Skip professional beauticians and save money

This is a budget flaw that I cannot ignore: professional grooming of my dog ​​costs more than cutting my own hair. With a tip of 80 dollars every three months, Lola’s dog hot spring days quickly increased.

Once we got into a locked state and Lola’s fur started to get out of control (aka, smelly and messy), I realized that I needed a better solution. Forget about baking your own bread: I decided to groom my dog.

I have an older cocker spaniel, unless you plan to show your dog a luxurious show, you should be able to follow my tips to give your puppy a simple grooming, just like you get from a professional Just as good as a beautician. The best part: once you pay for the initial supplies (my cost is about $200), you will never have to pay another dime for your dog’s grooming needs.

Make sure you have plenty of snacks to reward your dog for keeping calm and still. Also, please note that this may be the work of two people-at least the first few times, because your dog is used to it. One should hold your dog and calm him down, while one should do grooming.

This is a product about DIY dog grooming and DIY dog lotion.

What to do and what you need

DIY dog grooming has some basic services, and each service requires some supplies to get a perfect haircut. The first few times it takes about an hour to groom your dog, but as you become more comfortable, it will get faster.

Nail trimming

To trim your dog’s nails, you can choose: nail polisher or dog clippers. Nail clippers are a quiet option, and they are inexpensive—less than $10. And you can cut off your dog’s nails quickly. However, if you are not careful, you may cut your puppy’s nails, which can cause injury and cause bleeding. Nail trimming should be part of your dog’s monthly maintenance program.

The grinder is a bit more expensive and takes a few more minutes, but it is not that easy to hurt your dog.Since I am completely new to this, I chose grinder Option (Amazon $29.99). To sharpen your dog’s nails, hold his paws, and then simply press the grinder onto each nail. If your dog is nervous, ask someone to hold a spoonful of peanut butter so he can lick it when you do. Extend his nails by pushing the thumb up and back onto the mat and avoid going beyond the curve of the nail. If cutting or grinding your dog’s nails is too much for you, this is the cheapest grooming service outsourced. Usually, you can cut your dog’s nails at any groomer or veterinarian for $5.

Trim the face and hard spots

In order to comb the fur on the dog’s face and other detailed areas, you need a smaller pair of scissors.I use Turn Raise Pet Grooming Scissors ($24.99). These small scissors are only half an inch wide and are perfect for trimming your dog’s eyes, ears, between the toes, and all areas around you that may be a little tight. If you have a very small dog, you can use it on his entire body, but this may take a while. It really depends on the breed of your dog.

My dog-very anxious-seems to like this scissors very much. The tool is quiet and may feel a bit like a dog massage. The part that is done is self-explanatory-just shave carefully. You really can’t hurt your dog with this pair of dog scissors.

Trim body hair

For this, you need a larger pair of scissors.Splurge Andis ProClip (US$199), you can also buy it on Ebay for around US$60 (I bought one this way, it’s great). It slides beautifully, won’t get stuck, and effortlessly. Most importantly, it is very quiet and will not scare your dog.

I recommend Is not Get a cordless version, so you don’t have to worry about charging tools during dog grooming. You also need a blade to connect to your hair clipper.Seize Andis BladeThey vary in size, but I will try size 3 initially so that you are not very close to your dog’s skin.

As long as your dog can sit (or stand) still, the shaving part is also very simple. At first, he was expected to be a little nervous. You may need someone else to hold him while you shave. But with an electric shaver, you cannot get too close to his actual skin, so it is difficult to hurt your puppy. The worst case is that you will give him an uneven cut. But keep in mind that the blade may become very hot and may make your dog’s skin uncomfortable.So check every few minutes-if it is hot, spray This ($8) Put it directly on the blade and it will cool down immediately.

Clean ears

If you have a cocker spaniel or another dog with long and drooping ears, then you may be familiar with this part because you should do this procedure once a week.Grab one of them Wipes ($13) and wipe the inside of the dog’s ears. Put it in deeply and wipe until there is no more dirt or grime. You may need several for each ear.

Brush your teeth

I use a normal human toothbrush and add a pea-sized dog toothpaste ($10) Brush my dog’s teeth.

Bathe the dog

Give your dog a good scrub with warm water to remove all dirt and loose fur.In addition to dog shampoo, technically, you don’t need any accessories, but these gloves It is really helpful for hair removal because they remove the fur while massaging your dog. Finally, brush your dog’s fur and he will look like a show dog. Or at least a groomed dog.

Danielle Braff is a writer for The Penny Hoarder.