Dog Grooming in Nigeria. If you have a new puppy or rescue dog and want to learn some basic grooming, I will show you how to groom dogs. Are you tired of paying groomers and want to try grooming your dog at home? Whatever the case may be, I will teach you with just the basics here, as well as addressing some of the difficulties faced by most people new to the dog grooming in Nigeria.

Basic Dog Grooming

The most important thing to remember is that you want your dog to enjoy – or at least not hate – the grooming process. Start slowly, with one thing at a time, and be sure to give your dog plenty of treats during and after each task.

For the part your dog hates the most (usually the blow dryer), I would suggest you save your dog’s favorite treat and ONLY give it to them after you’re done. You will find they have the motivation to tolerate that part of the process because they know their favorite treat is coming and that’s the only time they get to enjoy it.

I just rescued my dog a few months ago, and he hates the entire grooming process, so I break things up into smaller pieces and do everything over several days. On day one, I’ll trim his nails, brush him, and maybe shave his potty areas. The next day, I’ll give him a bath, which he REALLY hates. Then I do the full haircut the next day, leaving just the feet and more difficult to reach places for the following day. Breaking the grooming process up into several different sessions has been a lifesaver; it truly makes it more tolerable for him.

Nails

Nail trimming is one part of grooming that every dog needs. Long nails can cause problems walking, arthritis, and the nail can even curve into the pad of the dog’s foot. Imagine how uncomfortable it must be to have something poking your foot ALL the time and how painful each step must be!

In general, you should plan on trimming your dog’s nails once a month. Some dogs will need more- or less-frequent nail trimming.

For example, large dogs that walk on sidewalks or asphalt more than an hour every day often wear down their nails and need little trimming apart from their dew claws (that’s the little claw halfway up the side of the paw). Small dogs tend to go for shorter walks and need nail trimming every couple of weeks.

As you may already know, dogs have a vein in their nails called a quick that will bleed and hurt if you cut it too short. In dogs that don’t get their nails cut frequently enough, the vein can grow very long, so you can only take a little bit off at a time. If that’s the case, you should trim a little bit off your dog’s nails every week to encourage the vein to shrink back into the nail. A grinder is best for this.

If you use dog nail clippers, the easiest way to cut your dog’s nails is to position your dog in a way where you can flip their paw back and look at the underside. Trim a little bit at a time.

In dogs with white nails, you can see the quick inside the nail and know where to cut. For black nails, cut off a little bit at a time. You will see a tiny black dot surrounded by white when you get close to the quick. That’s how you know to stop.

Nail grinders are a great way to get your dog’s nails short and smooth with less risk of cutting the quick. Nail grinders can be loud, so you may need to introduce it to your dog slowly. Use the same process to take off a little bit at a time until you see the dot in the middle of the nail showing that you’ve gone short enough.

You can purchase styptic powder and keep it handy to stop bleeding if you trim a nail too short. In a pinch, you can use flour or cornstarch to stop the bleeding.

Brushing

Every dog needs at least occasional brushing. Yes, even your short-haired dog. Most short-haired dogs shed at least a little bit. Using the right brush can remove loose hair and spread your dog’s natural oils through his coat for a healthy shine.

Every coat type requires different brush types, and you should have a metal comb for most coat types. Ideal brushes for each coat type include: