Why Would You Want to Know How to Groom Your Dog Yourself?

• Learning how to groom your dog yourself relieves you of any anxiety about how your dog might be handled at the salon;
• Dogs tend to be less stressed in a familiar environment, therefore if you master the skill of dog grooming the dog is likely to be a lot calmer being groomed by you and at home ;
• Learning how to groom a dog gives you the choice of  being able to doing the grooming when it is convenient for you;
• No one will look after your dog better than you;
• As you regularly groom your dog you will be able to notice any lumps, bumps or cuts and abrasions which may otherwise go unnoticed;
• And, the most important benefit from diy dog grooming is that it will save a you a lot of money over the lifetime of your dog!

Dog Grooming, Dog Health and Dog Training Go Hand in Hand!

Check Out Our Pages on:-

• Training a puppy to enjoy being groomed in the beginning will not only help you build a better relationship between you and your dog but it will make grooming so much easier in the long run;
• Dog grooming helps to keep a dog’s coat shiny and healthy and plays an important role in the overall health of the dog;
• Dog grooming and clipping instructions – gives you information about how to groom and clip your dog plus all the tidying up such as trimming the face, feet and tail; how to trim dog nails; cleaning your dogs teeth; plus many more dog grooming tips.
• A part of dog grooming is cleaning your dogs ears – find out how this can help prevent dogs ear infections;
• Dog exercise, dog games and dog training can play an important role in the mental health of your dog and a dog who is well-groomed will feel much more lively.

What Pet Grooming Supplies Will I Need for Grooming a Dog?

Check out our pages on:

• Dog grooming supplies – we give advice on what types of grooming equipment and supplies you will need;
• Set up your grooming area – how to set up an area for grooming, depending on the type of dog you have;
• Dog Clippers – how to use dog clippers to give your dog a haircut.

Training a Dog to Enjoy Being Groomed?

You can go a long way to making your dog’s grooming experience pleasant and enjoyable for your dog.  We will offer some puppy training tips which should be commenced from the first day you bring your dog or puppy home.  Learning how to train your dog to be groomed is just as important as you learning the skill of dog grooming itself.  How much easier will it be to have a dog that is trained to enjoy grooming than a dog which wriggles and won’t keep still?  Find out more about dog and puppy training techniques which can be applied to training your dog for grooming.

What About General Training?

Not only do we help you with training your puppy to enjoy grooming  but we also have some ideas for general dog training and information about the Western Australian “Canine Good Companion” programme.

What are the Best Dog Treats to Help with Dog Training?

Check out our pages on:-

• Make your own high value dog treats from our dog treat recipes page;
• Using treats while you learn how to groom your dog;
• How dog treats and dog toys can be used to train your puppy to be well behaved.

Dog Store

Visit our Amazon Store where you can choose from a large range of books and DVD’s on dog breeds and dog grooming as well as dog training; dog grooming supplies; and other gift items.  We recommend all dog training books and DVD’s that promote the use positive reinforcement methods.

We invite you to contact us if you have any comments or questions you would like to ask.

Gums and Teeth

Bad breath is usually the first indication that your pet’s teeth and gums need attention. Bacteria in the mouth and the development of calculus produce foul-smelling breath in pets.

Regular inspection of the teeth is also a good idea to establish your pet’s level of dental health. Normal teeth in pets are shiny white all the way to the line of the gum. Any deposits or build up of a dark yellow or brown substance on the teeth, especially near the gum line, indicates a problem with calculus. Chewing on hard food generally cleanses the teeth of calculus, especially the tips of the teeth. However, be aware that the gum line is slightly indented and can harbor the calculus-causing bacteria for months on end without being affected by your pet’s eating.

The gums should appear a healthy pink color and there should be a clear delineation between gums and teeth.

What is Gumz-n-Teeth?

Gumz-n-Teeth is a 100% safe proprietary blend of natural and herbal ingredients in an internal formula for promoting general dental health in pets.  This formula also has a positive effect of systemic functioning as a whole.

Tumours In The Mouth

A very pungent bad breath can be an indication that your dog has a tumour in the mouth.  Look out for signs of abnormal lumps, difficulty in chewing or swallowing, bleeding, overgrowth of gums or lesions and sores.

If your dog has any signs of the above immediately get him/her to a vet for observation.  Quite often by the time these symptoms appear the disease is well established.

