We all need our spa days, pets included. Keeping your pet well-groomed helps their skin, coat, and helps to keep them smelling fresh. For those wanting to give their pets the best in care, we offer this ultimate at-home grooming guide to keep them looking and feeling their best. And of course, we know they are worth it.
Let’s delve in and discover the tools you will need, the best way to keep them groomed, and those products you’ll want to get the job done.
Set a Pleasant Tone
You know your pet and how they will probably respond to being bathed. Although it can be a pleasurable experience for them, there may be portions that they are not thrilled with. They also may need time to warm up to the process. It is important to make it fun and stress-free for everyone involved. To start, try out short sessions focused on pampering them before delving into the full spa experience. Keep calm and offer them treats for being cooperative – praise even those small feats. Let them move around as freely as possible. If it seems that the experience is getting to be too much, stop for now and pick it up again in a few days. If you notice any continued trepidation when it comes to grooming, it may be time for a talk with your veterinarian.
Be Prepared with What You’ll Need
Before starting any grooming session, make sure you are prepared. You don’t want to get midway through washing or clipping and have to step away for necessities you have forgotten.
- A special toy – grab your pet’s favorite toy to keep them happy and focused on something pleasant.
- Treats – a good healthy treat like Max-Bone Peanut Butter & Jelly Treats
will do the trick - Brush – a good detangling and smoothing brush like the Milo Double Sided Brush does the work of two brushes
- Scissors – sharp, professional-grade options keep down on snagging
- High-Quality Pet Shampoo – a moisturizing shampoo like Max-Bone Aloe and Oatmeal Shampoo will keep their skin moisturized and coat clean
- Nail Trimmers
We recommend:
Max-Bone Peanut Butter & Jelly Treats – Oven-baked and made with sustainable ingredients. These tasty treats are also healthy and made in the USA. They are non-GMO and contain chia seeds that provide omega 3 & 6.
Shampooing
While bathing your dog shouldn’t be overdone, keeping your dog clean requires regular baths. Cats are self-sufficient for the most part. In addition to just caring for their hygiene, maintaining a regular schedule gives your pup a chance to get used to bath time and helps to ensure that their coats stay healthy and attractive. Save any mishaps in muddy puddles, this should be done once a week at the most.
The shampoo you choose is just as important as the task itself. Pet shampoo should always be used as it is created with their particular Ph and special needs in mind. The setting of the bath depends on the dog. Larger dogs may be easier to bathe outdoors while smaller dogs can be bathed in the bathtub. You will want to monitor their behavior, a dog can seriously injure themselves if they jump from the tub. Check the water temperature before putting your pet in the bath. Ensure that you get all of the shampoo out of your dog’s coat and fully dry them before moving on to brushing. Remember that dogs with skin folds need special attention in those areas.
We recommend:
Max-Bone Aloe & Oatmeal Shampoo – Hypoallergenic with a mild Pina Colada scent, the Aloe & Oatmeal Shampoo made with emollients that restore the skins natural moisture. This is perfect to use on sensitive skin and for relieving itchy, scaly skin.
Brushing and Combing
After drying your pet’s coat, thoroughly brush them to help eliminate any tangled or matted hair. Brush out the entire coat and come back to give extra attention to those matted or tangles spots. Working through those tangles and matted hair can be distressing for your pet. Make sure you hold on to the hair just above the skin and work tangles away from this position as to not pull the skin underneath. Use a small metal comb to get those mats out instead of scissors. Start at the tip of the hair and work your way to the root.
Aside from brushing your pet after shampooing, your pet needs daily brushing. Keeping this routine will help even the most uncooperative pal become accustomed to this process. When you brush, this removes any dirt and extra hair they have shed. It also keeps those tangles and mats at bay. Brushing them regularly helps to maintain their coat and keep those shedders from depositing hair all over the home.
This is the time to trim any areas that need attention with scissors. Trim around their legs, ears, and face using only the tips of the scissors.
We recommend:
Milo Double Sided Brush – This wood brush comes complete with two sides, one that detangles and the other side that smooths the coat.
Max-Bone Aloe and Oatmeal Mousse – for use between baths, this hypoallergenic mousse helps to keep your pet's skin and coat clean and soothe any irritations.
Taking Care of Nails
If you can hear the tip-tap of their nails on the ground – it is time for a trim. Ease into nail trimming by giving their nails a once over while “handling” the paw. Get them acquainted with the nail trimmer by touching it softly against the paw, giving them treats for staying calm. Trim a nail or two the first time and get a feel for their compliance. Make sure you are checking those “dew claws” that sit higher up on the front and back of their paws.
Be careful not to cut the quick. You can see this pink area that contains nerves and blood vessels in white nails. For dark nails, you will see a black dot in the center of the nail as you trim from the tips. If nail trimming is not something that you or your pet are getting through successfully, you may need to leave this to the professionals.
Monitoring the Ears
Other than the ear flap and the area surrounding the ear, the ears should be left alone unless you fear that there is a problem with the ear. Dogs with long ears that hang over should be monitored and the ears should be checked regularly at their veterinarian appointments.
We recommend:
Max-Bone Ear Cleansing Wipes – The odor-free wipes will keep any debris, dirt, and wax from causing problems for your dogs.
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PB&Jelly Treats Aloe & Oatmeal Shampoo Milo Brush