Dog Grooming at Home: Brushing, Bathing and Nails
A realistic home grooming routine, plus the nail trim most owners are nervous about.
Grooming is not just cosmetic. Brushing spreads skin oils and lets you find lumps, ticks and sore spots early, long before they become a vet visit.
Brushing by coat type
- Short, smooth coats — a rubber curry brush weekly.
- Double coats — an undercoat rake two or three times a week, daily when moulting.
- Curly or wavy — a slicker brush plus a comb every day; mats form fast and close to the skin.
Bathing
Most dogs need a bath every four to eight weeks. More often than that strips the coat and dries the skin. Use a dog shampoo — human products are the wrong pH. Brush out any mats before water touches them, or they tighten into felt.
Nails without the drama
Trim a little every one to two weeks rather than a lot occasionally. On pale nails the pink quick is visible; on dark nails, take thin slices until you see a small grey oval in the centre and stop. Keep styptic powder to hand. If your dog already hates it, spend a week just touching the paws and rewarding, then trim one nail a day.
Ears and teeth
Check ears weekly for redness or smell. Brush teeth several times a week with dog toothpaste — never human toothpaste.