Keep Your Dog Healthy From the Inside

A dog’s bad breath can also come from within.  If the liver and kidneys are not functioning properly it can cause all sorts of health issues.  If your dog’s teeth and gums and mouth area are looking healthy then it’s quite likely that the problem needs to be dealt with internally.  Starting your dog on a complete de-tox programme to help the system cleanse itself is a great way to start.

Herbal and homeopathic remedies have a long history of successful use in supporting liver, gallbladder, and pancreatic health and functioning. Used as part of a holistic approach to health, natural remedies can help to provide your pet with essential nutrients, while active ingredients contained in the remedies can make all the difference in supporting the health of your pet.

What is LiverAid?

LiverAid combines herbal and homeopathic remedies in a unique formula which is both effective and safe for dogs and cats. Promoting the health of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, LiverAid helps to support the production of insulin and bile and helps to maintain the body’s ability to eliminate toxins from the system.

TESTIMONIAL

My friend used the above products recently when her German Shepherd x had bad breath.  She was delighted with the results that Gumz-n-Teeth combined with the LiverAid had on her dog.  The bad breath was gone within a matter of days.

Posted On 02-07-2008 , 19:26

This is the official index to all our blogs relating to dog issues – from ‘Our Story’ to Behaviour and Training information to Health and Wellness and anywhere in between.

You can post a comment or ask questions through the blog pages or sign up as a friend and we can notify you when new blogs are posted

This is a brief introduction to instructions for grooming and clipping your dog.  The link to the detailed clipping instructions is at the bottom of this page.  These instructions for dog grooming are designed to make it as easy as possible for you to do the job yourself, explaining how to work in a pattern so that you get the job done as quickly as possible with the best possible result.  It may take time and a few tries before you feel totally comfortable clipping your dog.

By clipping and grooming your own dog you get to bond with him/her better and I am sure that he/she will be much happier by being neat, tidy and clean.  By spending this time with him/her you able to keep check on your dog’s general health and wellbeing.  The more you practice the easier it will become – follow the instructions and the quicker you will be getting the grooming and clipping done.

You can purchase  DVD instructions for ‘do it yourself dog grooming’ at Amazon.com which will demonstrate how easy it is to handle the equipment and how to give an overall clip. Some grooming clipper sets come with DVD dog grooming instructions also.  Another way to learn hands on instructions is to do a dog grooming course.

Overview Of Clipping

If your dog is matted then clipping his body with a 3mm (No 7) length blade will make it easy to get underneath those matted areas.  Grooming a dog with a brush in this condition is going to pull and hurt him so it is best to just shave the coat short.  If the dog is very matted close to the skin you may find that the clippers don’t go through the matted parts very easily.  Keep nudging the blade to get through but be careful not to cut the dog’s skin.  The whole body area should be clipped the same length to make him look even all over.  Generally, the anal area, the area under the tummy at the back end and top inside back legs are clipped shorter than the rest of the body (usually the no. 10 or 15 blade, see section on blades).  This means it is easy for grooming these parts in between  and will prevent matting as well as keep the anal area from getting messy.  The rest of the underneath of the dog can be clipped the same length as the body length.

For a dog who is not matted you can choose to leave the cut at a longer length.  You have  choice of which blades and lengths to use – refer to our page on dog grooming blades.

The ears and tail can either be brushed and trimmed off with the scissors or clipped off with the same length blade as you use on the body.  If you choose to brush the ears and tail out then just make sure there are no knots. It is easy to check this by just running a comb through.  If there are knots still in the coat the comb will get stuck.  You may need a dematting comb if the knots are difficult to get through.

Once the dog has been bathed and blow dried you will notice that the coat will appear uneven.  This is because clipping your dog’s coat while it is dirty will never give you an even cut. To make the dog look tidy all over you will need to clip over the dog again with the clippers and using the same length blade.  This will be easy now as the bulk of the clipping is done on your dog and from here it is really just a tidy up. If you don’t mind the uneven look then all you need to do at this point is tidy the face up.  It is easier to trim the face and ears when the coat is clean.  You can also tidy around the paws also with the scissors if needs be.  And if the tail needs a trim use the scissors to trim into a half moon shape.

HydroSurge RapidBath Pet Bathing System

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How Do The Anal Glands Work?

Anal Gland Problems

A lot of dogs, in particular smaller dogs, have problems with their anal glands being expressed.  If they are not expressed properly the fluid inside the glands builds up and gets impacted which clogs the duct.  If bacteria enter this can then cause infection.  This can then lead to an abscess and be very uncomfortable for the dog.

