When it comes to grooming, you can either go to a groomer or do it yourself at home. If you choose to do it at home, here are a few things to consider.
How often you should brush your pet depends on the length of the fur, if you have a longer haired breed you should brush their fur daily, even twice daily if you go outside and play in long grass or dirt areas. If you have a short haired pet, you should brush the fur at least once a week.
Dogs can be bathed anywhere between once a week and a few times a year. It really depends on your dog’s lifestyle, fur and skin. Long, wiry and curly fur is more likely to bring grass, bugs and local flora home compared to a shorter and smoother coat. Bathing too often can strip away the natural oils in the coat and skin making it harsh and dry, and can cause irritation. Cats don’t tend to need bathing as they are self-cleaning.
Only ever use dog shampoo on dogs. Don’t use human shampoos, soaps or detergents as the chemicals are too harsh on their skin and can be fatal. There are a small variety of shampoos available including some for sensitive skin.
Never use scissors as the risk of cutting your dog is very high, you never know when they might move. Use clippers designed to clip through dog fur. One thing to note when trimming a dogs coat is to keep an eye on the blade of the clippers, they can get very hot quite quickly and will burn your dog’s skin. If you go too close to the skin you can cause clipper rash, this is easy to fix by seeing a vet and getting some cream but it is also easy to reduce the risk of it occurring, all you need to do is ensure not to go too short on the fur, or go over the same area multiple times. Be sure to keep the blade sharp as blunt blades can pull out the fur more. To get your dog used to and comfortable with clipping, use the same techniques you would use for brushing and provide lots of treats to make it a positive experience.
If you decide to go through a professional grooming service there are many to choose from. We have provided a list of groomers that we can highly recommend below:
Dog FX – Prospect
www.dogfx.com.au
8269 6622
Professional Canine Stylist – Unley
www.professionalcaninestylists.com.au
8272 9631
Oscar’s on Unley
www.oscarsonunley.com.au
8272 3388
The DOGroom – Linden Park
www.thedogroom.com.au
7225 9314
Dog City Daycare – Kent Town
https://www.dogcity.com.au
8363 5088
The Spoilt Dog
https://www.thespoiltdog.com.au
8272 0082
Eastside Dog Groomers
0403 908 225
*The groomers above are all recommended via clients that have used these services. If you have any other places that you recommend or feedback on any of the ones above, please let us know*