When we brought Pandora home, I had the basic dog grooming essentials. By that I mean, we had a slicker brush and baby shampoo to wash her with. I forgot about nail trims, ear cleaning, and teeth brushing. I’d never heard of expressing anal glands. Today, we’ll touch on the bare basics of dog grooming. However, we will not touch on anal glands. My knowledge in that department is limited.
I’ll share the basic tips but remember that each breed is different. How often your dog will need basic grooming will depend on her breed.
Brushing
I’ll include a few links to items we use on Pandora. I do recommend you double check which items will work best for you dog’s breed. And don’t feel the need to buy a whole slew of specialty items right off the bat. Try the most basic tools first. After a few grooming sessions you’ll have a better idea of whether or not you really need to buy the more expensive dog grooming items.
Pandora has a double coat. Which means she has both an under- and outer coat. Her undercoat is thick, her outer coat is coarse and lies flat. She’s also waterproof. We have one brush and I’ve recently ordered two others.
- The Slicker Brush – This is the style of brush we have, and it’s worked well for us. I use this once a week on Pandora. (The link is to a similar style, the one we have we bought years ago for the cats).
- The Rubber Brush – I just ordered this one, because I’ve heard it’s good for bathing as well. The first link is the one we just bought, it’s cheaper okay. But the Kong has a pretty impressive 80% five-star rating.
- The Stripper/Dematting/Deshedding Brush – We just ordered this brush. Pandora is getting ready for her second shed of the year and being able to get all the loose undercoat fur would really help.
Bathing
We don’t have to bathe Pandora very often. She rarely stinks. She can run through mud puddles and roll in stinky finds on hikes and by the time we get to the car, she doesn’t stink. And the only dirt left on her is on her paws. The only time that Pandora got insanely stinky was when she went for a swim in a lake that was akin to a peat bog.
HillsPet recommends, at the least, “…to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.” Unless you have dogs with longer hair, then they recommend every 4- to 6-weeks. And if you have a hairless dog, once a week. Who knew hairless would have the highest maintenance?
If you have a miniature dog like a Chihuahua or a Yorkie, you can probably get away with bathing your pup in the kitchen sink. With a medium size dog like an Australian Cattle Dog, the bathtub will suffice. For a rather large breed of dog, you might be able to use a large shower area or find a pet-washing station near you.
During the heat of summer, you may even be able to bathe your dog outside in a kiddie pool, or forgo the tublike structure, and use the hose.
NOTE: If you are bathing your dog in the sink or the bathtub you will want a hair strainer. I have a little silicone mat that catches hair, but I’ve heard pretty good things about the Tubshroom. The last thing you want to do is clog up your pipes.
We haven’t bought dog shampoo yet. We have a small bottle of baby shampoo that we’ve been using. Some people say this is fine, others say you shouldn’t use it because dogs need a ph-balanced dog shampoo. In either case, the biggest concern with baby shampoo is that it will irritate the skin. We’ll be buying a regular dog shampoo soon, but so far Pandora has done well with the baby shampoo. If you have concerns, check with your vet or a local grooming place.
Toenail Trims
Pandora gets her nails trimmed once a month. She has black toenails. It’s difficult to see the quick. I haven’t felt confident in my abilities to clip her nails, so we found a locale mobile dog groomer. She’s reasonably priced and comes by once a month to take care of Pandora’s nails.
However, I have started rubbing Pandora’s nails when she’s lying next to me. Once in a while, I tap them with my own nails. Basically, I’m trying to desensitize her to me messing with her nails. And I bought some lick mats. My intention is to slather the lick mat in peanut butter and trim her nails while she licks away.
Since I’m just venturing into this side of the grooming – here’s a link to Canine to Five’s Nail trimming Guide. It lists all the essentials and links to videos.
Other Dog Grooming Tips – Ears and Eyes and Teeth
Pandora’s eyes are pretty clear. Every once in a while, she’ll get a little string of something. Nothing concerning. And I use a damp paper towel to wipe it away. A gentle swipe down. I know there are dogs who need more eye care. And if your dog has a light-colored fur, there may be staining. There are some eye cleansers on the market, but I’d ask your vet about them first. Mainly, to rule out any concerns with your dog’s eye health and also to make sure the cleaner is a good choice.
Pandora is almost 2, so her teeth are still young and looking well. But we know it’s important to keep up on her teeth. We use a variety of things for her teeth.
- Treats that claim to help clean teeth.
- Teeth Brushing
- Bones that Pandora gnaws on
As for how often to brush, I’ve heard everything from twice daily to once a week. However, PetMD recommends two to three times a week, at least.
Finally, it’s time to take a peek at the ears. As with all grooming tips, how often, will depend on your dog’s breed. Apparently, once a month is a good rule of thumb.
This is the other area that I haven’t even considered for Pandora. It’s also the reason for this post. I heard someone mention cleaning her dog’s ears and I felt like the crappy mom at a doggie play-date.
Here’s a link to VCA’s post on Ear Cleaning Tips for Dogs.
Thankfully, Pandora’s ears don’t stink. And I’m feeling like I haven’t prepared her for me messing with her ears. So, just like I’ve been slowly messing with her toenails, I’m now starting to touch her ears each day, as often as she’ll let me.
Are there any grooming tips you’ve discovered that make tending your pup easier? I’d love to hear your tips if you’re willing to share.
