Many owners of a dog breed that require regular grooming say, “I do the brushing at home, but leave the trimming to a professional.” On the other hand, some owners may want to do all the maintenance at home. You can do “self-trimming” to cut and trim your dog’s overgrown coat at home. Therefore, this time we will introduce the preparation and recommended methods for grooming your dog at home.
Preparations for Grooming A Dog at Home
If you try to cut your dog’s coat all of a sudden without any preparation, you will put a lot of stress on your dog. Your dog may become violent and get injured, or even bite the owner, making you dislike trimming itself. How can I get my dog used to trimming?
The most important thing is daily skin ship. If your dog is not used to being touched, any task will become stressful for your dog, and he may not like it. You need to get your dog used to being touched on a daily basis, and try to make grooming and trimming a “pleasant care time” for your dog. The gentle voice of the owner is also very important. If you behave well, give lots of praise!
Also, if you are not used to the sound of clippers, getting your dog used to the sound of the clippers is necessary for stress-free trimming.
Prepare The requisite supplies for Trimming
Slicker brushes
First, prepare slicker brushes and natural hairbrushes (animal hairbrushes). Brushes can be used not only for trimming, but also for daily care to remove hairballs and dead hair. Brushing thoroughly before shampooing or cutting will help the hair pass through the plus better and keep the clippers from getting caught in the process, which will improve the trimming results. Slicker brushes or cancel bristle brushes are advisable for long-haired dogs that tend to tangle easily, while natural uprise brushes or rubber brushes should be used for short-haired dogs. Oilskin brushes have sharp wire pins that can undefined the skin if touched too hard. Be sure to brush gently and not against the skin.
Nail clippers
Next, nail clippers and hemostats. There are versatile types of nail clippers, including guillotine, nipper, and scissor grip types, but the guillotine type is suggested for first-time users. Since blood vessels and nerves pass through a dog’s nails, be sure to have a styptic agent to stop bleeding if the nails are deep enough to bleed.
Clippers
Next, clippers. Clippers are a safer and easier way to bowdlerize the hair on the soles of the feet than scissors. Use pet clippers, not human clippers. Mini clippers are also functional for trimming small areas, much as the soles of feet and around ears. Clippers with attachments that take into account you to transfer the length of the clippers can even out the length of the hair, which too, being a time saver, reduces the risk of combat injury from exploitation scissors.
Scissors and Combs
Finally, scissors and combs are available. There are several different types of scissor hold that can be secondhand for trimming. There are 2 types of scissors: “cutting scissors,” which are not for cutting paper, only for trimming, and “combing scissors,” which are old for long-haired breeds and dogs with thick coats. Carding scissors” are suitable for combing the hair without worrisome the balance of the stallion body, and “mini scissors” are useful for cutting small areas around the face, paws, and anus. Scissors should be used somewhat out from the skin, taking care not to point the cutting edge toward the body to keep injury. A comb is also useful to comb the hair during the trimming process.
How to Trim Your Dog by Yourself
Once you have completed the above checks and prepared the necessary items, the first step is to groom the dog’s entire body. Here we will explain how to do each of the following grooming procedures: nail clipping, cutting the hair on the soles of the feet, anal gland squeezing, and shampooing and blow-drying.
Nail Clipping
Keeping nails at the proper length is essential for a smooth gait. By clipping the nails, the dog’s paw pads will be grounded to the ground and the role of the nails will be normalized. Nails are naturally scraped when they come in contact with the ground during walks, but not all nails are scraped evenly. It is especially important to check the nails of older dogs that are walked infrequently or for dogs that are walked for shorter periods of time.
In addition, thumbnails that are not in contact with the ground, are not sharpened in everyday life, so they need to be cut regularly. In addition, there are blood vessels with nerves in the nail. To avoid accidentally cutting the blood vessels, when cutting the nail, point the blade outward and make a small cut, only dropping the corner. If you cut too much, and it bleeds, use a hemostatic agent to stop the bleeding under pressure. If the animal does not like to have its toes touched, hold the elbow or shin and slide your hand toward the toes. After the nails are trimmed, file the nails to make them look nice.
Cutting the hair on the soles of the feet
Instead of using scissors to cut the hair on the soles of the feet, use pet clippers to avoid injury. Cut the excess hair that protrudes from the paw pads slowly and gradually, spreading your fingers one at a time so as not to damage the paw pads. When the paw pads are cut just enough to show the paw pads, the paw trimming is complete.
Anal Gland Squeezing
Anal glands are secretions that accumulate in the anal sacs on either side of the anus. The anal glands are said to help with odor, but they are the cause of bad odors. Although there are individual differences, such as those who are born with difficulty in producing anal glands, it is a good rule of thumb to squeeze them about once a month. The anal sacs are located at 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock on a clock, with the anus at the center. To squeeze, first prepare a tissue and lift the tail to expose the anus. Next, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the anal glands from a little deeper inside the anus.
Pinching the anal glands may cause the secretion to come out, so use a tissue to cover the glands while squeezing. It is recommended to squeeze them during shampooing so that dirt and odor from the buttocks can be washed out as it is. If it does not come out, stop the procedure because straining too hard can cause inflammation. If this does not work, leave it to professionals at a trimming salon or veterinary hospital.
Teenage boy sitting on sofa and grooming his dog in living room
Do not try to do everything yourself, but rely on a trimming salon or veterinary hospital for the difficult parts. Make sure that trimming and caring for your dog is a pleasant experience for your dog. You can start by cutting the hair on the soles of his feet, shampooing, and clipping his nails.