Everyone has a disastrous home haircut story, whether it’s their mother plonking a mixing bowl on their head and cutting any hair longer than the rim, or the horror of the home cut fringe…
We can’t wait to get to grooming all your beautiful pups (and we anticipate everyone needing their summer trim when we can finally open!), but in the meanwhile there are some things you can do to keep your dog's coat from reaching critical stage. We’ll take you through the basics of keeping them neat and tidy, and of course if you have any questions you can always email us!
(The only thing we don’t advise is clipping your dogs yourselves if you haven’t used clippers before. Even if you’re used to shaving heads, remember that fur has a different texture and it may not go as well as you hope!!!)
1. BRUSH BRUSH BRUSH.
Not just if your dog has long fur - short haired dogs will benefit from the extra circulation against their coat and brushing them will help to shift any dead skin. If you have any variant of poodle or spaniel, or a double-coated breed like a corgi, Keeshond, or Pomeranian, brushing is a necessity you cannot ignore. For thick/curly coats, the best brushes are slicker brushes, however we’ve noticed that they’re quite intimidating to non-groomers as they look like they might hurt! We can assure you that they don’t hurt the dog's skin (they would have dropped out of production and use long ago if this was the case) and they really are the best for tackling matted areas. If you’re concerned however, this porcupine brush is a little more user friendly.
2. DRY THEM RIGHT.
If you give your dog a bath and immediately afterwards scrub them with a towel, STOP! Your pup’s coat will become matted, making it harder to brush, painful for the dog as it pulls their skin, and might require a very short cut next time they’re groomed professionally. Instead, press the towel against them, soaking up water the same way you would blot your carpet if you spilled water on it. Towelling coats can make the process easier - and also look adorable!
3. KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR NAILS.
Dogs need their nails cut when they get long enough that you can hear them tapping on the floor when they walk. If their nails get too long they will press back into the foot and cause some very painful problems. Using a dog nail clipper, clip the very ends of the nails: if your dog has light nails, you want to clip anywhere under where it turns pink. If your dog has black nails, turn their paw over so you can see the bottoms of the nails - they will likely have a hollow area. The blood vessel will be further up the claw than that point but if you’re nervous (and black claws are hard!) then it’s a good frame of reference. Remember to clip the nail horizontally rather than vertically - the aim is to keep them off the floor, not chopped completely off!
Any questions, just drop us a line and we'll get back to you asap.
Stay cool hound dogs!