Essential and Optional Dog Grooming Supplies

With the very important task of dog grooming, there are numerous items of dog grooming equipment available for you to choose from. What will you need and what exactly should you buy? Read on… This double-pronged question will be answered in the text of this blog.

Now, with that out of the way, on with the Grooming article.

The items necessary for general grooming will be split up into two categories : Essential and Optional grooming supplies.

Essential Grooming Supplies

The kit chosen under this broad classification is more to do with the pet’s wellbeing and ensuring that there is no discomfort or danger posed to them or those that they have contact with, both other pets and family members.  

Nail Clippers and Cutters

Dog’s toenails grow constantly. A good suggestion is to cut them every 2 to 3 weeks. The need to cut dog’s toenails may be a little reduced if your dog does a lot of outside running around on rough ground. This has the effect of trimming toe nails naturally, although it is still recommended to check every 2 to 3 weeks anyway. You may need to perform a toe nail clean up if you can see that any of the nails or claws are rough, sharp or torn.

A dog that has sharp or torn nails can scratch themselves, which in turn can lead to infection if not seen to immediately. This is even worse for your poor pooch if they are suffering from any other skin infections or possibly even dealing with the off flea or two.

One rule of thumb when trying to determine when to cut your dog’s toe nails. If you can hear that clickety sound as they walk across a hard surface – it is time for a toe nail trim.

There are two types of nail or claw clippers: a scissors style nail clipper or the guillotine style clipper. Both will work well.

Trimmers, scissors, and clippers

This range of equipment will pertain more to the breeds that have a long coat. Remember, that most dog’s fur coats will grow a little faster as winter approaches – an inbuilt survival mechanism deep rooted into your dog’s DNA.

While this is great for a dog that will spend a lot of it’s time outside, there are many breeds of dogs that will not venture outside much at all. Having to deal with a growing coat and being exposed to a constant and comfortable temperature inside for their human owners can result in an unpleasant indoor climate for stay at home dog, or for that matter even the outside dogs that are brought inside.  

Trimming, Not Just to Look Good !

Many of the long haired breeds constantly require trimming and cutting. Just like humans, dogs get easily irritated with their long coat. The hair on the dog’s face could impede its line of vision making it hesitant and fearful of things. Odd behaviors can then result from this very basic inconvenience.

 An untrimmed or uncut coat can also cause an unhealthy coat growth. The hair in a dog’s coat allows the natural oils from the dog’s skin to move out and keep the fur in a good condition – usually indicated by the amount of shine you see in your dog’s coat.

Making sure you have these items of essential grooming supplies will go a long way to keeping your dogs active in their day to day life.

Optional Grooming Supplies

Grooming your dog is not limited to its coat. Ideally, every part of your dog should be cleaned on a regular basis. This will allow you to see close up any changes that may be occurring with your dog. While most dogs will resist some of the cleaning that needs to be done from time to time, it will be better for them in the long run and you could possibly  save on expensive vet’s bills if you do detect something untoward in the early stages.

So, what exactly should be included on this optional groming supplies list ?

Brushes and combs

The importance of brushes and combs go beyond their use as cleaning tools. Using either a brush or comb will help the coat to stay healthy and shiny as well. Brush and comb can also be used to prevent and remove tangles and any matting that has occurred. However, if these two cannot de-matt or de-tangle the offending portions of the coat, a de-matting tool should be used. This will effectively remove the matts as well as the tangles in every part of the dog. These commonly appear in the close to ears, tail, stomach area and around the bottom of their paws.

Cleaners and Scalers

Teeth and ear cleaners, a tooth scaler, toothbrush, tick remover, and hair puller are all tools you can have available to help your dog to maintain their teeth and ears ion the best of condition.

Moving on, the following are optional equipment that can be purchased. Of course, only you can determine the importance of these items. Their need or use may depend on you, how diligent you want to be with the dog grooming duty and of course the budget you have available.

Dog Dryers

After bathing, you must dry the coat of your dog while brushing. You can use a towel or absorbent cloth. But for a more satisfactory grooming experience for your beloved canine, a doggy hair dryer will be the right tool. A dog dryer may be very helpful if you own long coat breed of dog. This is especially important in cooler climates and during the wintertime. Bathing your dog will to a certain extent remove some of the oils that are naturally present in your dog’s coat. These oils do re-appear after a couple of days, but until then, your dog’s coat is not quite as weather proof as it was before the wash and he will feel the cold a lot more, possibly leading to sickness.

Grooming Table

It is another optional equipment you can buy. The grooming table is useful if you own a small or mid-size dog. Most grooming tables will be designed with a strap or harness that will help to suspend the dog to prevent them from sitting, thereby allowing you greater access, while at the same time preventing movement.

This will save you having to use the kitchen table or some other raised surface that may generally be used for something else. It can be set up in a part of the home where the occasional water splash will do minimal harm. Once the grooming task is completed, the grooming table can be folded up and put away, ready for the next grooming session.

Other optional dog grooming equipment includes, scissor cases/holsters, liquid dispensers, restraints and supports, and gloves and mitts. These are a convenience that is very useful. Many dogs have a very limited patience time when it comes to bathing, and once they decide they have had enough, the regular dog bath can become a difficult task indeed.