Grooming Tips
How to Get Fido Used to Grooming at Home and the Salon
A few minutes of gentle handling at home makes a real difference at grooming time. None of this needs to happen all at once, little and often is what works.
Nervous Feet: Touch One Foot a Day
Touching their feet often helps a lot when it comes to nail clipping. When you are watching TV, simply run your hand gently down one leg to the foot, and massage the foot and in between the toes. It is great for bonding with your pet, and it gets them used to being touched, so grooming at home and in the salon is easier.
Try touching just one foot a day instead of all four, so it never feels like too much at once.
Ears
At home, swab out your pet's ears with a mild ear cleaner or coconut oil. You do not have to go deep, just the areas you can see. Swab around with half a cotton ball to a full cotton ball, depending on your dog's size. Again, this gets them used to being touched.
Around the Face
Gently clear away any debris from the eye area, or wipe with a clean, warm, damp cloth. Comb the ears and all around the face. This gets them used to being touched, so when they come in for trimming it is not so intrusive.
Brushing and Deshedding
Proper brushing and combing of the coat is essential. There are videos on YouTube: look up "line brushing" or "deshedding" for your dog's specific breed, and you will find all kinds of tips for handling your pet and grooming them at home.
More Tips Coming Soon
This page will keep growing as Linda adds more at-home grooming tips. Have a question about your own pet? Just ask at your next visit or send a message below.
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