Yet again it’s Ground Hog Day and we’re all in lockdown again, including our doggos. Some of them may be starting a get a bit stinky, so I thought I’d drop you a few home care tips to tie them over until their next Spring Spa Day at Doggies Day Out.
Firstly, most importantly DON’T TRY CLIPPING THEM AT HOME!
There are a lot of dogs at vets at the moment with injuries from home grooms. It won’t be long until we have them all back to normal just in time for their Spring Fling and if you follow my in between tips all shall be well!
Your best friend for your pooch will be your brush and comb (and lots of love, cuddles and elbow grease from you!). If you don’t have one, buy yourself a slicker brush from the supermarket or pet supplier (it’s the one with the small pins on it) and a comb. Firstly, brush against your own skin – notice how scratchy it feels. Your dog’s skin will be even more sensitive because it is constantly covered in fur. Carefully pat the skin with your slicker brush and brush upwards and out from the skin. Keep brushing in small sections until there are no knots. Then check over the section with your comb. If the comb sticks, keep brushing until there are no knots. Do this all over.
Once you have thoroughly brushed your dog it’s time for the bath. You can use velvet soap (do not use human soap as it is not suitable for dogs) or a good supermarket shampoo (make sure it has no petrochemicals). A couple of tricks for bath time. If your dog is too big for your laundry sink and you don’t want the mess inside, then attach your garden hose with a laundry fitting to your washing machine hot and cold taps – then you can give your doggo a warm bath outside – perfect for those big shaggy doggos and the warm weather this weekend! If it’s into the laundry sink or shower, make sure you have your towel ready and lots of fresh water to rinse. This is the main mistake people make when washing their dog, they forget to rinse out all the soap – that’s where the expression squeaky clean comes from!
? Now you’re ready for drying! A good towel dry and another comb out.
? If your dog has hair in her eyes, tie it up with a hair tie (not an elastic band).
? If you like, you can either use your hair dryer or if your vacuum has a reverse blower you can blow dry your dogs hair with that (just remember to blow out the dust first otherwise you’ll put dirt back on your dogs clean coat).