There may be some indication that difficulty in expressing glands can be caused through a poor diet with too much vegetable protein or cereal fillers.  This produces softer stools and these do not put the pressure required on the anal glands in order to assist them in expressing the fluid.  Dogs fed a high quality diet will produce firmer stools which will in turn assist with the anal glands expressing properly.

AnalGlandz Benefits: To encourage natural emptying of the anal glands As an aid to manual extraction of impacted or congested anal glands To cleanse the anal area and prevent infection and abscesses For pain relief and reduction of inflammation As a disinfectant solution to prevent bacterial growth

What Are The Signs Of Anal Gland Problems?

Some of the signs which may indicate that your dog is having problems expressing his/her anal glands can be:-

• scooting where the dog drags his backside long the ground with his/her tail in the air – this can cause damage to the anus;
• the dog starts chewing around his tail and anal area;
• if the dog whimpers or cries while he/she is toileting;
• a strong nasty smell coming his back end.

How Do I Prevent And Treat Anal Gland Problems?

Hairless Dogs

Long Length – Parted Coats

If you have a dog with a long length coat then a lot more grooming and maintenance will be required to keep it in peak condition.  Some of these breeds also have a very thick undercoat which will need constantly brushing to keep the dead hair from building up underneath and matting.  If your dog fits into this category then you may need a few, if not all, of the following grooming supplies:

• medium pinned slicker brush;
• comb;
• nail clippers;
• dog clippers and blades if you prefer to cut the dog’s hair short;
• dog rake or stripping comb

These breeds include the Border Collie;  Spaniel  breeds; Flat Coat and Golden Retriever; Collie; Chow Chow; Corgi; Setter breeds; Keeshond; Saint Bernard; Shetland Sheepdog.

Long Length Coats

A close up picture of dog fur infested with fleas

Dog fleas are very small parasites which live on the blood of animals and can be found living predominantly on dogs, cats and birds.  They tend to congregrate around the tail and butt area of a dog or cat but if badly enough infested by fleas an animal will have them crawling all over the body, including face and ears.

Fleas on a dog or cat will not only live 100% of their time on the dog but can jump on and off the body and live in the environment.  If you have brick paving or surface area with cracks and grooves the fleas can live in there for up to a year.  That is why you will find if your dog or cat has fleas they will also be in the carpet and around the house or garden.

FLEA ALLERGIES AND SKIN INFECTIONS

A dog's tail infested by fleas

When the fleas suck out the blood from the dog or cat it leaves saliva on the skin.  This saliva is what some dogs are allergic to and can cause severe itching and great distress.   This is quite often the cause of your dog licking and biting himself constantly.  The constant licking and biting results in dermatitis on the skin and sometimes hotspots if not treated immediately.  Sometimes it only takes one or two fleas on a dog or cat to cause a skin irritation and allergy.

Fleas can also transmit tapeworms so if you dog does have an infestation of fleas then you need to worm as well as treat the dog for fleas.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG OR CAT HAS FLEAS AND ALLERGY DERMATITIS

You will need to look through your dog’s coat thoroughly to see firstly if there are:-

• Black specs of flea dirt can be seen throughout the coat and you can see fleas running around in the fur;
• A flea infestation will cause extreme itchiness causing constant biting and scratching, especially around the tail area;
• Licking and biting in specific areas;
• Red and raw inflamed skin and skin infections or sores;
• Hotspots.

If any of the above are present then there is a good chance that your dog will have fleas.  Sometimes your dog might only have one or two fleas.  It is quite hard to determine if there is only a couple but for some dogs one flea is enough to cause an allergic reaction with biting and scratching.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TREAT MY ENVIRONMENT FOR FLEAS?

If you do discover your dog has a flea infestation then you will need to treat him/her with a good quality flea  treatment.  These are the steps you should take to rid the environment of fleas:-

• The first step should be to give the dog a good bath using a flea shampoo;

• If you have more than one pet then all pets in the household will need to be treated.

• Treat any areas around the garden or yard where cracks and pet fur can build up over time.  The best solution for pavement areas is a few drops of Eucalyptus oil in a bucket of warm water and throw over the brick paving area.  A specifically designed flea treatment spray for outdoor areas will work just as well.  If the problem is very bad then you may need a pest control treatment for your house and garden.

• Flea bomb the house if necessary.

• Have a good quality flea treatment available to put on the dog after he/she has had a bath and coat is dry.  The flea treatments which kill the breeding cycle of the flea are best.

