Grooming at Home

Tips on how to maintain of your pups coat & nails at home

How to get the best results when brushing

It helps to have the correct brush for your dog’s coat. Generally for medium-long coats a slicker brush followed by a comb works best, a rubber brush and de-shedding for short hair coats and for double coats a slicker brush and rake will do. If your dog is prone to knots or mats, it might be a good idea to get a mat splitter. The slicker brush won’t get all the knots so it’s important to go over the coat again with a comb to locate any hidden knots the first brush might’ve missed. Make sure to go over the friction spots like behind the ears, armpits, where the collar or harness sits etc.

If you have detangling spray or leave in conditioner, spray that all over the coat and let it sit for a few minutes. This helps by softening the coat so the brush can glide through and break up the smaller knots.

Brush in the direction of the coat. For thick curly coats, start with a slicker brush, part the coat and brush from root to end. If it snags on a knot, brush in smaller amounts until it glides through. Remember to go over the coat with a comb and if you snag a knot you can pull out the slicker brush to brush it out.

For double coats, go over coat first with the slicker brush to separate the coat and brush out any little knots, then go over with the rake to pull out the loose undercoat.

If you are struggling with a knot, you can use your fingers to pull it apart and try again with the brush. Hold the knot at the base, closest to the skin and start brushing in little movements from the end working your way to the root.

If your dog isn’t a fan of being brushed, try and start brushing around the back legs or back end first and work your way to the front.

Make sure to brush any knots out of your dog’s coat before bathing as the water can tighten the knots and make them worse.

Make sure you check out the link! It has some good information and tips for different coat types and a good video showing you how to brush those tricky thick curly coats.

https://www.caninetofive.com/the-at-home-guide-to-brushing-your-dog/

How to brush out mats

Preventing mats by brushing their coat everyday is ideal but we understand how quickly a mat can sneak up on you. For small mats that aren’t too close to the skin, a good tip to help brush them out is using cornstarch!

If the mats are quite large and close to the skin it might pay to contact your vet, or if you are confident enough to cut them out using scissors but be very careful not to accidentally cut the skin.

Find a place where the dog will be comfortable and stable. Having a Licky Mat or a Kong might help keep them distracted. Sprinkle the cornstarch on the mat, work it in with your friends and try loosening the mat. To reduce tugging, hold the base of the mat between your fingers. Start with the slicker brush at the end tips of the hair and work your way down to the root.

You can also use your fingers to help separate the mat. Remember to keep the experience as positive as you can with lots of praise and treats. If they start stressing too much, stop and try again later.

Make sure you check out the link! It has a good video and photos to show you how and what to do.

https://www.happygodoodle.com/cornstarch-for-matted-dog-hair/

How to look after nails

How can you tell if they need clipping?
Look at your dog’s paw when they are standing up straight. The nails shouldn’t touch the floor. If they are, they may need trimming. If the nails are starting to curl around, you should consider contacting your vet. This could be a welfare issue as it would be painful for them while walking.

What you’ll need:

Nail trimmers
Dog’s favourite treats
Non-slip surface or someone to hold the dog
Styptic powder if you have, if not you can use corn-starch or flour. This is used in case the quick is accidentally cut and starts to bleed. Apply a pinch of powder to the bleeding area.

What is the quick?
The quick is the blood vessel and nerve that is inside the dog’s nail. It can be easily seen in clear or light-coloured nail and looks like a pink nail inside their nail. For dark nails unfortunately the quicks can’t be seen, that’s why it’s important to only take a little bit off at a time.

When you check the nail after each cut, the first few might appear whitish in the center, trim a little bit at a time until the center of the nail appears black. If you cut any further, you might hit the quick. (Photos are in link attached)

Try clipping their nails after they have burnt off some energy, so they are tired and relaxed. When picking up your dog’s paw, their first instinct might be to pull their leg back into their body, so at first hold their paw close to their body and massage the paw until they are comfortable with you holding it. Take little bits off at a time, looking at the nail each time before cutting more off.

Give lots of treats and praise to keep the experience positive. Its ok to not get it all done at once, if they start stressing, stop and try again later.

Make sure you check out the link! It has a good video showing you how and what to do as well as photos showing you what to look for.

https://www.underdogpets.com/blogs/news/how-to-trim-your-dogs-