Ultimate DIY Dog Grooming Guide for Beginners 2023 | Dog Grooming Tips

If you want to lower the cost of owning a pet, this ultimate guide to DIY dog grooming can help. Many of us rely on professional groomers to take care of our dogs’ grooming needs.

Should you groom your dog at home?

While it can be convenient and time-saving to outsource this job to a professional, dog grooming services can come with a significant price tag. Dog grooming services usually cost $40 and upwards and can even verge into the $100 plus territory! Yikes!

You can minimize this cost by learning to do some of your dog’s regular maintenance at home. Things like regularly brushing your dog, trimming his nails, and the occasional bath can help to reduce how often your dog will need professional grooming.

How to Groom Your Dog At Home

The alternative to paying a professional is doing your own dog grooming at home. Not only is grooming your dog at home a great way to bond with your pet, but it’s also fantastic for your wallet. How to clip dog hair?

If you’ve avoided dog grooming because you imagine it to be too difficult to get a handle on, you’re not alone. It can certainly feel intimidating to start if you simply dive in. How often to brush dog?

That’s why we recommend you first arm yourself with some expert advice. To help you out, we’ve put together this handy guide of DIY dog grooming tips for bathing, brushing, and trimming your dog.

In addition, we will answer these common questions for pet owners: How often should I groom my dog? What grooming do dogs need? What do I need to get my dog groomed?

 

General Grooming Tips

DIY dog grooming at home can be something that both you and your furry friend look forward to, especially with breeds like the Portuguese Water Dog. This is especially true if you make the experience something that your dog enjoys.

Use these simple training tips to keep grooming sessions positive and stress-free. Many a breed’s coats require grooming, from the long-haired Bichon Frise to the curly coat of the poodle.

Check out the following blog to discover free dog grooming instructions:

Choose the Right Grooming Tools

What tools do I need to groom my dog? This is a common question that pet parents might ask before getting started. Having the right tools will not only make dog grooming much easier, but it will also be much safer. 

Here’s a quick list of the basics to get started:

Keep reading for more tips and product recommendations to aid you in all of your at-home grooming of  dog routines.

Reward and Praise Often

It would do dog owners well to have some very small pieces of what your dog would consider a high-value reward on hand. These include little bits of things she loves, such as bits of cooked chicken, cheese, or her favourite commercial dog treats.

Here are a few of our favourite, super tasty dog snacks that you can try:

When she is behaving particularly well during her grooming session, such as laying down nicely and giving “soft eyes” showing that she is relaxed, then let her know with a “Good Girl!” and a treat.

When she is behaving particularly well during her grooming session, such as laying down nicely and giving “soft eyes” showing that she is relaxed, then let her know with a “Good Girl!” and a treat.

By praising and rewarding during grooming of dog sessions, you are teaching your dog to associate the grooming ritual with a pleasurable experience where she gets some extra good stuff.

This will help her not only look forward to the next grooming of dog session but also help her overcome the trauma if you accidentally nip her with the clippers.

Avoid Correcting Your Dog While Grooming

Along the same lines of reward and praise, avoiding harsh verbal corrections during your sessions will go a long way toward keeping the tone positive. Correcting your dog while he is already a little bit stressed out only makes things more stressful and scary.

It is unlikely to be effective at stopping any fear responses and may even make them worse.

Just ignore behaviour that is not ideal, such as when he yanks his paw away from the nail clipper and instead focus on rewarding the best behaviour. Eventually, the undesirable moves will decrease in favour of the behaviour you have rewarded.

Bring Patience and Calmness to the Table

Your dog is tuned into your emotional state of mind. When you start to get frustrated, whether or not you show it, your canine feels it. If you notice that you are starting to feel frustrated, it is better to end the session than to press on.

Ultimately, you want your dog to experience grooming as a positive experience. If you can’t provide that by staying calm and positive, you may contribute to your dog’s anxiety about being brushed, bathed, trimmed, or clipped.

While it may not be a problem now, you can accidentally create a problem down the road if you try to groom your dog when you are not in a positive frame of mind.

Use a Grooming Table

Are you wondering, “What do I need to get my dog groomed?” The answer is a grooming table.

Most of us don’t have a proper area to groom our dogs at home, so we make do with a makeshift area. If you’ve made the switch to dog grooming, it’s well worth buying a well-designed dog grooming table to get the job done properly.

A dog grooming table will help perfectly position your dog so you can give them the support and comfort they need during your grooming session. Using a grooming table is the easiest way to groom your dog accurately and efficiently.

De-shed Your Dog’s Coat

If your dog is prone to shedding, you should make de-shedding a regular part of your dog grooming routine.

“If you’re sick of constantly cleaning up your dog’s excess hair, you should learn to de-shed them with a de-shedding tool,” says Angela Stringfellow from Pet Life Today. “These tools are designed to be easy to use, so you’ll quickly pick it up. Your dog will look smarter with their well-groomed coat, and you also won’t need to waste so much time cleaning up after them.”

Try a de-shedding tool like the Furminator. These brushes are best for shedding dogs because they are designed to safely remove dead fur that is loosely attached and can reduce shedding by up to 90%.

Don’t Forget the Nails!

With all the focus on grooming your dog’s coat and skin, it can be easy to forget about their nails. After all, their nails aren’t as visible as their hair, so it’s no wonder they sometimes grow a little too long.

Clipping your dog’s nails prevents them from suffering any pain or infections too. We’ll go into more detail with tips for clipping your dog’s nails below!

Start Spot Grooming

Leaving all of your dog’s grooming to the last minute will mean that you have a lot to take care of at once. It’s far better to continually groom your dog. What we mean by this is that you make little fixes when you can.

For instance, if you notice your dog’s ears are in need of ear cleaning but you don’t have the time to give them a big clean, use a dog ear cleaner, like Burt’s Bees Ear Cleaner. Likewise, if their eyes have tear stains, you can wipe them off with some eye wipes.

Allergen Check

Can dogs have allergies? Yes, they can! And a clear indicator of dog allergies is dry, itchy skin (or worse) hot spots.

These painful, dry patches and characterized by red, raised bumps on the surface of the skin. Your pet may also bite or lick them excessively. Hot spots can be a sign of environmental or food allergies. For immediate relief, seek out hot spot sprays or ointments, such as Vet’s Best Hot Spot Spray.

Grooming regularly can also help soothe your pets’ skin and stay on top of their allergies. However, it’s wise to determine what exactly is causing the allergies in the first place.

If food allergies seem to be the problem, make sure you are checking their dog food as well as their treats. Dog treats can have ingredients you may not have expected hidden in the list.

Whole foods and natural treats make better choices than cheaper mass-market treats available at your grocery store. These low-quality treats often include high-allergen ingredients such as corn, wheat, and soy.

Pets can also have environmental and seasonal allergies, just like we do. Detergents, cleaning supplies, parasites, seasonal allergens, and foods could be causing your pet’s dry skin.

Dogs and Hair Loss

Has your dog started to lose its hair? Canine hair loss can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as parasites, infections, and allergies. Known as ‘canine alopecia’, hair loss is often accompanied by signs of irritation and infection, such as reddened or dry skin.

There are five common causes of dog hair loss:

• • Allergies
  • Cushing’s disease
  • Ringworm
  • Rashes and hives
  • Mange

Is your dog losing more fur than standard seasonal shedding? Are there signs of skin irritation? Then your dog might have an underlying health condition that needs treatment.

If you suspect that your pet is suffering from one of the above conditions, you should seek veterinarian assistance to treat the underlying cause of the hair loss, and then you can focus on improved home grooming.

Symptoms that can accompany hair loss include:

• • Itching

  • Redness

  • Rash

  • Bumps

  • Bad odour

  • Indications of infection on the skin

  • Changes in behaviour

Overgrooming or improper grooming can contribute to hair loss, so if you start to notice symptoms of hair loss or skin irritation, discontinue your grooming practices and contact your vet. 