THE BEST WAY TO TREAT YOUR DOG FOR FLEAS

Flea treatments all have some sort of chemicals in them which are strong enough to kill fleas but not harm the dog.  Personally, I would only use these products if my dog has fleas and once the fleas have been eradicated then I would stop giving the flea treatment.  You don’t know what chemicals are in these products and the damage they can cause from absorption into the animal’s body over a long period of time.

Always follow the instructions on the packet and beware that some of these flea treatments are not suitable for animals under a certain age.

There are a few different types of flea treatments to choose from.  Here we list what they are and their effectiveness.   These include chemical and natural treatments.

Flea Collars	Flea Sprays and Powders	Spot-On Flea Treatments	Home and Garden	Natural Flea Remedies

HOW TO TREAT FLEA ALLERGIES AND SKIN INFECTIONS

As dogs skin can be come extremely irritated by the biting and scratching of fleas depending on the severity of the flea infestation, not only is it important to treat and get rid of the fleas completely but it is important for the dog’s skin and coat to be treated to aid the healing from the infection and irritation.

If your dog is suffering from the effects of flea infestation then check out PetAlive FleaDerm.   You can get more information on FleaDerm for Flea Bite Dermatitis here.  This product has 100% natural ingredients containing German Chamomile, Cleavers, Marigold, Witchhazel and Graphites.   Check out the special – Buy 2, Get 1 FREE offer here.    Apply the cream daily until the skin has healed.

If your dog needs clipping and you require dog grooming clippers then you will also need clipper blades.  There are different brands of blades with different numbers which cut to different lengths of coat and it may be worthwhile checking that the blade you are purchasing are compatible with the brand of clipper you have.  For clipper blades to cut well they need to be well maintained and kept sharp.  You will notice when blades go blunt as they simply will not cut through the coat.   We will give you a little more information on the various types of clipper blades that are available.

Fine Tooth vs Skip Tooth Blades

Fine tooth blades give a finer finished look to the coat.  These are best used on a fine and soft coat, for example any of the small fluffy breeds.  The final clip will be very even looking and very smooth.  Fine tooth blades are distinguished by the letter ‘F’ after the number, for example 4F, 7F, 3F.  These blades will work beautifully for dogs whose coats are reguarly clipped and/or brushed however they will not work on a dog who is matted or very thick undercoat near the skin.  This is because the coat is just too thick for the blade to cut through.

A skip tooth blade leaves the dog’s coat with a more layered look but it still looks neat and tidy when finished.  It will probably be necessary to use a short skiptooth blade on a dog who is matted or very thick close to the skin.

Clipper Brands

The most popular and recommended brands for clipper blades are:  Andis; Oster; Shear Magic; Wahl.  The link for each brand will take you through to their direct website for further information however if you are looking for a place to purchase blades online then we recommend that you purchase them from the following reputable companies:-

Vet Products Direct Australia

Vet Products Direct UK

Vet Products Direct USA/Canada

Pet Smart

Amazon

What Size Blade for What Length of Cut

Blades come in a variety of numbers which indicate the length of the cut.  Clipper blades are generally labelled with  a hash symbol before a number, for example Blade # 7, or Blade #4F or they may have variations of that.   Each number indicates a different length of cut.  The lower the number the longer the cut and the higher the number the closer the cut to the skin.  For example, a Blade # 3 will leave approximately 13mm of length on the coat while Blade # 10 will leave approximately 2mm of coat.  The very high numbers such as Blade # 40 or # 50 would only be used by veterinarians for surgical purposes.

Generally for pet dog clipping you are better off by using middle of the range that gives a medium cut.  It is not necessary to have more than a couple of blades, unless you decide that you either want to clip your dog to show standards which requires different lengths of coat, eg a poodle or schnauzer, or perhaps you may prefer to have a shorter blade which will keep your dog short during the hot summer months and a longer blade for a longer clip during the cold winter months.  You might decide to have a Blade # 10 for clipping around the anal area to keep it clear and clean and also underneath the hind leg area which sometimes can get knotted.

Below is a list of the different clipper blade numbers and lengths of cuts.  Each brand of clipper blade may vary slightly in length but they all are pretty much the same.

