10 top tips for grooming your dog in lockdown
There are few things in this life more pleasurable than snuggling up to our shiny-coated, freshly bathed and sweet smelling dogs. If you’re a dog owner who normally takes your pooch to the groomers regularly (probably every six to eight weeks) then you may well be starting to panic in these times of lockdown.
Harbour Hounds’ very own Nelly having a bath and then drying off nicely in her Harbour Hounds beach dog drying coat
Most dog breeds benefit from professional grooming once in a while, but there are many breeds who have coats that without regular grooming will tangle, mat and deteriorate very quickly, if not attended to.
Also, with outdoor exercise being hot on the agenda right now, many dogs, much to their delight, are having more walks, which means more mud, dirt and wet pooches in the house.
So, here are our top tips on home grooming that will help make the task of grooming your dog a little easier and hopefully keep them smelling sweet and tangle-free through these challenging times.
Top 10 grooming tips
Whether you’re bathing your dog in the bathroom, utility room or garden make sure you have everything you need to hand before you start. Your grooming kit may include a brush, comb, hair remover, shampoo, conditioner and, of course, your dog drying coat. The last thing you need is to find you don’t have your dog drying robe once their bath is over and have your soggy doggy spraying water everywhere, or worse, rubbing themselves up and down your sofa to dry off.
Always brush or comb your dog's coat before a bath. It’s easier to try and get the tangles and any objects out of the coat at this stage than it is when their coat is wet.
If your dog gets fed up with the detangling process, stop. Some dogs can be quite sensitive to this and if the tangle is near to the skin it can be a bit sore. Leave it to tackle again, at the end of the grooming session.
Always wet your dog’s body first, leaving the head dry. As soon as your dog’s head is wet you know what’s going to happen… you’re the one that’s going to get wet, so better to delay and manage the soaking.
Start with the legs, then wet the body and shampoo. Rinse off all the shampoo before applying any conditioner (recommended if your dog has a long coat). Rinse thoroughly.
Wet the head last, making sure water doesn’t get into your dog's ear drum. If the ears are long, hold them down. If they’re short, put your thumb gently in the ear to stop water entering. Shampoo and rinse the head, also being careful not to get soap in your dog’s eyes.
Now that your dog is clean, the drying process can begin. If your dog’s coat is short it’s easy - just a quick dry off with a towel to remove excess water. If they can’t escape, maybe put the towel on the floor and let your dog rub themselves on it for a few minutes.
For dogs with longer coats, dry off with a towel and then, if you can, use a hair dryer and a brush. This job requires two hands. Take care not to wave the hair dryer around, as this could frighten your dog and tangle the coat. Use slow movements going up the coat and make sure the setting isn’t too hot.
Do a final check for those last few tangles and gently ease them out.
Next, pop on your dog’s drying coat - most will now snuggle up and go to sleep.
Give your dog a lovely treat and tell them how good they’ve been.
Grooming dogs takes a lot of patience and a calm approach. Choose a time when you are not in a hurry and your dog is not in a playful mood. Get everything ready before you take them to have their bath and then take your time, working through the steps outlined above. This way the right candidate will be the one that gets wet and comes out looking gorgeous again.
Harbour Hounds Beach Dog Drying Robes come in seven sizes and three nautically stylish colours. Starting at £32.50, these snuggly dog drying coats can be purchased online at www.harbourhounds.com
For more information about Harbour Hounds and our range of stylish and practical accessories for dogs and their owners visit the Harbour Hounds website www.harbourhounds.com or contact us on woof@harbourhounds.com