Grooming a dog at home is about caring for the coat, keeping the claws at the right length and tending to the ears and teeth in a calm, reassuring routine. You start by brushing the coat through, cutting or trimming it according to the breed's needs, carefully shortening the claws, checking the ears and finishing with the teeth. With the right equipment, plenty of time and a patient hand, you can manage most of it yourself - but some coat types and nervous dogs are best left in the hands of a professional groomer. Below you'll find the procedure step by step.
What equipment do you need to groom the dog?
Before you begin, it's a good idea to gather all your equipment so you don't have to stop halfway through with a dog that's only partly finished. For the coat you'll need a brush suited to the dog's coat type: a slicker brush (a flat brush with fine, bent metal teeth) for long-haired and woolly breeds, and a rubber curry comb or a fine-toothed comb for short-haired dogs. An undercoat rake is useful for breeds with a dense undercoat. For the actual trimming you use either scissors, an electric clipper or a stripping knife, depending on what the coat requires.
In addition, you'll need nail clippers or an electric nail grinder for the claws, a few cotton pads for the ears and a dog toothbrush with toothpaste made for dogs. Place a non-slip mat under the dog so it stands steadily, and keep a few treats within reach so the whole session is associated with something positive.
How to brush the coat through before clipping
Always start with a thorough brushing. You need to remove loose hair, dirt and any mats before you clip or trim, because a matted coat can't be cut neatly and pulls uncomfortably on the skin. Work in the direction of the coat in calm, overlapping strokes, and be extra gentle around the hind legs, behind the ears and under the "armpits", where mats often form first.
If you come across a knot, hold the coat firmly at the root with one hand while you gently tease the knot out with the other, so you don't pull directly on the skin. If your dog sheds a lot, getting that under control can be a topic in its own right, and our guide to my dog sheds a lot what do I do gives you concrete techniques for handling loose hair between grooming sessions. A well-groomed coat starts from the inside, and a healthy, glossy coat is supported, among other things, by the right fatty acids in the meals.
How to cut and trim the coat according to the breed's needs
How you shorten the coat depends entirely on the dog's coat type. Breeds with a woolly or curly coat, such as poodles and many doodle mixes, are typically clipped with an electric clipper, because the coat grows continuously and doesn't shed on its own. Here you guide the clipper in calm strokes in the direction of the coat and keep the skin slightly taut, so you avoid pinching it.
Wire-haired breeds such as terriers, on the other hand, are often cared for by hand stripping with a stripping knife or with your fingers, where you pluck out the mature guard hairs instead of cutting them. This preserves the coat's natural texture and colour, whereas clipping can make it softer and duller. Short-haired dogs rarely need actual clipping, but benefit from regular brushing that removes loose hair and keeps the coat glossy. If you're in doubt about what your particular breed requires, it's worth reading up on the breed's needs, and our overview of large dog breeds touches on how different breeds place different demands on care and daily life.
How to trim the dog's claws without cutting wrong
The claws should be shortened when they start touching the floor, or when you can hear them clicking against the surface. Inside each claw sits a blood vessel with nerves, known as the quick, and that's what you need to avoid hitting. On light-coloured claws the quick appears as a pink line inside the claw, and you cut a little in front of it. On dark claws it's hard to see, so here you'd better take a little at a time and look at the cut surface as you go: when a small dark dot appears in the middle, you're close to the quick and should stop.
Hold the paw calmly, cut at an angle, and give a treat after each claw if the dog is unsure. If you do hit the quick, the claw may bleed a little, but it usually stops quickly. If you're nervous about using nail clippers, an electric nail grinder can remove the material more gradually and give you better control.
How to check and clean the ears gently
The ears are part of a complete grooming, especially in breeds with floppy ears or hair that grows inside the ear canal. Lift the ear and look for redness, dark discharge or a strong smell. If the ear looks clean and pink, you simply wipe the visible part of the ear flap with a cotton pad, possibly moistened with an ear cleaner made for dogs. Never go deep into the ear canal with cotton swabs, as you risk pushing dirt further in or damaging the ear.
In some breeds hair grows inside the ear canal itself, and in certain dogs this can be gently plucked away, but here it's wise to have a professional groomer or vet show you the technique the first time. If you notice persistent redness, smell, frequent scratching or signs of pain, that doesn't fall under grooming, and then you should contact your vet.
How to care for the teeth as part of the routine
Dental care is an often overlooked part of keeping the dog well cared for, but it naturally belongs here when you have the dog in your care anyway. Use a dog toothbrush and toothpaste made for dogs - never human toothpaste - and brush in calm movements along the gum line, where plaque gathers. Start with a few teeth at a time, and build up the routine over time so the dog gets used to the sensation. You can read more about the procedure in the guide how to brush a dog's teeth.
If you notice bad breath in your dog, diet can play a role alongside daily oral hygiene, and the guide need a mint goes in depth on what might be behind it and how to handle it.
When should you choose a professional groomer?
You can get far at home, but some situations call for letting a professional take over. Breeds with a woolly or curly coat that need to be clipped into particular shapes require both experience and the right equipment for the result to be neat and even. The same goes for wire-haired breeds, where proper hand stripping with a stripping knife is a craft that takes time to learn. If the coat is heavily matted right down to the skin, you shouldn't try to cut it free yourself either, as you can easily hit the skin.
Dogs that become very stressed or react strongly during handling are often also best with a groomer experienced in handling nervous dogs calmly. A sensible approach for many owners is to handle the ongoing maintenance with brushing, nail trimming and dental care themselves and then book a professional groomer at regular intervals for the actual clipping.
Coat and care begin from the inside
A well-groomed dog is about more than what you do with brush and scissors. The coat's shine, the condition of the skin and the dog's general well-being are closely linked to what goes on the plate. Meals made from fresh produce and human-grade ingredients give the dog the foundation a healthy coat is built on, and the right fatty acids in particular matter for how the coat looks and feels.
Here a supplement of omega-3 can help, and THE OMEGA 3 OIL is composed precisely with fatty acids that support a glossy coat and healthy skin. If you're in doubt about what suits your particular dog's coat and needs, ESSENTIAL FOODS' nutrition advisers are ready by phone, chat and email and are happy to advise on feeding and nutrition, so the care from the inside matches the one you give from the outside. The more consistently you make grooming a fixed, calm routine, the easier it becomes for both of you - and the better the coat, claws, ears and teeth all hold up between visits.