You can do some simple grooming for your dog yourself

Compared to professional groomers, our experience, techniques, and equipment are certainly limited, so there is inevitably some gap compared to how groomers manage dogs. However, if it’s just some relatively simple tasks, we can still handle them ourselves, and these tools are generally not too troublesome and easier to acquire. Therefore, you can usually keep some simple tools on hand to take care of simple grooming tasks for your dog.

1. Dematting Knife

A tool specially designed for dogs; when used regularly, it can keep the dog's coat in optimal condition. It removes dead hair and accelerates the hair growth cycle, making the coat firmer to meet breed coat requirements. Most dogs require a coarse and hard coat, but since coat thickness varies by body part, enthusiasts often use suitable knives for grooming different areas. For example, Schnauzers use dematting knives to help their coat grow more prominently on the back.

2. Hair Dryer

The hair dryer's role is to dry and shape (straighten) the coat. Pets have several times more fur than humans, so to speed up drying, you can use a large pet-specific hair dryer designed for high airflow and low heat. However, due to high cost, these are mostly for professional groomers. For households with only a few dogs, regular home hair dryers can suffice. Some dogs may be scared of the dryer’s noise, so it’s advisable to acclimate them early.

3. Absorbent Towel

Used to absorb moisture from the coat after a shower. Some owners may not be able to frequently wash towels due to work, so using absorbent sponge towels is much more convenient. They are small in size, have high water absorption, reusable, and easy to clean, making them a must-have for pet grooming.

Durable good absorbent towels require: high shrinkage and expansion ratio; smooth surface that won’t harm the coat; resistant to twisting and pulling; and not easy to mold when damp.

4. Rubber Bands

Used for tying and fixing. Fixing grooming paper, bows, hair buns, or securing the coat for styling and sectioning requires rubber bands of various sizes. Usually, sizes 7 and 8 are most commonly used. Very small sizes are mostly used by professional groomers preparing for dog shows.

Types: Sizes don’t matter much, but by material there are two kinds: Latex: does not stick to hair or curl paper but has slightly poor elasticity. Rubber: good elasticity, inexpensive, but sticks to hair.

Commonly used tools ready

5. Mask:

Many dogs are very afraid of bathing, so even their owners find it hard to calm them. For safety, a mask is essential. Timid or aggressive pets may resist or reject strangers’ touch due to nervousness. To complete grooming smoothly, putting a mask on such dogs is quite necessary.

Mask types: Various products mainly designed to fix the mouth area only; only cat masks cover the eyes as well (made of nylon fabric). Classified by material as follows.

Metal: sturdy but heavy and can easily cause abrasion.

Nylon fabric: equipped with straps and Velcro, lightweight and easy to use but not durable.

Leather: durable but straps are difficult to fasten quickly and can develop odors after extended use.

Plastic: uses plug-in straps, easy to use, smooth hard surface that’s hard to escape from, easy to clean.

Good masks require: no harm to pets, easy to fasten, hard to fall off, and easy to clean.

Additionally, hemostats, dog nail clippers, and razors are also some essential everyday tools. With these prepared, we can handle relatively simple grooming tasks for our dogs ourselves.