 

DIY Dogs Grooming Tips: Bathing

Bathing your dog is an important part of dog grooming as it helps to remove any excess debris and hair they may have. In turn, bathing keeps their coat clean and silky and also minimizes any unpleasant odours.

Bathing your dog properly can help reduce shedding and promote skin health. Here are a few tips to make the most of this dog grooming ritual:

How Often Should I Bathe My Dog?

How often you bathe your dog will depend on several factors. The length of their fur, how dirty they get (city dogs tend to need fewer baths than country dogs who spend more time rolling around in the dirt), and your tolerance for “dog smell” are all important considerations.

Your dog has natural oils in its skin that protect both the skin and the hair from drying out. It takes 2-3 days after these oils are stripped from a bath time for them to restore throughout the coat. Therefore, it is quite possible to bathe your dog too much.

Too much bathing can be bad for your pet’s skin and encourage shedding. Keep baths down to once a month.

Unless your vet makes recommendations for your dog to the contrary, bathing more than a few times a month is probably overdoing it.

Bathe Your Dog with the Right Products

Many dogs are sensitive to certain chemicals used to make shampoo smell good or act as stronger detergents. It is important to stick to dog shampoos made with natural ingredients designed to be gentle and moisturizing for your dog’s skin health.

Also, it is important to make sure you are using a dog shampoo that is made specifically for dogs. Human shampoos have different pH and can dry out your pet’s skin further. They also can contain dyes and perfumes that could cause irritation in sensitive pets.

We recommend selecting a well-reviewed dog-safe shampoo such as Earthbath’s Oatmeal & Aloe Shampoo. You’ll also need a soothing dog conditioner, such as Skout’s Honor’s Probiotic Dog Shampoo + Conditioner.

Using high-quality products will ensure your dog gets a thorough clean and can enjoy a luxurious bathing experience to boot. Dog dry skin and shedding can occur if you use a shampoo that is too harsh for the coat.

Use a Probiotic Shampoo

If a persistent foul odour is a problem for your dog, more bathing with strong detergent soaps may even make the problem worse. Instead, choose a gentle probiotic shampoo with Omega-3, which deeply moisturizes dry skin and promotes the good bacteria your dog needs for healthy skin.

Don’t Forget the Conditioner

If you are wondering how to moisturize dogs coat, then a high-quality dog conditioner can help. Use a pet conditioner after shampooing, or use a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner.

Make sure to let the conditioner sit on your pet’s coat for a few minutes to absorb into the skin. Look for natural shampoos, coconut oil, and conditioners, like the Kin + Kind line. Harsh chemicals or dyes found in conventional bathing products can further dry out the skin.

Adding essential fatty acids or a skin conditioner like coconut oil to your pet’s food can moisturize the skin and coat and reduce shedding.

Try Waterless Bathing

Does your dog object to bath time? You might wonder, what do I need to get my dog groomed if I can’t use water? You can try either dry shampoo or handy pet wipes.

If your pet needs a refresher, but you don’t want to bathe her and potentially worsen her dry skin, there is an alternative. Waterless dog shampoos, like Tropiclean Papaya and Coconut Waterless Shampoo, or pet wipes, such as Earthbath Hypoallergenic Pet Wipes, can keep pets clean and fresh in between regular baths.

A Note About Puppies

Unless instructed by your veterinarian, avoid bathing puppies under the age of 12 weeks. Very young pups can’t maintain their body heat efficiently, making them very susceptible to catching a chill after a bath time which can lead to other illnesses.

In addition, their skin tends to be very sensitive, so allowing their natural oils to do their job to protect their skin is recommended.

How Often to Groom a Puppy?

Just like their adult counterparts, a puppy needs bathing. It’s important to give your pup a bath time in their early months, so they get used to being groomed and start enjoying the process young. However, excessive bathing can cause dry skin, so you’ll need to find a balance that meets the young dog’s coat needs.

Between the ages of six to 12 months, puppies have incredibly soft baby fur that is different from an adult’s harsher coat. Baby fur lacks the abundance of natural oils found in older canines. Too much washing can disrupt the coat’s natural oil production.

Ideally, you should only bathe a puppy once a month until they reach six months old and then increase the number of baths to twice per month. If your pup should get extra stinky or dirty, then it is okay to provide an extra bath.

Bathing your dog monthly helps set the groundwork for a lifetime love of grooming.

Tips on Bathing Your Puppy

Below are a few tips on how to bathe your puppy:

• • • Invest in a puppy shampoo that won’t dry out your pup’s fur.

    • Bathe your puppy in the tub or sink.

    • Always use warm water that is not too hot or too cold

    • Take great care to rinse the soap out completely to prevent the skin from drying out.

    • Use a towel for drying.

DIY Dog Grooming Tips: Hair Cutting

With these free dog grooming instructions, you can learn the dos and don’t of cutting dog hair, like how much to cut dog hair and which dog breeds shouldn’t ever get a dog haircut. 

Short Growth Breeds

There are two basic kinds of dog hair. Short-growth hair is fur that gets to a certain length, dies, and then regrows. Most breeds have this type of fur.

Examples include Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, and German Shepherds. You know your dog has short-growth hair if they maintain a certain fur length without needing to have a haircut.

It is important to understand that if you do have a short-growth breed of dog, you should never cut their hair or shave them unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian.

Many people mistakenly believe that shaving a dog, such as a German Shepherd, down will help them stay cool in the summer months. In fact, the opposite is true. By removing their fur, you are also removing their protection from both the heat and UV rays of the sun.

Instead of trimming their fur to cool them down, try some cooling gear like a dog cooling vest or bandana. 

Long Growth Breeds

The second type of dog hair is long growth. For long-growth breeds such as Poodles and Shih Tzus, the hair will continue to grow indefinitely until it is cut.

Many so-called “hypoallergenic” dog breeds actually have this type of long-growth hair. Since the hairs don’t die and shed as regularly, these canines leave less hair behind to get stuck in carpets, drapes, and furniture.

For dogs with long-growth hair, haircuts are a required grooming practice. Depending on the style of cut that you prefer, as well as the speed at which your dog’s hair grows, you may need to give her a trim every 4-8 weeks.

Use the Right Dog Clippers

The best way to trim dog hair is to make sure you have the right tools. You can save a great deal of money by learning how to clip your dog’s hair at home.

The most important key to success is to start with high-quality, professional-grade dog clippers. Cheap gear is a recipe for frustration.

They will require more blade changes, they can heat up and burn your dog, and the motors will burn out quickly. It costs less, in the long run, to invest in top-quality clippers right from the start.

Start Off Easy

Start with easy cuts, such as a puppy cut. This style uses only a few different blade changes and keeps the process very simple. Once you have the hang of using your clippers, you can graduate to fancier styles.

Be Extra, Extra Careful

Use dog safety shears to do the delicate areas around the eyes and ears. The blades are very sharp in order to cut hair cleanly, but they have a rounded tip to prevent accidentally harming your dog with the pointy tip found on most scissors instead.

Only professional groomers should use clippers in the face area since one wrong move can have disastrous consequences.

 

DIY Dogs Grooming Tips: Brushing

Brushing serves three important functions. First, it helps to remove dead hairs, which can drastically decrease shedding inside your home. Second, it helps move the natural oils of your dog’s skin throughout the fur, keeping it glossy and healthy. Third, it keeps small tangles from turning into mats that can require clippers to remove.

How Often Should I Brush My Dog?

If you’re wondering what grooming do dogs need? The answer is that all dogs, whether short-haired or long-haired, benefit from daily brushing.

There’s a reason why dogs who sport a luscious coat appear to be so healthy. As DogTime points out, brushing their coat regularly serves a number of purposes. For starters, it removes excess hair. It also helps to distribute the natural oils in your dog’s fur and skin.

Brushing regularly gives you the chance to look for signs that something is not quite right with their coat, such as matted or tangled fur, or if you find anything worrying on their skin, like lumps, ticks, fleas, and cuts. Get in the habit of brushing your dog’s coat regularly with a reliable dog comb or brush.

So if you are asking how often to brush dog fur? Most medium to long-haired dogs will benefit from being brushed at least once a week, outside if possible. Short-haired breeds, such as Pitbulls, don’t require brushing at all. Longer silky breeds, such as the Bearded Collie, may require daily brushing to keep their coats tangle-free.

Use the Right Brushes and Combs

Specialized brushes and combs made just for dogs are important for being as effective as possible when brushing your dog. Well-designed dog brushes allow you to reach through both the topcoat and the downy undercoat without scratching her skin.

There are many options for dog brushes, so check out this chart to get an idea of which dog brush might be appropriate for your dog’s coat.

A good quality dog brush can decrease the amount of time you spend brushing and reduce pet shedding. Using the right pet brush can make sure you are getting all the shed hair you can from your pet.

Undercoat rakes, slicker brushes, rubber brushes, and shedding blades are just a few of the different tools you can use to reduce shed pet hair in your house. 

A Note About Double-Coated Breeds

Many double-coated breeds, such as Huskies and German Shepherds, develop a thick downy undercoat in the winter months. These breeds will generally have a large shed in the spring when the weather turns warm. When they start to shed this undercoat, you will need to brush them as much as twice a day for a week or two until the undercoat is gone.

Specialized tools, such as the Furminator Deshedding Tool, make this heavy-duty job much easier.

Checking for Fleas

You’ll need to regularly check your dog for fleas. Fleas and ticks are small, dark insects. Favourite locations for fleas include the armpit and groin area. Gently part the dog’s fur so you can examine the skin. Look for evidence of flea dirt or the fleas themselves. 

Look for the following signs:

• • Red skin
  • Bumps
  • Scratching
  • Adult fleas may jump off the dog or scurry through its fur
  • Larvae
  • Flea dirt, which appears as small black specks

Learn more about dealing with fleas in A Complete Guide to Treat and Prevent Fleas On Dogs.

Looking for Ticks on Your Dog

If you regularly take your dog hiking or to dog parks, then the pooch is susceptible to ticks, which are a problem for canines and humans alike in North America. 

Regularly run your fingers through your dog’s fur, looking for any small bumps. If you find a tick on your dog, then you can safely remove the tick from the pet using a pair of fine-point tweezers or a tool specially designed for tick removal.

Check the following areas on your dog for ticks:

• • Head and ears
  • Toes
  • Tail
  • Eyelids
  • Groin
  • Armpits
  • Under the collar

 

DIY Dog Grooming Tips: Deshedding

No amount of sweeping or vacuuming seems to affect the endless wave of pet hair that attaches to every surface in your home. Try as we might, shed happens!

Shedding season brings even more pet hair tumbleweeds, and while these seasonal transitions aren’t fun for anyone, it’s a natural and healthy part of your pet’s skin and coat health.

Shedding and dry skin in dogs are a constant problem for many pets and their owners. All pets shed at least a little, even hypoallergenic breeds, but here are some tips to limit the amount.

How Often Should I Use Deshedding Tools?

Even though it’s important to stay on top of your pet’s grooming during shedding seasons, they actually shed all year long. Routine grooming practices help keep their skin and coat healthier and prevent matting, tangles, and breakage.

Most deshedding tools will remove dead hair that is still loosely attached, but when those hairs are gone, deshedding tools can start to pull at fur with live roots. This is why deshedding should be done less frequently than regular brushing.

Depending on the type of hair that your pet has, deshedding is recommended weekly, with regular brushing as close to daily as possible. This will collect dead, loose hair that is just waiting to jump onto the couch or your clothing. and leave live healthy hair alone.

Regular deshedding practices will also help desensitize your pet to the grooming process. Many pets fear deshedding tools, especially if they get groomed infrequently, so it’s best to slowly get your dog used to the deshedding process while incentivizing the process with treats, toys, and lots of love. 

How to Help with Dog Shedding

Managing your dog’s seasonal sheds doesn’t have to be difficult. You are probably wondering, how do I stop my dog from shedding so much? The right dog deshedding solutions can help to reduce the amount of dog hair that floats around your house and help your dog get through a heavy shed with fewer issues.

