There is the:

• fluff dry method
• the cage dry method
• the towel dry method

3 Methods to Dry Your Dog’s Coat

The Fluff Dry Method

The fluff dry method is the hardest one to achieve.

To do the fluff dry method, you need a high-speed floor dryer.

This method is used to properly groom such breed of dogs like the Afghan, the Maltese, the Old English Sheepdog and the Poodle, and is really a vital part of their grooming.

When you fluff dry your dog, it is important that the hair is properly dried and also that it is properly straightened.

Let the warm air from the dryer blow directly on the section of the coat that you are drying.

Brush your dog’s hair upwards with quick, even strokes until that section of hair is dry and straight.

Continue to do this on different sections of his hair throughout the whole body until all his coat is completely dry.

When fluff drying your dog, exercise extreme caution when doing around his ears, his head, and his legs.

If the fluff dry was properly done, it will show on your dog.

So, it is very important that you learn how to give your dog a proper fluff dry.

The Cage Dry Method

The cage dry method, which is also known as the kennel dry method, is used on dogs that have a short coat or on dogs that have coats that do not need fluffing and straightening.

When you use this method to dry your dog, you will need to attach a cage dryer to the cage.

Put your dog inside the cage on a towel and keep him there until he is completely dried. Make sure that the top and the sides of the cage have proper ventilation to avoid him from suffocating. However, if your dog is too big for the cage, you can put him on a grooming table and use a floor dryer to dry him.

The Towel Dry Method

The towel dry method is used on small, short haired breed of dogs.

Some of these small haired dogs are the Chihuahua, the Miniature Pinscher and the Toy Manchester Terrier. After you have done bathing your dog, rub his coat with the towel until his hair is properly dry.

Dog owners seldom use the towel dry method because it takes too long to dry their dog’s hair.

They prefer to use the cage dry method because this method dries the hair on their dog much quicker. If you do not have the cage drying equipment at home, then you should use the towel dry method.

However, with this method make sure that his hair is completely dried before you take him out.

Photo courtesy of Tobyotter.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

So, to help you know what tools you need to get, here is a list of those tools.

Grooming Tools You Need

A Raised Bath Tub for Your Dog: 

A raised bath tub is the proper equipment to have to bathe your dog. This will allow him to enjoy a wonderful experience while bathing. This bath tub can be obtained at your nearest pet store or online.

Make sure that you have the proper measurements so that you can buy the right size bath tub. The sooner you buy the raised bath tub to bathe your dog in, the less hassles and headaches you will have.

Pet Showers and Plastic Pitchers That Are Convenient for Bathing Your Dog:

Pet Showers are bathing gadgets that are produced commercially and it is very convenient to have one to use on your dog when bathing him. A pet shower will help you to bathe your dog properly once you follow the right procedure.

You can also use a large plastic pitcher to pour water over your dog as you bathe him.

A Screen for Your Drain Pipe:  

There are breeds of dogs that shed a lot of their hair. So, if you have a dog that sheds, the loose hair that washes off when you are bathing him can clog your drain pipe or even block it.

To avoid any blockage in your drain pipe, make sure that you get a screen to put over the mouth of the drain pipe to stop the hair from going through.

Different Types of Shampoos and Soaps That You Can Use On Your Dog:  

There are different types of shampoos and soaps that you can use when you bathe your dog. The type of shampoo and soap that you use on your dog will depend on the way the coat and hair of your dog looks and the condition it’s in.

There are different types of shampoos that are available that will work great on different types of dogs regardless of the kind of skin and coat they may have.

There are also several varieties of shampoos that are specially made for dogs that have skin disorders such as dry skin, inflamed skin, itching, pest infested skin, odorous skin and skins that shed a lot.

These different varieties of shampoos can help to protect the beauty of your dog’s coat and help to bring out the luster of the coat.

Conditioners for Your Dog:

To make your dog’s coat look really nice and healthy it needs to be properly groomed regularly. You can purchase good conditioners for your dog at a pet store. You can buy conditioners such as dry skin conditioners, mist conditioners, grooming sprays and herbal sprays.

Cotton Balls for Your Dog:  

Make sure that you have cotton or cellulose balls to put into your dog’s ears when you are bathing him to avoid water from getting inside his ear.

Towels for Your Dog:  

When you bathe your dog you need towels so that you can quickly dry the skin of your dog. The towels and napkins are used to help absorb excessive water from your dog’s body.

Gel to Protect the Eyes of Your Dog:  

When you bathe your dog make sure that you have an eye protection gel. Put some protection gel on his eyes to avoid shampoo from getting into his eyes.

Protective Ear Solution for Your Dog:  

When you bathe your dog make sure that you have an ear protective solution.

Put a few drops of the ear protective solution into your dog’s ear canal to avoid water from getting inside the ear and to keep it dry.

There are some dogs that do not like when water gets into their ear canals.

There are dogs whose ears may get infected because of water getting into their ear canals.

Brushes and Combs for Grooming Your Dog:  

You will need brushes and combs to groom your dog properly. They help to make your dog look beautiful. Brushes and combs are also used to remove lice and ticks from his body and help his hair to set nicely on his body.

A Dryer to Dry the Hair of Your Dog:  

There is special equipment available that you can use to dry the coat of your dog without burning his skin or damaging your dog.

This is a special dryer that is specifically made to dry a dog’s hair.

This dryer discharges less heat but blows a lot of air that helps to dry the coat of your dog much quicker.

A Bin to put the Tools and Grooming Supplies for Your Dog:

Make sure that you purchase a bin in which you can put all the tools and the grooming supplies that you use for your dog.

A Calendar and Organizer to Record the Dates of Your Dog’s Grooming:  

Grooming your dog is a regular chore just like any other organized activity. So you may want to keep an organizer or a diary in which to record the different dates that you groom your dog.  

Photo courtesy of normanack.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

This technique will help to get rid of lice and ticks that are lodged in the ears, around the face and over the body.

One simple technique to use when you bathe your dog is to pour water over the head of your dog. This will bring out the lice and ticks that are inside his ears and accumulate on his face making it easier for you to get rid of them.

You can also use dog shampoos and pest eradicating medicines that are specifically made to kill these parasites.

10 Tips to Simplify Bathing Your Dog

1. You can make bathing your dog a simple and soothing experience for him by running the water in the tub until he gets used to the sound.

2. Slowly add small amounts of water into the tub to gradually raise the level of the water so that your dog does not become frightened. Use a small bowl or a pitcher to pour cold or warm water in the tub.

3. If you are using a water hose, adjust the nozzle to regulate the spray of water to a low level so that when you spray your dog you do not frighten him. It will help your dog to feel at ease while you bathe him.

4. Always avoid spraying water directly at the eyes and genitals of your dog.

5. Make sure that you clean your dog’s rectum, toes, and under his chin as you apply dog shampoo to his coat.

6. Avoid getting shampoo in the eyes of your dog.

7. Be careful how you apply shampoo over the tail of your dog. Dogs get very nervous and frightened when you touch their tail.

8. Thoroughly wash off any excess shampoo from your dog’s coat, as this could cause his skin to become irritated.

9. Dry the body of your dog properly with a clean towel before you take him out of the tub.

10. Certain types of dogs have very delicate hair. Therefore, do not dry their hair roughly with the towel. Instead, use a soft towel and pat them dry.

As long as you own a dog, grooming is an obligation and a lifetime experience and a good lesson that teaches you care and love.

Photo courtesy of newplasticmachine.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

As you may already know, it can be challenging to bathe him. He always seems to outsmart you when the time comes for bathing and will try to avoid you. He will run past you and not allow you to capture him.

It is absolutely necessary to bathe your dog as part of his grooming, but it can be very challenging. The only time that your dog tries to outsmart you and wants to be your master, is when it’s time to bathe him.

When you are ready to bathe your dog and he wants to outsmart you, beat him at his game with the following suggestions:

Winning the Cat and Mouse Game

1. Once you have your dog in the room where you will bathe him, close the door so that he cannot escape.

2. It’s always best to have your dog in a closed room when you are going to bathe him. This way he won’t be able to escape.

3. When you are ready to bathe your dog, you can use a leash to restrain him if he tries to trick you and run away from you.

4. Restraining your dog when you are ready to bathe him will help you and your dog from getting injured.

Bathing Your Dog Without Frustration

When you bathe your dog, you will realize how great a task it is when he starts doing dog antics and throwing tantrums getting you frustrated, and then you start shouting at him. You may find him very annoying and too difficult to bathe.

The following tips will help you to learn how to bathe your dog without becoming frustrated and perhaps end up crying.

Tips for Bathing Your Dog Stress Free

1. To help you solve the problem, you can purchase a Booster Bath Dog Wash  that will elevate your dog to a comfortable height for both of you. The platform will help to keep your dog securely in place and restrain him from moving a lot.

2. Take a few minutes only to bathe your dog, and then stand back. This will help you to keep drier.

3. The booster bath will help your dog to stay calm and quiet while you are bathing him. It will also help to decrease your dog’s stress level.

4. The dog wash will help your dog from slipping and falling.

5. The surface of the Booster Bath Dog Wash is non-slip and will make your dog feel secure standing on it.

6. A dog bath tub  is very hygienic.

7. The Booster Bath Dog Wash helps you to control your dog better and you will be able to handle him better while you bathe him.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

Bathing and grooming your dog is always a tough challenge.

You should groom your dog or your puppy every week.  However, depending on the breed of dog and his physical characteristics, you may need to groom him every day.

It does not matter the breed of dog that you may have or the type of coat the dog has, every dog should be thoroughly washed regularly.

Once you have finished bathing your dog and making him feel clean, you w ill see him running around, frolicking, playing and just having a good time.

Dogs can look so cute after a bath and love to get praises.

How Often Do You Give Your Dog A Bath?

How often you bathe your dog would depend on whether your dog lives outside, gets dirty when he eats or has developed a foul odor.

The fur and the skin of a dog vary from one breed of dog to another. So, if your dog develops a foul odor, then give him a good bath.

If your dog lives outdoors, it is more likely that he will develop a foul odor more often because of the weather and parasites. Therefore, you will need to bathe him more regularly.

Use a good shampoo when you bathe your dog often. This will add moisture to his skin. You can also use a good quality dog conditioner to your dog’s coat look healthy and great.

TIP: If you bathe your dog too often, his skin could lose its brilliance and become dull. His skin could lose it natural oils which could cause your dog’s skin to become dry causing an itch that would irritate the dog.

Where Is It The Best Place To Bathe Your Dog?

It is so much easier and better to bathe your dog in the bathtub because you can use warm water and soak him properly. You can wash the shampoo off your dog much better by using a combination of cold and hot water.

Whether you bathe your dog outdoors or in a bathtub inside is up to you. However, it would not be wise to bather your dog outdoors on a cold wet day. In the summertime you can bather your dog outdoors in a dry area.

TIP: If you bathe your dog outdoors, use a tub large enough for your dog to stand comfortably inside. Fill the tub with water up to his ankles.

Accessories to bathe your dog in the tub.

1. An anti-slip rubber mat

2. A spray attachment for the faucet or the shower head

3. A pair of gloves. However, the gloves are not necessary

Mix some shampoo in a bottle of water and use the mixture for that specific bath. It will allow the shampoo to penetrate your dog’s coat much easier. It will also help to wash out the shampoo much better.

Put a heavy towel or a rug on the floor near the tub. After you have finished scrubbing your dog and washing him, put him on the heavy towel or the rug. Then use a big towel to dry him.

Note:  Some people bathe their small dog in the kitchen sink. If you use the kitchen sink to bathe your dog, be careful with the disposal opening. Especially be cautious with small dogs that like to jump.

How Do You Get Your Dog To Enjoy a Bath?

Once you get a puppy for a pet, the sooner you start to bathe him the quicker he will get used to it. This will help him, as he grows into a dog, to know when to stay in the tub for his bath. It will also help him to know when to get out of the tub after he is finished bathing.

In time, if your dog is not too small, he will learn how to get in the tub on his own and how to get out of it. After you have finished bathing your dog, give him a treat to make the experience more pleasant.

Photo courtesy of minicooper93402.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

But the long coated small breed of dogs has full fluffy hair. Their coats stand out away from their bodies instead of lying flat against their skin. So, when you are grooming your dog, remember that his long coat stands out away from his body.

After you have finished bathing your small dog, follow the process provided below on how you should groom the long fluffy coat of your dog.

9 Steps to Grooming Your Long Coat Dog

1. Blow dry the coat.

Once you have finished drying your dog with a towel, use a blow-dryer on his long coat to prevent his coat from drying into tangle or matted hair.

Set the blow-dryer on a cool or low setting to blow-dry your dog’s long coat starting from the bottom of his body and working your way upwards.

Use a pin brush or a slicker brush to part the hair into sections as you hold the hair away from his body to make it easier to blow-dry.

2. Blow dry each section.

Move the blow-dryer over each section of hair that you have parted until it is completely dried.

Begin with the legs and the rear end of your dog and work your way upwards and forward. Continue to brush and fluff his hair until it is buoyant and free from tangles.

3. Comb the entire coat with a metal comb.

Run a metal comb through the entire coat of your dog to ensure that you did not miss any tangle or snag.

4. Use a #10 blade on your electric clipper to shave the anal area of your dog.

Use a #10 blade on your electric clipper to shave the anal area of your dog so that it can be clean and free from any long hair or tangles. Just be careful that the blade does not touch the skin of your dog.

You can also keep the anal area clean and neat by using a pair of scissors to clip the long hairs and tangles.

5. Shave long hair from underneath.

If you would like to, depending on which breed of dog you have, you can shave the long hair from underneath your dog.

Shave his abdomen using the same #10 blade on the clipper beginning from his groin towards his naval area then down towards the insides of both thighs. Shave him following the lay of his hair.

6. Use a pair of scissors to trim the paw pads of your dog.

Also using the scissors, trim any hair that covers his feet. Allow the hair to reach the ground evenly in a rounded shape around his paw.

7. Brush and comb the hair on the ears, the face and the head of your dog.

8. Inspect the shape.

After you have finished grooming your dog, step back and inspect his shape. Look for any uneven and stray areas that stand out. If you see any stray long hairs, trim them with the scissors without changing the shape of his coat.

9. Spray coat with conditioner.

To complete the grooming of your dog and keep his coat fluffy, spray the coat with a coat conditioner or a coat dressing to help the coat stay in place and remain soft.

Brush the top of the coat lightly to help the coat to set.

Brush his coat from the bottom upwards and from the shoulders forward and as you do so fluff the body, the chest, the ruff and the tail.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

All you need to do with their medium coat is to brush it regularly and then bathe your dog occasionally. Make sure you trim any long hair on his feet especially between the pads where mats are easy to form.

You can trim the head of your dog and his body to make his coat look even and to give him a better shape. However, for some medium-coated breed of dogs to be able to compete in a dog show, it is necessary to give their medium coat a special trim.

Take for example the “Sporting Spaniels”. The top third of their ears are trimmed with a clipper or a thinning shears. The ruff on his neck is trimmed to about an inch from his breastbone and is blended into the shoulders.

Other breed of dogs that have medium coats would require very little trimming of their coats. If necessary, you can make little adjustments by shaping the hair around the ear. Preferably, it is better to leave the medium coat of your dog as is without changing his shape.

What you can do is to trim any stray hairs to keep his coat neat. It is not necessary to groom the medium coat of your dog professionally. Just follow the basic rule and brush the coat of your dog regularly to remove shed hair.

Brush your dog’s medium coat thoroughly every day or at least one time for the week. After you have given your dog a bath, follow the steps provided below.

4 Steps to Grooming Your Medium Coat Dog

1. Use a towel to completely dry your dog’s coat.

Then get him to stand up and step back so you can get a good look at his shape. Compare his outline with the picture of a dog of the same breed that is well groomed. Look to see if there are any stray hairs, shaggy areas or any other areas that would require attention.

2. Trim any longer hairs.

Use a clipper, a pair of scissors or a stripping knife to clip off any hairs that are longer than those hairs around them. Also straighten out any shaggy areas to make them look neat.

3. Check shape of the coat.

Clip a few hairs first then stop and stand back to check the outline of your dog. If you are trimming your dog from very close for too long, you may vey likely over-trim him.

4. Condition the coat.

Once you have finished, you could spray the coat of your dog with a little coat conditioner to keep his coat buoyant and make it easy to brush.

The tools that are required to groom the medium coat of your dog are:

• clippers
• pin brush
• coat rake
• hound glove
• shedding comb
• rubber curly brush
• blow dryer that has a low or cool setting

Take for example the “water breeds” that are sporting dogs. They have very long curly hair. These dogs spend most of their time outdoors in the fields retrieving prey from the water, flushing out game and being hunting companions to their owners. Therefore, you should make sure that you keep their hair short and neat. Otherwise, their long and unruly curls will hook on to twigs, burr, debris and any other loose items.

If you have a dog that has a curly or a wavy coat and you want him to participate in a dog show, then trim his hair with a scissors so that it has a neat shape. This method of trimming his hair with a scissors is a lot of work and is very time consuming.

Owners who have a sporting type of dog with a curly coat, will more than likely trim their coat with an electric clipper and keep it about two inches long.

The curly coated Retriever would be an exception as his coat is so short that it does not need clipping.

6 Steps to Grooming Your Curly or Wavy Coat Dog

1. Brush your dog’s hair

Brush the hair on your dog thoroughly with a pin brush or a slicker brush to remove as much dead hair as you possibly can from his body. This will help you to get rid of hair that is tangled. Also make sure that you remove matted hair using a mat comb or a coat rake or cut through the tangled hair with a scissors.

Make sure that you do all these things before you bathe your dog.

2. Comb your dog’s coat

Pass a comb entirely through your dog’s coat to ensure that you have removed every bit of tangled hair from his body. It may take you some time to do this because you will not want to pull out any hair from your dog’s body.

3. Cut the hair on the legs

Cut the hair on your dog’s leg with a scissors. Make sure that it is even and that you remove any excess hair.

4. Cut hair from feet

Cut hair from under the foot of your dog and also from between the foot pads. After you have finished doing this, your dog’s foot should look rounded and it should blend in with the hair on his leg. It should look like a powder puff over the foot.

5. Clip hair around torso

Clip the hair around the torso down to two inches. Use a scissors to clip off fluffy hair and also use the scissors to clip the sides and shape it so that it looks neat. Trim the sides and the rear of the dog to give it the shape that will best match the breed.

If the shape is not satisfactory, you can trim the curly coat to slightly adjust the shape.

Clip your dog’s hair little by little and as you do so, stand back to inspect the shape of your dog. It would be a good idea to have the picture of a well groomed specimen of your breed of dog. This would show you a good way to trim your dog.

6. Dry naturally

When you have finished bathing your dog, do not blow-dry or brush his hair. Just leave the curls or waves to air-dry naturally so that they remain intact.

Photo courtesy of Mihai Bojin.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

Parasites such as fleas, ticks and mites prosper well on a dog whose hair is all tangled and matted. Your dog may also build up dandruff because of a matted coat. If you do not take proper care of your dog’s coat and allow it to mat, your dog could develop a foul odor.

If you do not groom your dog regularly and allow him to develop matted hair, your dog will be very uncomfortable. It would also be very unhealthy for him.

Last time I gave you 5 easy ways to remove your dog’s matted hair.

5 more tips to take care of your dog’s matted hair

1. Check to see how far the knotting has gone into the hair.

See if the knotting has gone all the way to the roots and whether they are isolated clumps or clumps all over the body. Check also to see if the knots are just tangled hair or dirty hair.

2. If the matted hair on your dog is really bad, it would be best to shave him and allow the hair to grow back.

Once the hair has grown, it is important that you brush it and wash it regularly to avoid the hair from knotting again.

3. If the matted hair is mostly on the surface, then the problem is not too serious.

Put your dog on a table or somewhere that you can get him to lay down. Get both a small and large pair of trimming scissors. Use the large pair of scissors to cut out the knots and the matted hair from the body of your dog. Then use the small pair of scissors to cut out the knots and matted hair from the ears, the face and the paws.

4. Use a dog brush and thoroughly brush your dog’s hair to take out any other tangle that he may have.

5. Check your dog’s hair for any parasites that he may have and, if any, treat it properly to get rid of them.

One of the main reasons why the hair on your dog mats is because you allow him to have a dirty coat. This causes the hair to tangle and become knotty. Wash your dog thoroughly with dog shampoo and conditioner after you have finished snipping out large tangles of hair.

The best way to avoid your dog’s coat from matting is to take the necessary steps to prevent it.

It is important that you brush your dog’s hair regularly and bathe him often. If necessary, you can use preventative flea and tick medication to help your dog from catching them.

Always take very good care of your dog’s coat. He will appreciate it and you will make him very happy.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.

A mat is a mass of hair that is tangled into a tight knot that is difficult to brush or comb.

Mats usually form on dogs that have thick, long and curly hair. They also form on dogs with double coats in the corners of their bodies and in areas that have longer hair.

These areas are the base of the legs, under the tail around the anus, under the chest by the front legs and around the ears. You can prevent tangled hair from becoming mats by brushing and combing your dog’s hair on a daily basis.

What causes the matted hair?

A dog’s hair is covered with very small scales that cause the hair to form mats. When the dog’s hair is not properly treated it tangles, allowing the scales to stick up like tiny barbs. These very small barbs catch loose hairs, wooly undercoat hairs, dirt and debris, knotting and tangling them into a mass of solid hair that is almost impossible to comb.

Removing the matted hair

There are people who merely cut out the knotted hair from the dog and leave “holes” in their coat. They do this to avoid having to spend so much time cutting out the knots using a mat splitter, scissors and a comb. They also do this to avoid pulling the coat of the poor dog. Therefore, it would be best to shave your dog’s coat to get rid of all the knots.

5 easy ways to remove your dog’s matted hair

To remove knotted hair from your dog, the first thing to do is to get the necessary tools.

To help maintain your dog’s coat, you can use special equipment and products such as the following:

1. An oil-based coat conditioner spray: To remove matted hair from your dog, spray the hair with an oil-based conditioner spray. The oil will help to smooth down the scales on the hair, it will saturate and loosen the matted hair and make it easier to comb out the hair.

2. A mat comb: A mat comb is a tool that looks like a comb and instead of teeth it has blades. It is used to cut large thick mats into smaller parts and makes it easier to comb out the mats.

3. A mat splitter: A mat splitter is a blade that has a curved handle and is used to cut through a mat. The curved handle on the mat splitter makes it easier to hold and easier to cut the mat into strips.

4. A sharp scissors: Sometimes it is best to cut the mat into thin strips to get rid of it. You can use a sharp scissors to cut the mat instead of a mat comb or a mat splitter.

5. A slicker brush: You can use a slicker brush to remove the tangles from the smaller sections of the mat after you have separated the large mat.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming.