The Best Tools For Grooming Your Dog At Home
As a professional groomer I am also here to educate my pet owners on how to maintain their dog grooming maintenance at home. This is a good way to slowly introduce your dog into grooming while building and strengthening your bond. Grooming at home with the proper products in between your next professional grooming will absolutely help keep their hair free of tangles, so the groomers can give you the haircut style you want for your beloved pup!
Learn all about how to properly care for your pups grooming with highly recommended tools and products, so that you are giving your pet the happy and healthy life they deserve while looking their best. Grooming your pup can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. They may not enjoy the grooming process, but grooming a little at a time and being patient is the key to a positive and successful grooming experience. Be sure to reward them with a treat as a positive reinforcement. I am here to break down and list some reasonable price tools and products to help keep your pup happy, healthy, and looking their best!
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1. Facial Shampoo
Tropiclean Blueberry Facial Shampoo - We love this shampoo, especially the smell of blueberries! Just be careful not to get the shampoo into the eyes and ears.
2. Shower Head Attachment
Waterpik Pet Wand - A bathing attachment to your standard shower arm with multiple water control. An easy installation where you can easily switch between your shower head and the Pet Wand. This shower attachment can be used indoors or outdoors connecting to your garden hose if you choose to bathe your pup outside.
3. Lick Mat
Aquapaw Lick Mat - Place the mat with some peanut butter and stick it on the side of the bathtub to keep your pup distracted and in place. PLEASE NOTE IF YOU GIVE YOUR DOG PEANUT BUTTER MAKE SURE IT IS DOG SAFE WITH NO XYLITOL AND NO XANTHAN GUM.
4. Ear Cleaners
Ear cleaning is an important part of every dogs grooming routine. Some dogs that are prone to ear infections will need more frequent ear cleanings than others. We recommend cleaning the ears right after if your pup likes to go swimming too.
Zymox - This is great for pups who have chronic ear infections. It also helps soothes ear infections, redness and inflammation.
Virbac - Another good ear cleaner that is recommended by vets.
5. Dental Care
We recommend brushing 3 times a week is the minimum recommendation to help remove plaque and prevent tartar accumulation. It is still ideal to get your pups teeth checked and cleaned by your vet. Another option is non=anesthetic teeth cleaning which is solely cosmetic. Keep in mind this does not assess any underlying issues going on under your pups gumline.
Dog Toothbrush & Toothpaste kit - A good starter kit to help clean, remove, and prevent plaque, tar, and stinky breath.
Dog Dental Wipes - Good alternative if your pups doesn’t like the traditional toothbrush. The wipes are more gentle and easy to dispose of afterwards.
Water Additive - Add into your pups water bowl to help reduce your pups stinky breath.
6. Nail Care
For black nails, go slow and trim a little off at a time because you can not see the quick on darker colored nails. We recommend nail trims once a month to keep the nails in good shape and condition. Long and overgrown nails can cause pain when walking, nails that grow into the paw pad causing lacerations, and change your pups walk causing discomfort and arthritis.
Nail Clipper Set - A good clipper set in various clippers and sizes.
Nail Grinder with LED light - This nail grinder is great to file and smooth down your pups nails. There are two speeds to adjust how much power you need. It’s small, gentle and has a light to help you see.
Kwik Stop Styptic Powder - This powder helps stop bleeding if you cut your pups nails too short.
7. Portable Dryers
High velocity - A good dryer with different nozzles will help dry your pup quickly and efficiently.
Duz - This is a great alternative dryer if your pup does not like the high velocity dryer and is great for drying faces. An awesome bonus is to dry your clothes, socks, or shoes!
Pet Hair dryer with Slicker Brush - This is a 2 in 1 dryer where you can brush and dry the pup at the same time. Also, this is great for drying faces.
8. Accessories
Happy Hoodies - To help protect the pups’ ears from the loud noise of the high velocity dryer.
Microfiber Towel - A microfiber towel is super absorbent to soak up all the moisture from your dog’s coat
9. Slicker Brushes for various size dogs
We highly recommend brushing your pups with long hair and/or curly coated coats 3x a week, so your pups hair will be in good condition and not tangled. Brush by lifting the coat up and brushing from the inside out. Be gentle with your brush work, so you do not give your pup a brush burn. Always use a comb to check your brush work. The more brush work you do at home, the longer hair you can keep on your pup, therefore the groomer can stylize a certain haircut per your request. We’ve listed a few different brushes with various price ranges.
#1 All Systems Slicker Brushes - This slicker brushes comes in various sizes.
Pet Slicker Brush - This brush comes in various sizes. It is great for brushing, light tangles/matting, and undercoat removal. Similar brush to Chris Christensen, however this one is great because of the price compared to the Chris Christensen.
Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush - This brush is great for larger sized dog breeds with heavy, curly coated dog breeds (i.e. Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Sheepadoodles, Poodles).
Chris Christensen Mark II - A smaller brush for a smaller sized pup. Great to use for smaller parts of the body and the face. The brush runs smooth through the coat and doesn’t damage the hair when brushing.
Artero Double Sided Flexible Brush (2 in 1) - This brush is flexible and allows you to work very quickly and comfortably with its two different type faces.
10. Combs
Stainless Steel Comb - A comb is to check your brush work. The comb should glide through the coat easily. If not, the area is tangled and needs more brushing with a slicker brush. For matting: do not use a comb!
11. Rubber Curry Brushes
Zoom Groom - This brush is great for all size dogs who shed. It is used during the bath and after the dog is dried. Not only does it help with coat removal, but it provides a nice massage!
Furbliss Rubber Curry Brush (for short hair) - This brush is great for all size dogs who shed. An awesome bonus is the other side of the brush is designed for cleaning hair off furniture and clothes
Furbliss Rubber Curry Brush (for long hair) - This brush is great for all size dogs who shed. An awesome bonus is the other side of the brush is designed for cleaning hair off furniture and clothes
12. Deshedding Brush & Rake
You may need to use multiple deshedding tools to thoroughly remove the undercoat. Even short haired dog breeds need a good deshedding treatment too! There is no way to completely stop the shedding, however if you keep up with the maintenance of brushing them at home, there will be less hair on the floor, clothes, and furniture.
EquiGroomer Deshedding Brush - A good brush for undercoat removal. You can use this brush while wet or dry.
Andis Fine-Tooth Deshedding Rake - A good brush for undercoat removal. You can use this brush while wet or dry.
13. Grooming Table
Be sure to never leave your pups unattended on a grooming table. Safety is always the priority when grooming your pup.
Go Pet Club 30-Inch Dog Grooming Table - There are various brand of dog grooming tables and price ranges, but this one is a basic non-slip, sturdy, and easy to clean table.
Pet Edge Round Rotatable Pet Grooming Table - This grooming table is easier to carry and it is meant for small dogs. The table rotates, so it’s easier to groom your pup in one spot. The table comes with an adjustable grooming arm and loop, allowing you to secure the pup while you’re grooming.
14. Bath Tubs
Furesh Bathtub for small to medium dogs - This tub is nice because it is portable and foldable, so you can take it anywhere you go. It is ideally used in the bathtub or outdoors where you can secure the pups in place with straps. The best part is no need to bend over the bathtub to wash your pup!
Furesh Bathtub for large dogs with ramp - The Furesh only had one size bathtub, but now they offer a large size bathtub with a ramp for bigger dogs. The best part is no need to bend over the bathtub to wash your pup!
15. Eye and Facial Wipes
Angel’s Eyes Tear Stain Wipes - The wipes are used to clean around the eyes to help lighten and reduce tear stains.
Eye Envy Dog Tear Stain Remover Starter Kit - This starter kit has everything you need (i.e. wipes, powder, solution, and a brush) to help lighten and reduce tear stains.
Squishface Wrinkle Wipes - The wipes are good to clean up the wrinkles and folds on dogs like English bulldogs, pugs, frenchies, etc.
Earth Rated Wipes - The wipes are good for general use in between grooming.
16. Paw Wash & Care
Dandylion Foam Paw Wash - A good alternative to wipes is a no-rinse foam cleanser with a brush to clean your pups paws quickly and wipe the excess away. A little product goes a long way.
Hypnoic Gentle Cleansing Power Wash - A white powder that is use for hot spot, itchy, and flaky areas. Use 1-2 packets for small to medium-sized dogs and 3-4 packets for a larger dog.
Mushers Secret Dog Paw Wax - This helps moisturize and soothes irritated, dry, and cracked paws and nose.
17. Vacuum
Eyevac Pet - A small but powerful vacuum for cleanup after grooming. Sweep the hair close to the opening of the vacuum and it’ll automatically suck up all the hair.
18. Pet Accident Cleanup
Sprinkle and Sweep - A deodorizer to absorb pet accidents (i.e. vomit, diarrhea, accidents) very quickly. Sprinkle some product onto the area, wait for a few minutes to dry up, and then sweep it up. It is very easy to use and leaves no mess behind!
We hope this list along with some educational tips and tool recommendations will help pet parents with the grooming process at home a bit easier and manageable. This will also help stretch our your next grooming appointment a bit longer. Any questions or comments, share them down below. Let us know what items you want to try, have worked for you, or if you have any other tools and tricks up your sleeves to share with us! Happy grooming!