When it comes to normal, year-round shedding, though, prevention is the best solution. In addition to regular deshedding practices, you can further reduce shedding by keeping their skin and coat healthy. Let’s find out what you can do to minimize daily shedding.

Feed the Right Diet

A poor diet can contribute to your pet’s shedding and dry skin. If you’ve tried other solutions to your pet’s shedding problem, try upgrading to whole, natural pet food.

What you put into your pet affects what comes out, and we’re not talking about poop this time. Their skin and coat health are dependent on a wholesome balanced diet rich in natural vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids.

The benefits of a healthy diet can be seen throughout many aspects of your pet’s health, and their skin and coat are good indicators of health.

Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, as well as many vitamins and minerals, aid in skin and coat health by conditioning their skin and promoting healthy cell development. Many common skin issues can be related to poorly balanced diets or synthetic and poorly digested nutrients. Switching to a higher-quality diet can reduce dry and itchy skin, as well as excessive shedding.

During shedding seasons, you can aid further by supplementing fish oils and fresh produce to supply these key nutrients in a natural and digestible format.

When exploring the answers to the question of how do I stop my dog from shedding so much? Dog vitamin supplements can fill in the gaps in your pet’s diet that could be causing dry skin, shedding, and other health conditions.

Limit Stress & Anxiety

Shedding can be a sign of pet stress and anxiety. If you’ve ruled out other causes, a natural dog anxiety solution such as Omega Alpha E-Z Rest may be helpful for your dog’s shedding problem.

If you are suddenly seeing more of your pet than usual on the carpet and furniture, you may want to look into ways you can relieve stress for your pet at home.

Omega Fatty Acids

Lots of grooming supplies can help to condition your dog’s fur from the outside, but much like the power of a good diet, conditioning starts internally. Your dog’s diet likely already includes some levels of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, but some dogs need more than what standard dog food contains. 

Adding omega fatty acid supplements, like salmon oil or hemp oil, can help to boost their skin and coat health by conditioning from the inside out. 

Supplements are often the magic formula when trying to solve the question, “how do I stop my dog from shedding so much?” Many skin and coat supplements can support the natural cell cycle of your dog’s skin and coat, leaving the fur healthy and reducing shedding naturally. 

Use the Right Deshedding Tools

It’s important to use the best products for dog shedding. Many deshedding tools are designed to not only remove loose hair but also gently pull out dead hair that may still be attached to the follicle.

This doesn’t hurt your pet when used routinely, but using this type of brush too often can result in the brush pulling out live and healthy hair, which can be not only painful but can damage the fur and skin.

Before you start deshedding your pet, go over them briefly with a standard brush, like a slicker, pin or comb-style brush. This will remove loose hair and detangle it in preparation for the deshedding tool.

Another important thing to remember when you are deshedding is that these brushes don’t require a lot of force. If you encounter knots or tangles, stop. Keep a softer, slicker brush or comb handy to work out tangles, and then proceed with the deshedding process.

Use short gentle strokes with pet hair shedding tools and clean the hair out of the brush often. This will make the brush more efficient and ensure that your pet will be less intimidated by your grooming techniques.

Best Deshedding Tool

Many brands make deshedding tools for pets, but we have a favourite. The FURminator deshedding tool stands out in the crowd of grooming tools, and we recommend it for both dogs.

If you’re not familiar with this product, then check out these benefits:

• • The FURminator deshedding tool, when used regularly and as directed, can reduce shedding by up to 90%!
  • The brushes are available for dogs, cats, small animals and any pet with an undercoat.
  • It works by using stainless steel teeth that gently loosen and remove dead undercoat hair without damaging the topcoat.
  • The fine teeth also remove dirt and debris that can easily get trapped in the undercoat.
  • The curved edge design makes it smoothly glide across your pet’s skin without discomfort or irritation.
  • The easy FURjector button pushes out the collected hair for easy disposal.
  • They, and we, are so confident that this brush will work that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all deshedding tools. If you don’t like it, just return it for a full refund.

The FURminator deshedding tool is a necessity for furry households. You’ll be surprised at the amount of dead hair that your pet is carrying around, just waiting to leave a trail wherever they go.

