Warnings for Grooming a dog

Never use human toothpaste when brushing your pet’s teeth. Pets can swallow toothpaste and may get sick from fluoride. Always use toothpaste recommended by your groomer.

Avoid using human shampoos on your pet, as these are not formulated for dogs. This can cause your dog to develop a rash.

Try to avoid letting shampoo get into your dog’s eyes. This can seriously irritate them. Put the shampoo in your hands before applying it to your dog’s coat, rather than squeezing it directly from the bottle on your dog. When rinsing, be careful not to let the lather get into your dog’s eyes by gently pinching your dog’s ears to keep the water out. Or you can put a cotton ball in your dog’s ear and make sure you remove the ball when you are done. If water accidentally gets into the ear, use a small cotton ball or cotton pad (don’t use a Q-tip as it may get in too deep) and gently wipe the inside of your dog’s ear. Your dog will likely shake his head to remove the water as well (e.g. after swimming). If your dog seems to scratch his/her ears constantly after a bath, take them to the vet to have the problem addressed. You can also put cotton balls inside during the blow drying process, as the noise of the dryer can scare them.

When you feel shy about touching certain parts of your dog, get over it. If you are going to clean your dog, you must wash your dog’s entire body. If your dog has any fleas or ticks on them, let them sit for 10 minutes after working in flea and tick treatment shampoo. When the bugs are dead, make sure you wash them off completely. If they stay on, these could give your dog a disease. To get the tick off, have your hemostats lock onto the head of the tick and pull outward so the head doesn’t break off and stay in the body. Never use hot water, and be especially careful to avoid washing the genital area with warm water or medicated shampoos. This area is very sensitive.

Do not over-bath. Once every 6 to 8 weeks is usually sufficient. For long-haired breeds, a professional grooming service every 4 to 6 weeks is recommended. Too frequent bathing will wash away the dog’s original oils and make their coats very dry. When not bathing you can use a waterless shampoo to clean your dog’s feet and other areas by spraying directly on the point and wiping off with a wet sponge. Use a hypoallergenic or mild oatmeal shampoo for dogs for general bathing. If your pet has a special skin condition, try a hypoallergenic unscented shampoo on the advice of a professional. However, if the skin problem is more severe, a medicated shampoo from your veterinarian may be needed.

Many dogs will try to pull their hind legs apart if they are lifted as a reflex action. Avoid lifting the leg to the side, as this is uncomfortable for most dogs. Instead, pick up the foot and gently pull forward or backward. Always encourage your dog and don’t get mad at them. That way it will be more cooperative with you. If one your dog is a medium-sized dog or a large dog, you may be able to cut the nails on the back feet without lifting the feet.