or fungus may take hold.
 * 15) *When blow drying your dogs hair make sure that the blow dryer is on the cool setting! It may take longer than usual, but it's worth the time because there will be less of a chance your dog's hair and skin will dry out.

Things You'll Need
Short haired dogs: Medium-Long haired dogs: All dogs:
 * Curry bush or glove
 * Slicker, Pin brush, or Undercoat rake
 * Ear cleaner
 * Rubbing alcohol
 * Cotton ball/cloth
 * Pet toothbrush/PetzLife
 * Dog nail clippers
 * Collar
 * Dog shampoo
 * Blow dryer/towel

Tips

 * [[Image:P6070055.jpg|thumb|right|180px]]*Grooming tables and raised bath tubs can significantly decrease the stress on your back caused by bending down to groom your dog. An out-of-commission dinner table or piece of plywood on a sturdy surface could serve as a makeshift grooming table, but always have a non-skid surface for the dog to stand on. Sure footing makes the dog more confident. Hardware stores usually carry rubber-backed or rubber runners sold by the yard that you can cut to size of any surface.
 * If you need to blow dry your dog, consider a professional quality dryer like the Double K Airmax. Double coated dogs like Bernese Mountain Dogs may take as long as six hours to dry with a human dryer, which can also burn them if not used carefully.  A professional quality dryer can cut drying time enormously.  If a human dryer will dry your dog in a reasonable amount of time, consider a hand held dog dryer, such as the Crazy Dog dryer, to eliminate or minimize the risk of burning your pet.
 * If you find it impractical to buy expensive grooming supplies like raised tubs or professional dryers to use at home because of lack of space or the infrequent bathing needs of your dog, check out a self-serve dog wash. They offer use of these tools at a lower price than having someone bathe your dog for you and, the best part is they get to clean up the mess!
 * You may need to occasionally pluck ear hairs. Ask a veterinarian or professional groomer to show you how to pluck the hairs from your dog's ear safely and correctly. Ear powder makes the process easier and quicker by giving added gripping power to the slipperery ear hairs.
 * If you can't find the time to bathe your dog, he still needs grooming to stay clean, healthy, and tolerable. Consider paying for a professional groomer to clean your dog when you can't.
 * Add a little Dawn dish soap to your dog's shampoo to kill some adult fleas.
 * Find out what routine coat care is necessary for your dog's breed or coat type. There may be specific requirements by breed that are needed to keep the coat clean and/or in a certain condition.  To keep a Komondor, for instance, the coat needs special attention to separate forming cords.
 * A great grooming tool is the shedding rake when grooming the GSD!
 * Be sure to remove hair between the pads.It can be very uncomfortable for a dog with hair between his/her pads.

Warnings

 * Avoid using human shampoos on your pet as these are not formulated for them. Human shampoo products may dry your dog's skin and remove too much of the natural oils needed to promote healthy skin and fur. Instead, buy and use a shampoo formulated for use on your pet.
 * Try to avoid getting shampoo into your dog's eyes. It could seriously irritate them. Putting shampoo into your hands before spreading it into your dog's fur, rather than applying it straight from the bottle, is a good way to control the areas that receive shampoo and the areas that don't.  Be careful not to let suds get into your dog's eyes when rinsing and gently squeeze his ears shut to keep water out when working on those areas.
 * If you are shy about touching certain parts of your dog, get over it. If you are going to clean your dog, you must clean your dog's whole body.  Be especially careful to avoid hot water or medicated shampoos on the genital area.  It's much more sensitive than human skin in the same area.
 * Don't overdo bathing. Once every two weeks is typically enough; professional grooming services are recommended once every 4 to 6 weeks.  Bathing too often (once a week is okay for some dogs, but not most) can dry out the skin and deprive it of natural oils, but if you live in a city where the streets are filthy, and it is preferable to bathe on weekly basis, dilute the shampoo 10 parts water to 1 part shampoo. Spray bottles with waterless shampoos are ideal for quick foot and butt clean up. Spot spray directly and sponge off with a damp sponge.  Soap-free shampoos that can be diluted are less irritating than regular shampoos and are good when you're concerned about maintaining healthy skin and coat when frequent bathing is necessary.  These can be found online and through some pet supply stores.
 * It is a reflexive action for many dogs to try to pull away their back leg if it is lifted. Don't be upset or punish the dog, just struggle through it and praise your dog when he or she is still.  If you have a medium or large dog, you may be able to get away with clipping the nails on the hind feet without having to lift the foot.
 * Never get water into your dog's ears- it could seriously hurt them. If water does somehow leak in, get a small cotton ball or cotton pad (not a Q-tip, as it could go too far in) and gently pat the inside of your dogs ear. If your dog seems to be scratching his/her ear after bathing constantly, take them to a vet so as to remove any water.
 * Never use human toothpaste when brushing your pet's teeth. Pets may swallow toothpaste and could get sick. Use only veterinary toothpaste.
 * ALWAYS check with a veterinarian if your pet has skin problems or is easily frightened. If you don't, you could get into a very sticky situation.
 * Try to brush your own dogs teeth, rather than going to a groomer to do it. The medicine they give your dog to calm him/her down when they brush his/her teeth can cause the dog to have an allergic reaction and can be dangerous.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Give a Small Dog a Bath
 * How to Brush Matts out of Dog Hair
 * How to Groom a Dog Without Expensive Grooming Tools
 * How to Groom and Train a Yorkshire Terrier
 * How to Trim a Dog's Nails
 * How to Be a Responsible Dog Owner

Sources and Citations

 * http://www.total-german-shepherd.com - German Shepherd Information
 * http://www.pedigreedpups.com - Purebred dog and puppy information
 * http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/614_dog-grooming-basics.htm - Videos on how to groom a dog
 * http://petproductmall.com/dog/grooming