Doggie Day Spa at Home

Who wouldn’t love a day at the spa? Massages, manicures, pedicures, blowouts – by the time you leave you feel like a new person. Some women call it personal upkeep (like me!) and chalk it up to a necessity. And some don’t like it so much.

Dogs are no different. Some love it and some give you bath along with them. I have two dogs that couldn’t be more different. While they are both Shetland Sheep dogs, Shelby my smaller dog is very skittish yet for some reason, really loves getting brushed and even bathed. Meanwhile, my bigger girl, Kenzie, fears the brush. We’ve tried soft brushes, shedding tools, everything you could imagine and nothing helps. And getting her to bathe well, that’s a battle of wills.

Because Shelby is so skittish and Kenzie is so fearful of water, we choose to groom them at home rather than torture our neighborhood Doggie Day Spa. Grooming doesn’t need to be expensive and if you are comfortable, you too can make your dog just as cute as the groomer does.

Easy Things:

• Brush your Dog regularly – would you go a day without brushing your hair? Probably not. While brushing your dog daily might not be necessary, regularly combing through their coat is mandatory to avoid matting.

• Brush your Dogs teeth – I know, I know. Some people think this is overboard but 98% of dogs with bad breath are suffering from poor dental hygiene. If left untreated this can lead to serious consequences including a bacterial infection that can enter the bloodstream. If you start early when your dog is a pup, he will learn to like getting his teeth brushed and he will learn about soft biting. Brushing Fido’s teeth is just as important as brushing yours!

• Clean their ears – taking a few moments between vet appointments to clean your dog’s ears will allow you to see any signs of problems early. Clean their ears with a cotton ball or pad regularly and make sure there are no fowl odors. Any wax coming from the ear should be a light yellow color. Dark brown wax can be a sign of mites.

Tags: dog grooming