How to Care for Your Dog Between Trips to the Groomers

In-between grooming care can help to keep your dog healthier, happier, and shinier and can help to save your money and time in the long run.

The good news is that you can do most of the basic grooming care at home.

Remember that your dog’s hair, nails, etc. keep on growing and no matter how excellent your professional groomer does their grooming work, you’ll need to try your best to do a few things yourself to minimize the cost.

It’s the same way as when you’ve had your hair done. There are few things you normally have to do to keep your hair in good condition at all times.

And considering that you’re going to take your dog for grooming every 6 to 7 weeks, you can’t keep your four-legged companion until the next appointment with your groomer.

Besides, the average dog grooming cost is between $65 to $100 per session– and the cost could go up depending on your dog’s breed, size, how long each session takes, as well as other additional services your dog needs.

What if you could learn some basic grooming tips to save your money?

In this article, we’re going to share with you some basic dog-grooming tips to help keep your dog’s appearance under control while you wait for your appointment with the groomer.

So if you’ve been asking yourself “what should I do to my dog between groomings?” then the professional veterinarians from have some good news for you in this article.

Keep reading to learn more.

Before we get rolling, here is something you should know:

How often should your dog go to the groomers?

There are certain things to consider when it comes to how often you should book an appointment with the groomer.

Your dog’s breed, type of coat, and hair length are just a few of those factors; nevertheless, you should get your dog groomed once every month or even six weeks a month.

In the case of young puppies or assuming your dog has never been groomed, you’ll need to do regular brushing (at least one or two times a week) so that your pet gets used to grooming.

This will also help to keep mats from forming building up in your dog’s coat which could lead to grooming issues later as your dog grows older.

That said, here are some of the dog care tips to keep for between trips to the groomer.

1.   Brush Your Dog’s Fur Daily

As you wait to take your dog to a professional groomer, daily brushing of the coat helps to keep your pooch fur and skin healthy and clean.

Of course, if your dog’s hair is short, you may need to do the brushing occasionally, but we’d recommend you do it daily to keep your dog’s coat shiny and healthy.

Remember that taking your dog to the groomer regularly can be costly especially when you’re required to pay for extra services such as conditioning treatments, removing buildup mats, and others any time you go to the groomer.

Brushing your companion’s hair helps to get rid of dirt, dead hair, unpleasant odors, matting, or debris from the coat and skin hence reducing the grooming cost.

“Brushing your dog regularly will make your dog get used to being handled”, says Johansen Anderson, an expert groomer who works with the paper writing service department at Write My Assignment.

Use a metal comb with a wide-tooth and a dematting brush for long coats; to remove tangles and a rubber brush to smoothen the coat in the case of short coats.

2.   Give Your Dog a Regular Bath

Dogs are active animals and so they get into anything including mud and any kind of dirt.

You should give your dog a good bath every seven weeks.

Bathing your pooch regularly helps to remove unpleasant odors. And in case your dog produces some bad smell, you can use some kind of doggie towelettes or dry shampoo.

Some pet owners use doggie towelettes on their dogs every day after spending some time outside, to keep their dogs smelling good.

Avoid using human shampoo as it can have some side effects on your dog’s skin.

Rinse your dog thoroughly to get rid of the shampoo completely.

To dry your dog hair, you can let him stand in a warm area or use a blow dry on a low heat setting.

3.   Brush Your Dog’s Teeth Every Day

While it is recommended to brush your dog’s teeth at least 3 times every week, we’d recommend doing it once every day.

Brushing your pooch’s teeth with toothpaste specifically designed for pets as well as human toothpaste contains additives that could cause harm to your dog when swallowed- remember dogs don’t spit.

Some dog experts recommend using a rubber finger brush but we’d recommend using a child’s toothbrush as it is soft on your dog’s gums.

Some people find it difficult to brush their dog’s teeth though, so you might try dental sprays or dog chew treats instead of brushing.

