5 Dog grooming things that you should NEVER do...

Is your dog in need of a haircut or bath? While there are many good reasons to groom your pet regularly, an inexperienced groomer, or even a well-meaning pet parent who decides to give grooming a try, can do a lot of damage if he or she isn’t careful.

Here are five things that may sound like a good idea when it comes to grooming but, in reality, should be avoided at all costs:

1) Shaving Your Dog in Summer

Shaving your pet during warm-weather months is usually unnecessary and it interferes with their natural body temperature regulation. Not only does it make them more prone to sunburn, but dogs with undercoats, such as German Shepherds, Huskies, Pomeranians, and Chows, among others, are very efficient at trapping air within their undercoat. This helps keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

In addition, shaving can damage the hair follicles, causing the coat to grow back dull or sometimes patchy in places. A better alternative is to remove any excess undercoat by brushing regularly. 

TIP: If your dog doesn't like to be brushed, or has a sensitive skin, you can use a dog brush grooming glove. These gloves massage your dog at the same time, so they benefit twice.

Poor rinsing can lead to serious skin irritation, hair loss, matted fur, and other problems. Dry shampoo will crust and eventually mat or tangle the hair, and shampoo residue will leave your pet’s coat dull. Be sure to rinse your pet thoroughly to avoid this.

If possible, brush your dog’s hair before a bath, as water can make mats and knots even tighter. Brushes can grab the wet hair and pull at the skin, causing discomfort or pain to your dog. Dry your dog as much as possible after the bath and then brush their hair evenly and in the direction of the hair’s growth.

Daily baths strip your dog’s coat of its natural oils and can make dry skin even worse. Barring any skin issues, bathing your dog once monthly should be sufficient and also allow your dog to produce natural oils to help keep the coat naturally shiny.

Many dogs don’t like to be combed, so you can use a grooming glove instead of a brush or comb, to remove excessive hair. 

2) Washing the Inside of Your Dog’s Ears

Water in the ears gives bacteria an ideal breeding ground and can lead to infection. And water in the nose might cause irritation, discomfort and reverse sneezing and/or coughing. To keep water away from your pet’s ears, nose and eyes, use a wet cloth to clean your pet’s entire head.

3) Giving Your Dog a Quick Rinse

To make sure your dog’s coat is thoroughly rinsed after shampooing, use a decent amount of water pressure. The water needs to be able to penetrate the layers of their coat. Keep rinsing until you stop seeing any bubbles coming from their fur, then rinse a little more.

If your dog has sensitive skin, use a dog shampoo made with tea tree oil. The oil can relieve itchiness and help calm the skin. Conditioners made with aloe vera and certain medicated shampoos are also effective.

4) Brushing a Wet Coat

If you have a short-haired breed, try using a grooming glove to remove dead hair and prevent excess shedding. Since short-haired dogs won’t mat, you can brush them while they’re being shampooed or after the fur has dried.

5) Giving Your Dog Daily Baths

After bathing, towel dry or let your dog’s hair dry naturally. Using a hairdryer might be tempting, but there are many risks involved. For starters, you can burn your pet by over drying or drying too closely.

You can also cause over heating by causing your pet’s body temperature to raise above dangerous levels. Plus, you can dry your pet’s skin out, which can lead to other problems.

I hope these tips will help. Leave a comment if you know other dog grooming tips. Thanks!