Blade #3 or #3F …………. Cuts and leaves 1/2″ or 13mm length of coat on the dog
Blade #4 or # 4F…………. Cuts and leaves approximately 3/8″ or 9.5mm length of coat
Blade #5 or #5F …………..Cuts and leaves approximately 1/4″ or 6mm length of coat
Blade #5/8 Toe Blade ……Is specifically for clipping between the toes and feet
Blade #7 or #7F ………….Cuts and leaves approximately 1/8″ or 3.2mm length of coat
Blade #7/8 Toe Blade …..Is specifically for clipping between toes and feet
Blade #8 1/2 ……………….Cuts and leaves 7/64″ or 2.8mm length of coat
Blade #9 …………………….Cuts and leaves approximately 5/64″ or 2mm length of coat
Blade #10 …………………..Cuts and leaves 1/16″ or 2mm length of coat
Blade #15 ……………………Cuts and leaves 1.2mm length of coat
Blade #30 …………………..Cuts and leaves 0.5mm length of coat
Blade #40 & #50 ………….Are specifically for short surgical cuts

Different brands may have slightly different blade numbers however generally the lengths will be pretty much standard as the guide above.

Recommended blade numbers for different lengths of cut for pet clipping:

Summer: Blade number to use over the body  -  # 7;  blade number for clipping around the anal area and underneath the dog’s hind leg area -  #10.

Winter: Blade number to use over the body  -  # 4 or #5;  blade number for clipping around the anal area and underneath the dog’s hind leg area  -  # 10.

If you use any shorter or longer over the dog’s body you may find the cut is too close to the skin and doesn’t look that nice or it is too long and it means you have to clip the dog more often to keep it tidy.

If you are doing specific breed clipping then you will need to follow the recommendations for that particular breed and it may be necessary to purchase more dog grooming equipment.

How to Put the Blades on the Dog Grooming Clippers

It is quite easy to put the blades onto the clippers.  Slide the blade onto the metal holder of the clipper.  Make sure it is secure.  Then line up the plastic clasp on the clipper so that it slots into the corresponding gap of the top blade.  Then snap the blade and the clipper together so that it is secured firmly together.  You are now ready to start clipping.

Clipper blade

Clippers with no blade

Fitting the blade onto the clipper

Clippers and blade ready to do the job

Never have your clipper motor running while you are putting a blade on or taking it off.  Always make sure your clippers are switched off.  Leaving the clippers running and putting the blades on or off will ruin the motor in your clippers.  The blade should just slot on the end of the clip area and then snap into place.  You will need to line up the space on the blade with the hook on the clippers so it snaps into place properly.  If you have trouble you may just need to adjust the top slide of the blade until it lines up.

Before grooming your dog make sure that the dog grooming clippers are working properly and that the blades are sharp.  If the blades are blunt you will notice that they don’t cut through the fur.  This is when they will need to be sharpened.

How to Clean Dog Grooming Blades

It is important to regularly maintain the clipper blades and keep them clean.  If they are not cleaned after each clip the dirt and fur remains in them and if they are used again in that condition this will cause them to go blunt quicker.  Clean blades will require less sharpening and the more sharpening the less life-span they have.

Clipper Blade Maintenance by Oster provides you with all your blade cleaning and maintenance requirements and using these products will enhance the life of your grooming blades and clippers.  The pack includes Blade Wash, Kool Lube for cooling blades down and Lubricating Oil.

Blade cleaner and oil can be purchased through our above recommended online retailers.

Not only do blades need regular cleaning, it is also important to remember that the metal can tend to heat up very quickly, especially in hot weather.  If the blade gets too hot then spray the blade with coolant – this will help to cool it down before you hurt your dog.  Or, alternatively, give the clippers a rest and work on another part of the dog’s body, ie trimming the dog’s nails; or even change blades if you have a spare blade of the same length.

Blade cleaning solution is best utilised by tipping a little solution into a small container.  Run the clippers with the blade in place and dip the blade into the solution just enough to cover the blade area while they are running.  This will get rid of any hair or dirt stuck between the two plates of metal.  Wipe them down with a rag and then squirt a small amount of oil on both end edges where the two blades move against each other.  By keeping the blades free of dirt and well oiled they won’t blunt so quickly.  When the blades do finally go blunt you will need to get them sharpened by a professional sharpener who specialises in dog clippers, blades and scissors.

Blade Sharpening

Depending upon how often you use your dog grooming clippers and blades and how often they are cleaned will determine how many clips you get before they need to be sharpened.  Sharpening must be done by a professional – it is a specialised service and like any service you can get good and bad service.  If you are not sure where to find someone who will sharpen blades you might want to ask your local dog groomer where they get their equipment serviced and sharpened or any pet shop who sells clipping equipment if they know of a reputable service.

Need information on other dog grooming supplies?  Refer to our related pages on:

Dog Grooming Clippers

Dog Grooming Rakes and Shedding Tools

Dog Grooming Brushes

Dog Grooming Combs

Dog Grooming Scissors

Dog Nail Clippers

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