how to groom a dog at home

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 18 February 2021
Update Date: 13 November 2024
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How to Cut a Dog’s Hair? 🐶 BASIC GROOMING Tutorial
Video: How to Cut a Dog’s Hair? 🐶 BASIC GROOMING Tutorial

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Do you want to know how to groom a dog at home? In this article by PeritoAnimal, we explain everything you need and all the steps to follow to groom your dog correctly. While some people avoid pet shops and groom dogs at home, this is a ritual that isn't easy.

The type of cut, finish or hairstyle varies according to the dog and its physical characteristics. Keep reading this article and find out what you must do to make your dog the best looking dog in town!

types of dog fur

Before you start explaining how to groom a dog at home, you should know what kind of fur he has. Hair care varies according to the type of coat:

  1. O by the hard that's what, for example, the Westies have. In this case, we must work with electrical machines and not use conditioners or oils.
  2. O curly hair is characteristic of Poodles, among others, and requires a special shampoo with a moisturizing effect. The cut must be done with scissors in certain areas, and with the machine in others.
  3. O short hair it is characteristic of breeds such as Boxer and Pitbull and does not require any type of cut. The exception are animals with medium-large fur, which are not very common. In that case, you can run the machine in some areas to even out the hair. Do not use conditioners or oils.
  4. O long hair is typical of puppies like Yorkshire. This one does require a conditioner and a scissors cut.

Once you've identified your puppy's fur, you can start thinking about what you need and what the right haircut is. Also, you should know that, if your dog is a Maltese Bichon, the haircut must always exceed 4 cm. Otherwise, you can leave your coat curly as a result of overcutting.


Material needed to groom a dog at home

Once you have identified your puppy's coat, you must decide what kind of grooming are you going to do to know what care and preparation is needed. If you are unsure how to make the proper cut, you can consult a canine hairdresser specialist.

In order for the process to be successful and end up with a spectacular result, you must follow some basic advice. Start by identifying all the required products:

  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Dryer
  • Cutting machine
  • Scissors
  • small scissors
  • Brush
  • Adhesive dressings
  • Others

Before starting to groom the dog, you must prepare a bath with specific products for your coat, including conditioner if the coat is long. It is also important that you prepare a cutting table or area in a quiet place to work. In many canine salons, you can find tables with an extendable arm, to hold the dog and prevent it from moving, and with a dryer at the end of the arm to facilitate the drying process.


1. Brush your pet's fur

Before trimming, you should carefully brush all of your dog's fur, removing knots and tangles, so you can clearly identify the volume to be reduced and any uneven areas. So if you're wondering how to clip a dog's fur with knots, the answer is to get those tangles out first. However, if the knots are too large and therefore cannot be brushed, it is best to cut them so as not to hurt the dog.

As you may know, there are different types of brushes specific to each type of canine hair. You can also find miniature brushes on the market, designed for small areas of your dog's body, such as the face.

2. Start shaving the body

In general, it is recommended that the dog's fur be dry cut to facilitate further drying of the hair. Especially if the cut is performed with a machine, it is important to take this point into account and repeat the necessary areas after bathing. That said, the first areas to cut the dog's fur should be the back and the hind legs. Then you can repeat the process on your neck, chest, front legs, and belly. Look for the areas that have the most fur, as these are the ones you should cut first with the help of scissors. If you're going to fix the hair size later with the machine, it doesn't matter if it's uneven in this step.


Take your time to groom. It is best to shave very slowly, carefully selecting areas so as not to hurt the pet or leave areas with longer fur than others. Also, if you are relaxed, you will help your dog feel at ease too, and the end result will be better.

Is a hair clipper used to shave a dog?

After having reduced the hair volume, you can use the machine, always in the direction of the fur. How to groom the dog with a machine? Be gentle and don't exert too much pressure so you'll avoid cutting too much in some areas. At this point it is common to ask the question: "Is a hair clipper used to shave a dog?". Yes, you can use your hair clipper that you have at home because what matters is how you shave.

how to cut dog with scissors

If, on the other hand, your dog's fur is only going to be cut with scissors, use your fingers and a suitable comb to take measurements of the different areas. You must achieve a homogeneous result.

