Grooming is a significant part of making your pet healthy and happy.
While there are many professionals offering the service, many people prefer to groom their dogs at home. Unfortunately, in the process, they make a few dog grooming mistakes that ruin the whole process. Being aware of these grooming mistakes can help you act right by your fur baby.
Here are the common dog grooming mistakes that you should avoid.
1. Failing to Train Your Dog Early
To be able to groom your dog without injury, anxiety, or mess, you have to introduce them and train them on how to be groomed. That means getting started as early as you can.
Work on making sure your pet is comfortable on being touched on their tail, face, and entire body. They’ll also need to get used to the noisy and buzzing sound of grooming tools.
At some point, you may need to take them to a groomer. So it’s essential they get accustomed to other people touching them.
If you adopted your dog when they’re a bit older, teach them to be comfortable with grooming. Create a safe place for them and shower them with rewards and praises when brushing teeth and their fur or bathing them.
Don’t be discouraged if your dog is nervous, be patient and keep at it. This will ensure they don’t exhibit nip and anxious behavior during grooming.
Related Post: The 10 Best Dog Hair Dryers
2. Brushing Wet Fur
This is incredibly crucial when it comes to dogs with long hair that mats when it gets wet. Long hair will also easily tangle in water, making brushing pretty painful.
Make a habit of brushing your fur baby’s hair before it’s wet. This is to help it lose the dead hair that tangles in their coat, preventing discomfort after the bath.
3. Failing to Brush Their Hair After a Bath
Besides brushing the fur before getting wet, you need to comb your dog’s hair after a bath. This would be much painless and easy if you brushed the hair before washing it.
Brushing the hair after a bath can help loose dead hair. Failing to brush the hair will cause them to tangle in the coat.
4. Not Grooming in Winter
This is one of the most commonly committed dog grooming mistakes. Dog owners are worried that if they shave their puppies during winter, they’ll get cold. So, they stop dog cuts and neglect other things like cutting a dog’s nails.
The dog’s hair ends up tangling before the warm months come around leaving them with no option but cut it short.
The extra fur doesn’t help your fur friend stay much warmer during winter. But if you don’t want to shave your dog during winter, continue bathing and brushing their hair and consider giving them a hair trim. This will prevent their hair from being matted and tangled when keeping them warm.
5. Being Inconsistent
Regular pet grooming is very important for keeping them happy. Just because it’s not a full-on grooming session, bath or haircut time, it doesn’t mean you can’t brush your dog’s hair.
Many dog owners only plan to groom their dogs at a specific time of the year. They may also go for prolonged periods before they bath or give them a haircut. This is totally fine but it’s advisable to keep up with the grooming motions so that the pet doesn’t forget. This will reduce stress on their next grooming session.
6. Not Being Thorough
Brushing a dog’s fur is fairly easy. Sadly, many pup parents forget that the back is attached to an entire body that needs brushing too.
Hair around the armpits, belly, neck, ears, and face needs attention ─ especially because it’s where the parasites are likely to hide.
Caring for these places will not only help in removing tangles but also help them look good and keep them healthy.
7. Using the Wrong Nail Cutting Equipment
Nail trimming is one of the biggest challenges for new dog owners. Do the nail clipping process slowly using sharp clippers and replace them regularly.
Dull clippers only crush their nails instead of cutting them. They can also slide, causing injury.
Make sure you can spot the quick before cutting a dog’s nails. If it is light-colored, you’ll see the quick as a pink circle around each nail. For dogs with black nails, the quick may only be a black circle when you cut the nail. Don’t cut the quick as this will cause bleeding.
If you’re not sure, ask your professional groom or veterinarian for advice. You can also find a friendly dog grooming service package for your fur baby.
8. Shaving Too Close
This is among the dog grooming mistakes that could hurt your dog. Cutting too close to the dog’s skin with clippers can leave razor burns, especially if they’re broken or dull. The burns can lead to infections if they’re not treated quickly.
Always use clippers with new and sharp blades as they’re not likely to catch and skip. The right clippers prevent you from cutting your pet’s skin and allow you to cut their coat evenly.
9. Getting Shampoo in the Dog’s Eyes
This can happen when dog owners are moving too fast. Special attention is required when washing a dog’s face and head.
Although many modern shampoos aren’t harmful when in contact with the eyes, the can still cause irritation and discomfort to the dog. This can cause stress during baths.
Take your time when washing your pet. Rinse them thoroughly and make sure you don’t cover their eyes.
10. Letting the Dog Out Immediately After Grooming
Many dogs go nuts after a bath. Even if they’re completely dry, they like to run and roll around everywhere. It’s important you make sure they stay indoors or you’ll end up starting the bathing process all over again.
Avoid These Dog Grooming Mistakes
Regular grooming will keep your pet happy and healthy. Avoiding these dog grooming mistakes will ensure you do just that. Keep reading our blog for more dog care tips and insights.
