How to Groom Your Pet At Home

For many of us, it may be too soon to take our pets to the groomers. With the pandemic restrictions, we don’t blame you for not wanting to drop off your pet with no visitation allowed. Some animals just can’t handle the anxiety of a trip to the groomers by themselves, and if that sounds like your fur baby, then you’ll love this article! 

Here’s How You Can Groom Your Pet From The Comfort of Your Home

What may come as a surprise, you should trim and brush your pet BEFORE washing. This will help with preventing knots AND loads of fur in your drain. 🤢

So, let's start by laying out the steps to trimming and taming your pet's mane!

STEP ONE: 

Start with Trimming and Brushing

This part isn’t that fun for anyone but your pet will most definitely appreciate it in the long run! Start by removing or atleast working through those tangles in your pet’s coat. You should be using a slick, thin brush to prevent heavy, hurtful pulling. 

Next up: Cutting. ✂️

If there are tangles or burrs that just aren’t coming clean, it’s time to chop, chop. Simply put the scissors at the base of the tangled hair and get to cutting! Obviously, don’t get too close to the skin—you don't want to accidentally pierce your pet's skin!

With that, it’s now time to trim and tame. 

Trim up all the long hairs around the eyes, ears, and feet of your pet with scissors. If you have a long-haired pet, you can also cut alongside the belly of each side to trim up the full coat! 

Time to truly tame.

Using a bristle-styling brush, it’s time to tame the entire mane! Doing this BEFORE the bathing process with remove all that loose and dead hair. Pro tip: DON’T skip the tail. It’s tempting, but that holds some of the most tangled, unwanted hair. 

STEP TWO: 

BATH TIME

We most definitely recommend placing a rubber mat at the bottom of the tub to prevent your pet from going on a slip n’ slide ride. Also, be prepared before your pet is in the tub or shower. Grab a few towels (depending on the size of your pet) so you can quickly dry your animal when the embarrassment is finally over for them. 😉

When you place your animal in the tub, they either will love it or hate it. It’s important for you to be there for them. Get on their level by kneeling down over the tub and reassuring them with your sweet tone of voice or (of course) treats! 😋

ESSENTIALS: 

Large water cup/jug (or) an attached shower head

A pet-friendly, tear-free shampoo 

Wash cloth

Step 1: 

Take your large cup and fill with warm water. You want to ensure this water isn’t too hot! Most animals aren’t used to temperature-regulated waters so be mindful of how hot you make it. 

Step 2: 

Gently pour the water over your pet’s coat until fully soaked. Once your pet is nice and wet, it’s time to add the good stuff—shampoo! 

Step 3: 

You’re going to start with shampooing your pet’s body. Do not introduce the shampoo to their face just yet! You should use no more than a quarter-size amount of pet shampoo as you add applications to your pet’s coat. 

***It’s important that you use a pet-friendly shampoo rather than shampoo for people. Our animals have sensitive skin and need different ingredients to promote a long-lasting, smell-good coat!***

Pro tip: If you have an animal with lots of hair, it may be best to do two rounds of shampoo. The first round will rinse the oils and the second round will allow your pet to actually feel confiditoned, cleaned, and actually sport the delightful scents! 

Step 4: 

Once your pet is fully foamed up, rinse immediately to avoid irritation. You don’t want the shampoo to sit for long periods of time on the skin. Rinse quickly and efficiently. Ensure that you get all the layers of suds off their body. 

Washing your pets face: 

You might’ve wondered why we said you need a washcloth for washing your pet. This is why! Your pets face is fragile just like yours! And it’s going to be frightening for them to have unknown feels on their face. By using a warm, damp washcloth, you are making the experience more gentle and familiar. 

Add a little shampoo to your warm washcloth and scrub your pet’s face gently, avoiding the inside of ears, near the eyes, the nose and mouth. Rinse immediately once done. 

DRYING: 

Once your pet is all cleaned up and thoroughly rinsed, you’ll want to leave them in the tub and get them to shake out their coat! This will remove all the excess water  first that is bound to drench your towels otherwise.

Once they’ve shook, help them out of the tub and wrap the towels around their body and face, gentle drying them. 

If you really want your dog to look like a superstar, feel free to pull out your hair dryer and blow at least 10 inches away from their body. They may find it relaxing or they may try to hide away from it—it’s all about the way you introduce it to them. 

Try petting them as you introduce the air and assuring them that it’s okay. Before you know it, your pet is going to look showroom-ready! 

We hope this guide makes it easier for getting your pet squeaky clean in the comfort of your very own home! 

NOTE: Our hugely popular Pop 'N Go Pets Playpen has a new name: The Pop 'N Go Mini Playpen... check it out here!