How to Groom A Dog At Home With Clippers

Getting your pet groomed by a professional is great but can be expensive. You can save money by learning how to groom a dog at home with clippers.

Not only will you be keeping your dog healthy by grooming it, but the act also helps you both bond better. Using a clipper to groom perfectly is wont be easy the first time you do it, but nevertheless, I’ll be giving you some great tips in this article to ensure you get it right. Check them below;

 

Washing And Brushing 

Before touching your dogs’ coat with clippers, you should first wash and brush your dog. This is important to remove hair clumps and tangles, which, if left, will make it difficult to groom properly.

According to The Vet UK, your dog could develop sores underneath their fur if you attempt grooming without straightening out the hair by brushing.

Giving your dog a bath makes the coat soft, so brushing your dog becomes painless. After bathing, wait for the coat to completely dry before clipping.  

 

Choose The Right Tools 

The clipper, brush, and other tools like combs you use should be the right ones. This has to do with the type of materials they were made with,  the design of the brush, and how easy they are to use.

See this video guide on grooming a shaggy dog.

Slicker brushes are great for grooming sessions. Furthermore, your dogs’ coat and hair type will determine the best type of blade to use.

For example, multiple blades might be needed for dogs with long hair, while you’ll work fine with a single blade on short-haired dogs.

For the clipper, it’s best to go for stainless steel blades because they are more durable, they stay sharper, and do not rust.

To save money, you can get a pet grooming kit rather than getting the tools individually.

 

Use A Quiet Clipper 

A lot of dog breeds do not like noise, and it could get them scared or startled. In such a situation, your dog may react stubbornly and refuse to let the clipper come close to it.

This can be avoided by using a quiet clipper. It might be difficult to get a clipper that doesn’t make a sound, but you can find many good ones that make minimal noises.

 

Avoid Pulling The Hair 

While grooming, so areas of your dog’s coat can be stiff, and the clipper won’t cut through. You shouldn’t forcefully pull the hair as you will hurt your dog.

Instead, try wetting the area, wait for it to dry, and brush/comb to straighten the hair. Also, you can make use of sharp scissors to cut the hair to a shorter length and then use your clipper.

 

Avoid Rushing 

You shouldn’t rush when grooming your pet with a clipper. By rushing, you could do messy work as there’ll be lines on your pets’ fur.

Furthermore, you could discomfort or injure your pet if your clipper is a very sharp one.

Take your time when brushing. Schedule your grooming session for a stay-at-home day when you don’t have anywhere to go.

 

Cut In The Direction The Hair Is Growing 

To get smooth cuts and an even coat, you should move your clipper in the direction that the fur is growing.

This is ideal because the direction hair grows is different in various parts of your dogs’ body.  

 

Follow A Pattern 

Before you start grooming your dog, should you already have an idea of how you want it to look when you’re done. It’s best to go with trimming patterns that are typical for the dogs’ breed.

 

Prevent The Clipper From Getting Hot 

As you use the clipper, it gradually gets hot, and when it gets too hurt, it could burn your pet. So, from time to time, touch the clipper blades to feel the temperature and if it’s getting too hot, turn it off and let it cool for a while.

You can also absorb the heat by touching the blade on some other metal, or you switch them. To moderate the blade temperature, you can make use of clipper lubricant or coolant.

 

Professional Tip

You are going to groom your dog yourself doesn’t mean you can’t seek help. Talking to professional groomers for advice on how to groom your pet is ideal for getting you started.

You get to understand your pets’ coat, hair type, body parts, and the best way to deal with them.

Watch this video that will show you step by step how to do the cut your pet’s hair with a clipper quickly and easily.

 

Using Scissors 

Aside from using clippers, you can also learn how to groom a dog at home with scissors. Scissors are ideal in several situations, and some dog owners prefer it over clippers.  

Nevertheless, scissors are ideal when dealing with long-haired dogs. It’ll be difficult to penetrate such hairs directly using a clipper. So, you should use scissors to cut the hair short before using your clipper.

If you want to completely trim your dog with just scissors, then you should do it very carefully as it’s easier to injure your pet while using scissors than when using a clipper.

 

Trimming Nails

Grooming your dog is not all about cutting and trimming its coat; the nails also need to be trimmed as well. It’s ideal to trim your dog nails at least once a week, and there are special dog nail clippers you can use for this.

However, this can be a very difficult task as most dogs don’t like it when their feet are being handled. To avoid hurting your pet, you shouldn’t rush it. While trimming, a styptic powder should be within quick reach in case you accidentally injure your dog.

It’s best if you trim the nails in small amounts frequently than waiting for them to get long before trimming.

 

Bottom Line 

Knowing how to groom a dog at home with clippers is an advantage to you as a dog owner. You get to save money on professional grooming and spend more time with your pet.

However, most dogs don’t like staying in place for a prolonged time. So, it could be difficult to complete your task without stress. To help, you can employ some antics to keep your dog happy. You can give it treats as rewards every few minutes.

The earlier you start properly grooming your dog, the better as it will grow up used to the grooming activities. This is why it’s easier to groom a puppy than an adult dog.

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