We definitely recommend using this brush in an area that is easy to clean, like tile or even outdoor areas. 

A Note About Hair Cycling

Dogs go through periods of increased shedding, and it’s not just in the spring and fall. A sudden increase in shed hair can just be a part of your pet’s normal hair cycle.

No need to raise concern unless the time frame lasts longer than a few weeks. Just increase your pet’s grooming and brushing at this time.

How to Reduce Dog Hair in My Home

Controlling shed hair in your house can be an ongoing problem. Find pet beds in washable fabrics so that you can regularly pop them in the washer and dryer. Use furniture slipcovers or blankets and seat covers for trips in the car.

For more tips on de-furring your home, check out our Best Pet Hair Removers to Deshed your Life.

Can You Deshed a Dog Too Much?

You might be thinking – My dog is shedding so bad! Your first instinct might be to deshed him for longer or more frequently but try not to get overzealous when deshedding your dog. Using a dog hair shedding tool too much will lead to healthy fur being pulled out. 

 

DIY Dog Grooming Tips: Toenail Trimming

It is important to keep up with trimming your dog’s nails. Overgrown nails can affect your dog’s gait and posture and, if allowed to get too long, can even cause long-term problems such as lameness and joint degeneration.

Never tried cutting your dog’s nails before? It’s easy to learn how to cut your dog’s nails at home. 

How Often Should I Clip My Dog’s Toenails?

Different dogs’ nails grow at different rates and hardness. In addition, dogs that regularly walk on concrete tend to need fewer trims than those running on softer terrain such as grass.

Keep an eye on your dog’s toenails to determine what frequency will maintain a good length. In most cases, trimming twice a month will maintain a healthy length.

Bladed Nail Trimmers for Dogs

It is important that you cut your dog’s toenails with gear that is made just for dogs, has a very sharp blade, and includes a guard to keep you from accidentally going too far into the sensitive quick area. The quick is the vein that runs up your dog’s nail.

Generally, these types of dog nail trims come in a guillotine or scissor style. Both work well, so it really comes down to your personal preference.

Grinder Nail Trimmers for Dogs

Another increasingly popular way to trim your dog’s nail grinder-style nail trimmers that use a sandpaper disc to gently grind away the excess.

They have the advantage of making it easier to take a very small amount of nail off at a time, preventing injuries to the quick. They also leave a rounded edge, making claws less sharp after a trim.

The main key to using grinding trimmers is to start slow, reward often, and only apply them for 3-4 seconds on each pass because the friction produces heat which can burn your dog quickly.

Learning to clip your own dog nails at home takes time. Here are 11 Dog Nail Trimming Tips to help you get started. 

Ask an Expert

If you still have concerns or if your pet is showing other odd symptoms, bring it up at your next vet check-up. What grooming do dogs need if the pet has dry skin and excessive shedding? They may be signs of physical stress and can be a symptom of many conditions, like allergies.

If you aren’t sure how to properly groom your dog, or if you find your dog is less than cooperative, then you might want to leave some of the more challenging dog grooming routines to a professional groomer. 

Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t be discouraged if you struggle with maintaining your pet’s grooming routine. It can be stressful for both you and your pet, so take your time and keep trying. Over time you will learn which tools work best for your pet, and you will be more comfortable handling them.

Finding the right time and environment for grooming will require some trial and error too, but helping your pet see grooming as a positive activity will make a big difference.

If you are not comfortable grooming your pet at home, you may want to take them to a professional groomer where they have the best tools and experience to handle a pet that is less than enthusiastic about their grooming needs.

If your pet isn’t warming up to at-home grooming techniques, try to find small ways to groom your pet in between professional groomer visits. This can reduce the need for professional grooming and help maintain a healthier, more luxurious coat.

Using free dog grooming instructions, you can easily conquer basic grooming tasks. However, for intricate cuts or dogs who vehemently object to the chore, you might still have to seek the assistance of a professional groomer.

How often do you groom your dog? Share your top dog grooming tips with us in the comments below!