4.   Clean Your Dog’s Ears

You clean your ears regularly to prevent bacteria from building up in those sensitive areas of your body, right?

Your dog too needs regular ear cleaning at least every month to prevent infection.

If your dog has long or floppy ears, then you need to clean them at least two times a month.

You can use a piece of cotton ball with a safe doggie ear cleaner and solution to clean the outside and inside area of your dog’s ears.

Avoid cleaning the inner ear canal with cotton swabs. Also, we’d recommend using cleaner solutions with friendly ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, etc.

If your dog likes swimming, regular cleaning and drying of the ears each time after swimming is necessary.

5.   Keep Your Dog’s Nails Trimmed

Nail trimming is one of the simple and less expensive dog care routines you can do between trips to the groomer.

You can as well get your dog’s nails trimmed by your groomer or veterinarian in case you aren’t comfortable doing it but given that you’ll be booking appointments once or every six weeks per month, we recommend trimming your fur baby nails regularly.

Trimming of your dog’s nails will depend on how fast they grow.

For instance, some dog’s nails grow faster than others.

Some breeds may require nail trimming every six weeks while others every two weeks.

Your groomer can show you how to trim the nails without causing any harm to your dog’s feet.

For nail trimming, you can use rotary trimmers or clippers.

You also need to have some handy products that can help to stop bleeding on the nails in case you cut the nails too short.

You can buy a dog-specific cauterizing powder or styptic pencil.

6.   Wash Your Dog’s Face Regularly

This is a must-do daily dog care practice for dog breeds with wrinkles or skin folds on their face.

When moisture forms on those wrinkles of the face of your fur friend, it creates a healthy environment for harmful bacteria that can cause infection on your dog.

So wash your dog’s face regularly with baby wipes or a warm washcloth.

You can also use a stringent cleaning solution for effective cleaning or consult your veterinarian in case your dog starts to produce unpleasant odors or bumps on the face.

Follow Your Groomer’s Advice

You see, while you’ll need to do all the above mid-groom care for your dog, there are other things your groomer will tell you before you take your pet home.

Your groomer is in a better place to tell you what should or shouldn’t be done to your fur companion.

For instance, if during grooming, the groomer noticed that your dog is afraid of a particular grooming tool, has buildup mats, etc., they will let you know.

Pay attention to what the groomer tells you to give your dog proper in-between groom care.

The Dos And Don’ts for In-Between Grooming Care

To keep your dog healthy at all times, you need to pay attention to the good hygiene habits shared above and those that your groomer will tell you.

The good thing is that most of the in-between grooming care practices are easy to do and you don’t need expensive tools.

Here are the dos and don’ts shared by the essay paper when caring for your dog between trips to the groomer.

The dos

• Use the right tools or products. From brushing your dog’s hair to trimming the nails; the last mistake you want to make is to use the wrong tools or for the sake of saving your few coins, use tools intended for grooming humans.

As a rule, you should use dog-specific shampoo, teeth cleaning tools, hair combs, etc.

• Use a wet towel to clean any dirt, pine needles, or other outdoor debris from your dog’s coat.
• Remove ticks from your dog as regularly as possible especially during tick season.
• Use a moist cotton ball or a soft washcloth to wipe the inner side of your dog’s ears.

The don’ts

• Don’t attempt to treat your dog yourself. In case you notice any wounds, sores, or injuries on any part of your dog, consult your veterinarian.
• Do not spray your dog with perfumes meant for humans. Dogs are more sensitive to fragrance and other products with harmful additives.
• During cold seasons, do not bathe your dog outside.

Final Thoughts

Caring for your dog before and after trips to the groomer is important. While you might want to visit your groomer every time, sometimes frequent trips can be costly.

Why spend money unnecessarily yet you can do some of these things yourself?

Start practicing these in-between grooming care habits today to keep your dog healthy, shiny, and happier.