Cheeky Dog - Dog Grooming

Keeping your dog well groomed is important for your dog’s health and well being; it also provides an ideal opportunity to spend some quality time with your furry friend.  Grooming your dog yourself or having your dog professionally groomed also provides an opportunity to check their skin and coat for matting, tangles, fleas, lumps, skin irritations, sores and other irritants which may bother your dog or require vet treatment. 

A great part of training a new puppy is to get them accustomed to grooming and bathing early in life. Begin gradually by handling your puppy often, touching its ears and paws gently and slowly introducing the puppy to water. It is advisable to start with short grooming sessions reassuring your puppy constantly and maybe even using a few treats.  Another grooming tip for dogs that easily get excited by brushing or bathing is to do the grooming after a walk in the park.  This uses up some of their energy and makes them more relaxed and easier to groom.  (If you have booked a professional groomer I know that they will appreciate this!!)

Bathing is the first part of the grooming process.  If you are bathing the dog yourself rinse the dogs coat off with warm water to start and massage in an all-natural dog shampoo that is free of chemicals that can potentially irritate your dog's skin.  If you are using a professional dog groomer check with them when booking whether they use a natural, chemical free shampoo.  It is also advisable to let the groomer know if your dog has any skin allergies.  The frequency of bathing depends on the breed of dog and also the activities that they get up to – dogs that go swimming at the beach for example would need to be bathed a lot more due exposure to the sand and salt water.

Brushing and clipping is the next part of the grooming process.  Brushing your dog is a great way to pamper them, keep their coat tangle free and also help evenly distribute the coats natural oils to help keep it healthy and shiny.  You should brush your dog regularly (short or long hair breeds) as this is a great way to bond with your dog and it also makes it easier to remove loose hairs, matts and tangles.  Most people leave clipping to the professional groomers as they have more experience in this area.  Cheeky Dog suggests that you choose a groomer that your dog is relaxed around as the clippers make a noise that may unsettle some dogs.

Other parts of the grooming process involve clipping of nails, cleaning ears and brushing your dogs teeth.  Most professional groomers offer these services when a dog is booked in for a grooming full grooming session.  

If you are looking for a professional dog groomer or mobile dog groomer click on the links below to find one in your local area.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth.