Essential Tools for Dog Grooming

Now that you have figured out how to best feed and exercise your pet, or made the decision to provide dog grooming services yourself, just what do you need to carry out your good intentions?

Bathing supplies and area

You will, of course need an area to bathe your pet, complete with good drainage and a hose device for quick and thorough rinsing. Specially formulated shampoo and conditioner are must haves and you may have to spend a bit of time researching and trying several before you find the best for your breed of dog. After bathing, your pet needs to be patted down with a designated, super absorbent towel and a quick blow dry. You may even want to invest in a commercial dog blow dryer that comes on a stand that the dog can be strapped into. This is a real aid for long haired dogs and their owners, since drying time can be prolonged. It is important to dry the dog’s coat quickly before it develops tangles and become matted.

Brushes and combs

Brushes and combs are important not only as a beauty aid to provide a silky coat but for maintaining a healthy coat. Even short haired breeds must have regular brushing to remove excess hair that allows the skin to breath. Brushing with a soft brush feels good, calms the dog and makes the coat shine. But using a hard wire brush and/or comb, is the only way to remove debris and tangles. It is also a good way to check for ticks, fleas and other parasites. The brush or comb may be made of metal or hard plastic but must have fine enough to ferret out those invaders and stand up to tangles without breaking.

Dog toenail clippers

Dog toenail clippers are a must have and come in scissor or guillotine style. They should be used biweekly or more often, according to how fast the nails grow. Keeping your pets nails trimmed will prevent nail splitting.

Scissors and trimmers

Scissors and trimmers should be specially designed for your breed of dog. Scissors should be blunt ended to avoid possible injury from a jumpy pet and trimmers must be strong enough to do the job efficiently. Get an electric trimmer with enough power to quickly shave and trim areas of dense fur without clogging and stalling.

Together with these must have dog grooming tools is your love and dedication to keeping your pet clean, attractive and healthy. Your attitude will help make dog grooming less of a chore and a really pleasant bonding experience.

Top dog grooming - MaineToday.com

KeepMEcurrent.com

Top dog grooming MaineToday.com, ME - Dec 4, 2008 A show grooming for a standard poodle is over $100, but that can take a whole day. Most of the show groomings I do are big dogs, like Newfies and Bernese ... An interview with Ann-Marie Watson, Gorham's doggone good groomer KeepMEcurrent.com all 2 news articles

BUSINESS: New specialty shop in Medina pampers pets - Journal-Register

BUSINESS: New specialty shop in Medina pampers pets Journal-Register, NY - 6 hours ago ... get bathed or groomed or trained. Gracie’s Pampered Pets will feature three experienced groomers. One is a master groomer who specializes in poodles and ...

Going to the Dogs - Voice Tribune

Going to the Dogs Voice Tribune, KY - Dec 3, 2008 Susie and Philip Greenberg, owners of toy poodle Fancy, like the mobile grooming service because it works well with their busy lifestyle. ...

Animal Shelter features pets for adoption; adoption day set for ... - Alexandria Town Talk

Animal Shelter features pets for adoption; adoption day set for ... Alexandria Town Talk, LA - Dec 4, 2008 Sasha is a female Shitzu-Poodle mix. Previous owner paid for dog to get groomed and is currently at the groomers. Sasha's picture will be available for ...