If you are a cleanliness freak but own a dog, you must be aware of the anxious feeling when your house starts to smell like a dog. You must be owning the cleanest dog on this planet, but the dog smell is inevitable just within a week after you give your dog a bath. Well, a clean dog looks like a cuddly bear for sure, but a smelly one is tough to be around. A pet owner very well knows how important it is to bathe your dog at least twice a month. There are tonnes of professional groomers available, but then the cost of getting your dog groomed is much higher than what you spend in a spa on yourself. And if by chance your dog plays in the mud and gets dirty, then your grooming frequency gets higher, which means you have to shell out a considerable sum of money to get your dog groomed monthly.
If your dog is a short-coated one, then the grooming can be easier and less expensive, but long-haired dog breeds also need trimming; hence the charges go up. Any doodle owner knows how expensive it is to get a simple haircut for the dog. For example, you can get Goldendoodle haircuts in different types, which mostly a professional groomer can only achieve. Hence, how do you minimize the dog’s grooming charges?
Do not forget about drying the dog. When we wash out hair, it takes about 20 minutes to dry out our hair. Imagine drying a dog that has fur all over its body. The next challenge would be the dog does not stay still and would mess up your home, too; hence you have to now spend time cleaning the house after cleaning the dog. The dryer at home is different from the ones professional groomers use; hence the time needed to dry the dog is also more at home.
Do not forget the part where you need to trim the dog’s nails and clean its ears. If you have a gentle giant, then you are lucky, but most dogs do not stay still in these processes. A husky for sure is going to howl throughout, and a retriever will be as naughty as possible through the entire grooming process.
The end result of the whole home grooming session would be you getting exhausted.
Here are a few tips that will help you groom your dog at home most of the time without shelling out a lot of money for dog grooming.
1. Tie the dog
The last thing you want to do while grooming your dog is chasing it. Even professional groomers tie the dog so that it knows it cannot move. If you give the dog free rein, then it will for sure run away to avoid a bath. Most breeds of dogs do not like to be bathed hence tying them is extremely important.
2. Prefer to groom in an open space
This is applicable only to people who have a balcony or a garden in their house. Dogs do not enjoy being coupled up in a bathroom, which is an enclosed space. They prefer to be outside; hence, let them have a bath outside. Taking them to the bathroom will make them anxious from the start. Instead, tie them in an open space, which will make them a bit relaxed; hence they will not act up so much.
3. Make it a game
If you have a large balcony or a garden, how about using a temporary swimming pool to bathe them? This will be like a nice fun time for the dog too. Especially retrievers love to jump in pools and they will be willing to bathe and also enjoy the entire process. So bath time also becomes a playtime.
4. Do not wait for the coat to get out of shape
If you plan on giving your dog a haircut, do not wait for the coat to grow full. Rather just trim the hair. This way you do not need to give the coat a shape as it has already been done in the previous haircut session. By trimming the hair, you can postpone the next dog haircut session.
5. Use a nail grinder
Cutting your dog’s nails is one of the most challenging jobs, as you will have to be really careful while doing so. Also, your dog may not remain super still. Using a nail grinder instead makes the process much simpler. The finished result is also better as the nails are smooth without sharp edges.
6. Dry the dog gently
There are special absorbent towels that could be used to dry the dog. Such towels ensure that you soak most of the water from the dog’s coat. Hence, the process of using the dryer becomes shorter. Also, when you use the dryer, cover the dog’s ears, as the dryer’s sound can make the dog more anxious. Covering its ears will keep the dog calmer and make the drying process easier. If it is a hairdryer, keep the heat setting to a minimum. It is not necessary that the dog needs to be 100% dried with the dryer. You can dry the dog about 80% and then let it air dry itself. The dog will also enjoy air-drying as it keeps them cool.
The bottom line
Well, I feel it is essential to occasionally groom your dog by taking the help of an expert, but you should learn these tricks by giving them a few grooming sessions at home, too. We are talking about grooming a dog for about 10 years, which is the average lifespan of most dogs. This equals 120 months, and when we say twice a month, 240 times in total, and shelling out grooming charges 240 times is going to be a considerable sum. You cannot save all the money, but at least 50% of it by grooming the dog at home on alternate weekends. Initially, it may seem tough, but slowly your dog will get used to it and behave better, which will make this process easier for both of you.