How do I groom a dog at home?

Home grooming is mostly a maintenance job rather than a styling one. The aim is a coat that stays free of mats, skin you can actually see, and a dog that is comfortable being handled — which matters as much at the vet as it does in the bath. What tools you need depends entirely on the coat, and using the wrong ones is why so many people conclude their dog hates being brushed.

Safety

What you'll need

• A brush suited to the coat type
• A metal comb
• Dog shampoo
• An undercoat rake (optional)
• Blunt-ended scissors (optional)
• Towels and a non-slip mat (optional)

Step by step

1. Identify the coat before buying anything.Smooth coats such as a Labrador or a Staffie need a rubber mitt or bristle brush weekly. Double coats such as a Husky or a German Shepherd need an undercoat rake and shed heavily twice a year. Wire coats need stripping rather than clipping to keep their texture. Curly and wool coats such as a Poodle or a Cockapoo mat close to the skin and need combing several times a week and professional clipping every six to eight weeks.
2. Brush in short, frequent sessions.Five minutes most days beats an hour once a month, both for the coat and for the dog's tolerance of it. Start with the dog standing or lying comfortably on a non-slip surface, and work in the direction the coat lies.
3. Finish with a metal comb, not the brush.A slicker brush skims the top of a curly coat and leaves a felted layer underneath. The comb is the test: if it will not pass from skin to tip anywhere on the dog, the coat is matting and the brushing has not actually worked.
4. Work on small mats from the tips inwards, holding the base.Hold the hair between the mat and the skin so you are not pulling on the dog, and tease the outer edge apart with your fingers or the end tooth of the comb. If it does not release within a minute or two, stop.
5. Send tight or close mats to a groomer.A mat that sits against the skin has skin drawn up into it. Cutting it out is how dogs get long, deep wounds that need stitching. A groomer with clippers can take it off safely, and a badly matted dog may need a full clip-off — which is not a failure, it is the humane option.
6. Check the standard trouble spots every time.Behind the ears, in the armpits, the groin, the trousers at the back of the thighs, under the collar and between the pads. These are where friction is, so this is where mats start and where you find grass seeds and ticks.
7. Bathe only when it is needed, with dog shampoo.Every four to eight weeks suits most dogs, and more often strips the coat's natural oils and causes flaking. Human shampoo is the wrong pH for dog skin. Brush the coat out before the bath — water sets mats hard.
8. Wet thoroughly, lather, rinse until it stops feeling slippery.Use lukewarm water, keep it out of the eyes and ears, and rinse for longer than feels necessary. Left-in shampoo is one of the most common causes of post-bath itching.
9. Dry properly, especially in the folds.Towel first, then a dryer on cool if the dog accepts it. Double coats hold water for hours and stay damp against the skin, and damp skin in the folds and armpits is where hot spots and yeast take hold. Never use a hot human hairdryer on a dog.
10. Look at ears, eyes and skin as part of the routine.Wipe only the visible outer ear with a damp cotton pad, never down the canal, and never use a cotton bud. A smelly ear, a head shake, redness or a discharge is a vet visit — ear infections are painful and are not a grooming problem.

Tips

• Pair grooming with something good — a lick mat smeared with something the dog likes will occupy a puppy for exactly the length of a brushing session and permanently changes how they feel about it.
• Book a curly-coated dog's groomer appointment before the coat needs it. Practices and salons book weeks ahead, and a coat left waiting is a coat that mats.
• Twice a year, a double-coated dog will drop its undercoat in enormous quantity. Ten minutes of raking a day for a fortnight is far less work than the alternative, and never shave a double coat — it does not regrow correctly and it removes the insulation that keeps the dog cool as well as warm.

Common mistakes

• Cutting a mat out with scissors — Skin tents up into the base of a mat and is cut through easily. It is one of the most common causes of serious home-grooming injuries and it needs stitches when it happens.
• Brushing only the top of a curly coat — A slicker brush glides over the surface while the layer next to the skin felts solid. Finishing with a metal comb that reaches the skin is the only way to know.
• Bathing a matted dog — Water tightens mats dramatically and makes them impossible to work out afterwards. Always brush and comb out completely before any bath.
• Shaving a double-coated breed in summer — The undercoat insulates against heat as well as cold, and the topcoat protects against sun. Shaved double coats often grow back patchy and the dog is not cooler for it.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask