Regular grooming is essential for dogs, regardless of their breed. It helps them maintain a lustrous and smooth coat.
Whether you do it manually or with the help of a dog wash machine, you need to ensure that your canine companion always looks and feels their best!
Grooming sessions also serve as an opportunity to check for parasite infestations and skin issues, thereby improving their overall hygiene.
Most of all, they can be a good bonding experience for you and your pet.
Several Tips to Keep Your Pet Well-Groomed
Here’s what you can do to keep your furry friend well-groomed.
1. Brush Their Coat Regularly
While this may not be as easy and convenient as using a self-serve dog wash machine, regular brushing of your dog by hand is an absolute must to keep their coat glossy. The amount of brushing will depend on the length and texture of your dog’s coat.
Dogs with long hair, like Collies, will need more brushing. So, you’ll want to brush them at least once a week. Short-haired breeds, like Labradors, may be brushed every other week.
Badly matted hair can be another concern for long-haired dogs as it may cause them pain, external elements such as grass seeds can get trapped inside the coat or even burrow into the skin, causing an abscess. Most dogs tend to bite or lick themselves if their skin feels itchy or irritated. This, in turn, can lead to skin infections that can be prevented with regular brushing.
When it comes to short-haired dogs, brushing their coat helps remove loose hair, grime, and dander, allowing you to extend the time between their bathing sessions.
2. Trim Their Hair
Most dog parents get their pooch’s hair cut by professional groomers. However, with proper care and precaution, this can be done at home too. You can carefully trim the overgrown hair around their eyes and paws in between professional grooming.
Start the trimming only when your dog is in a calm state and preferably lying down. Make sure you move slowly and cautiously when handling the scissors, especially when cutting close to the skin. It’s a good idea to reward your mutt for being calm with a treat once you’re done.
You should also trim the hair inside their ears to reduce the chances of ear infection. However, this requires utmost precision, so if you aren’t sure, leave it to the groomer or your dog’s vet.
3. Don’t Forget about Trimming Their Nails
Trimmed nails make your furry friend’s paws look well-kempt, and indicate good health and hygiene. However, you need to be super careful when performing this task as your dog will probably keep moving throughout, making it tricky to actually trim their nails.
Also, nail trimming can be stressful for dogs. So, try and get them into this habit while they’re still young. They’ll get used to it by the time they’re grown, making grooming easier for you.
Start by trimming only the very tiniest tip from one paw nail. Do one nail at a time and reward your mutt with treats and praise. Repeat this until they get familiar with the process and feel comfortable getting their nails trimmed from time to time.
4. Check Their Ears
Examine your dog’s ears for any sign of infection from time to time, especially before bathing them. If you’re using a dog wash machine, take a close look at their ears before sending them in.
Ear infections can be painful, which may cause your dog to behave differently. Take your pooch to the vet immediately if you notice any of the following:
- Your dog scratches their ears or shakes its head frequently.
- The ears contain abnormal or more discharge than the usual wax.
- The inside of their ears is moist or inflamed.
- Their ears smell different than usual.
- Your dog whimpers or squeals at the time of ear examination.
5. Ensure They’re Clean and Properly Bathed
Bathing your dog regularly is great for their hygiene. Baths help remove dirt from the dog’s coat and make them feel more active. However, the frequency of baths varies for each dog breed.
It’s always a good idea of making bath time fun and as stress-free as possible by creating the right environment even before the bath begins. For instance, you want to pick a good spot to bathe your dog as per its size, water conditions, and so on.
Of course, using a self-serve dog wash machine can make things much more convenient and faster. Not only does the machine thoroughly clean your dog, but it also spares you the post-bath cleaning and scrubbing of the bathroom. It’s a great way to make your pooch feel safe and enjoy the bathing experience more.
6. Use the Right Shampoo
Picking the right shampoo for your dog can be tricky with the huge variety available in the market. It makes sense to invest in only the best products to keep your pup’s skin and coat in good shape. You can consider the following options when picking a shampoo:
- If your pet pooch has dry skin, go for an oatmeal-based shampoo. You may also want to consider a high-quality conditioner to give its coat a healthy shine.
- A medicated shampoo can do wonders for pups with skin irritations or dandruff.
- Choose an anti-flea shampoo to control/get rid of fleas.
- Tearless shampoos are a good bet as they’re gentle on dogs’ eyes.
- A whitening shampoo can help brighten up their coat.
- Pooches with sensitive skin can benefit from using hypoallergenic shampoos.
7. Brush Their Teeth
Be as gentle as possible when brushing your pet dog’s teeth, almost as if you were brushing a human baby’s teeth. Ensure they don’t get hurt when brushing. Keep the following in mind:
- Use toothbrushes and toothpaste specially made for dogs. Basically, any dental care product should be specifically designed for dogs.
- Mentally prepare your pooch for the brushing. Make sure they’re calm before you begin.
- Assume a comfortable position so you can brush your mutt’s teeth easily.
- Brush slowly. The last thing you want to be when brushing your dog’s teeth is harsh.
- Create a calm, conducive environment that encourages them to cooperate with the brushing.
8. Invest in Pet Grooming Equipment
Last but not least, invest in the best and most important equipment for dog grooming so it becomes easier to maintain their hygiene and health.
From dog wash machines to dog manicure-pedicure kits, the right equipment can go a long way in helping your keep your pooch well-groomed.
Bring the World’s #1 Dog Wash Machine Home to Groom Your Pet Pooch
The above tips should help you keep your mutt well-groomed and establish a routine that works well for them. Once they get into the habit of bathing, brushing, cleaning, and so on, your canine companion will stay in the best of health and look spectacular.
K9000 boasts over 20 years of experience in the global market as the original provider of DIY dog wash machines in the USA. We operate our business from tail to snout, focusing on quality and innovation.
Our dog wash machine setup is fast and easy. We back our products with full after-sales service and phone support. Call (866) 229-7841 or contact us via our online form to know more about our dog wash machines on sale. We’ll get back to you at the earliest.