3. Cut the fur on your dog's face

Don't forget your pet's facial coat, as there are specific tools for this delicate task, as adhesive bandages to secure the fringe and ears.

The hairs around the eyes can cause discomfort and also need to be trimmed, as they sometimes get into the eyes and cause constant tears, which gives a coppery color to the dog's coat. Find out how to remove tears from your dog's fur in this article. Do not use the machine in this area.

However, when trimming the fur on your dog's face, it is important to take special care of the longer, harder hair in different areas, such as the chin, muzzle and eyebrows. These hairs allow dogs to measure distances, sense temperature information or protect their eyes from foreign bodies. therefore they should not be cut. For more details, see this article: What is a dog's mustache for?

4. Also cut the hair of the pads

Between the toes of your puppy's paws it also grows so it must be trimmed to prevent dirt from accumulating. This area is particularly sensitive and dogs tend to move uncomfortably when we are in the middle of the process, which is why we recommend caution and care. Finish the cut, checking your nails as well. To do this, don't miss this article: How to cut a dog's nails at home.

5. Time to bathe the dog

After grooming the dog, you need to bathe the dog to remove all dirt from the body his. Next, you should dry the pet with a towel, leaving the fur damp and ready to finish drying it with a blow dryer, if necessary. Thus, having cut the robe first, it is much easier to both bathe and dry it.

Remember to use a softener or conditioner on long-haired puppies such as the Afghan Hound, Yorkshire Hound or the Maltese Bichon.

6. Dry the dog's fur with a blow dryer

Once you have finished grooming your dog at home, it is important that you dry the fur with a hair dryer while you brush. If you don't have a specific one for pets (they make less noise) you can use any one, this way you eliminate excess hair, leaving it flawless, shiny and smooth.

When drying your dog's coat with a hair dryer, it is essential check the temperature first in your hand to avoid burning the animal. Also, it is advisable to start drying with the lowest setting to increase it according to the dog's reaction. Once again, patience will be your best ally if you want this to be the most positive experience possible. So if your dog can't tolerate the noise of the dryer very well, it's best to dry on the lowest setting to ensure he's as comfortable and calm as possible, even if it means taking a little longer.

On the other hand, it is important to emphasize that you should always dry in the direction of the hair, except in cases where you want to obtain a greater volume, since this requires drying against the hair.

To dry the face and ears, it is advisable to reduce the intensity of the dryer to a minimum, both so as not to frighten the dog and to avoid burning these sensitive parts. Also, pay attention to the paws, because in cases of extreme humidity you can encourage the appearance of fungus between the paws' toes.

Here ends the process of grooming the dog at home, I hope it has served as a guide and the result is phenomenal. Remember that you can share your photo in the comments below to show the result of the process to the PeritoAnimal community.

how to groom an angry dog

The most important thing when grooming a dog that bites or runs away is to relate the activity to positive stimuli. Therefore, forcing the animal to be held against its will will not be an option in these cases, as this will only make it feel even more uncomfortable and therefore want to run away with more intensity. To position this practice, you must first start with bring the utensils one by one, let your pet sniff them out and give them a treat. Repeat this several times throughout the day, for several days, so that the dog gets used to the presence of objects and does not get nervous just looking at the scissors, for example.

When the dog is used to the tools, it's time to try cut a piece of fur. Therefore, you will need to go very slowly and carefully, watching your dog's body language at all times, especially if he has a tendency to bite during the courtship session. In this way, bring the scissors closer, cut a lock and reward the animal again. If he lets you, you can cut some more. The same method is used for brushing and drying.

If it is impossible to groom the dog at home in your case, you will need professional help from a canine beauty salon.

Also check out our video to learn how to groom a dog at home with tips from professionals: