How to groom your dog at home with clippers?

When the dog looks at you with wet eyes and wags its tail and rubs your trouser legs, the dependence and trust become the motivation for us to take good care of them. Using clippers to trim the dog's hair at home is not only to make them have a neat and beautiful appearance, but also to protect their health. The seemingly simple clipper trimming actually contains a lot of professional knowledge and skills. Every careful operation is full of our deep love for the dog. ​

Before officially starting to use clippers to trim the dog's hair, sufficient preparation is crucial, which not only makes the trimming process smoother, but also ensures the safety and comfort of the dog. The first thing is to prepare the tools. Choosing a suitable pet clipper is the key. There are many types of pet clippers on the market, and you should give priority to those with sharp and rounded blades and low noise. Sharp blades can easily cut hair and reduce pulling on the dog's skin; rounded blades can avoid scratching the dog's delicate skin; and low-noise clippers can reduce the dog's fear and tension. After all, dogs have very keen hearing, and excessive noise may make them feel uneasy or even resist. In addition to clippers, you also need to prepare tools such as combs, scissors, nail clippers, towels, and hair shampoo. Combs are used to comb hair to prevent tangles; scissors can be used to deal with details that are difficult for clippers to reach; nail clippers are used to trim the dog's nails to prevent long nails from affecting their walking; towels and hair shampoo are prepared for cleaning after trimming. ​

After preparing the tools, let the dog gradually get familiar with the clippers. Turn on the clippers and place them close to the dog, let it listen to the sound of the clippers, touch it with your hands, and give comfort and encouragement. Then, gently hold the dog's paws, ears and other parts to simulate the contact during trimming, so that it can adapt to the feeling of being touched. This process may take some time and patience, but it is essential. Only when the dog lets down his guard can the subsequent trimming work proceed smoothly. Every gentle touch and every soft word of comfort are sending a signal to the dog that "I will protect you", allowing them to relax in trust.

When trimming formally, start with the parts of the dog where the hair is longer and easier to operate, such as the back.Gently place the dog on a clean, flat table, comb the hair in the direction of hair growth with a comb, and comb out the tangled hair. Then, pick up the clipper and move slowly in the direction of hair growth, with even force, and avoid excessive force. During the trimming process, always pay attention to the dog's reaction. If it shows tension or anxiety, stop immediately and comfort it. Be extra careful when trimming sensitive parts such as the abdomen, legs, and face. The skin on the abdomen is thin and soft, and the clipper should be kept at a certain distance from the skin; the hair on the legs is thin and requires delicate operation; the face should avoid the clipper being close to the eyes, mouth, and nose, and can be carefully trimmed with scissors.

After trimming, the dog's hair will become messy, and some broken hair may remain, so it is necessary to clean it. Use warm water to bathe the dog, choose a shampoo suitable for its skin, rub gently, and wash off the broken hair and dirt on its body. During the bathing process, be careful to avoid water entering the dog's ears and eyes. After bathing, wipe the moisture off the dog's body with a towel, and then use a hair dryer to dry the hair. The temperature of the hair dryer should not be too high to avoid scalding the dog. Watching the dog relax in the warm water flow, and then the fluffy and cute appearance after the hair is blown dry, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction arises spontaneously, and all the hard work becomes worthwhile. ​

Post-trimming care should not be ignored. Check whether the dog's skin has scratches or damages. If so, deal with it in time. At the same time, check the growth of the dog's nails regularly and trim them in time. In addition, combing the dog's hair should become a daily habit, which not only keeps the hair clean, but also promotes blood circulation in the skin, prevents hair tangling and skin diseases. Every combing is a moment of intimate interaction with the dog. The soft touch from the fingertips and the dog's comfortable eyes are warm little happiness in life.​

Trimming your dog's hair with a hair clipper at home is a "competition" of patience and carefulness, and also a wonderful experience of warming up your relationship with your dog. From the careful selection of tools, to the carefulness during trimming, to the attentive care after trimming, every step is filled with our love for the dog. Although there may be various small difficulties in the process, when we see the dog become clean, tidy, lively and cute under our care, all the efforts are turned into full joy.