Basic Grooming Tools

A few people have asked what they should get for grooming their puppy.  Here are the grooming tools that I would not do without.,,

1.  Blunt nose Scissors.

You have to have these to keep the fur trimmed at the corner of the puppies eyes.  Even if you take your pup to a professional groomer, these will come in handy in between visits.  Never use pointed scissors near the puppies eyes.

 2. Soft Slicker Brush. 

You want a slicker brush that is not going to scratch your puppies skin.  Run the brush along your arm to see how it feels so you know how it will feel on the puppy.   A small brush is good for all over daily bushing.  It is important that your puppy get use to being brushed long before he is in desperate need of it. I chose the small li'l pals brush because it has a small head for a little body.

3. Nail Clippers.   Clipping a puppies nails is not difficult.  Just clip a small bit off the tip and you shouldn't clip the wick.  There are numerous instructional pictures on the internet.  Your vet can instruct you on this as well.



4..  As the puppy gets older, his fur will get thicker and you will occasionally find matts and knots in his fur.  Check under the legs and behind the ears for matts.   When my dogs need serious attention the following tools are what I find indespensible....

  The scissors shown are good quality hair cutting scissors.  I bought mine from a hair dresser supply store.  I believe buying the highest quality scissor you can find will pay for itself in the long run.  The blades need to stay sharp for a long time.


  The comb in the picture is called a greyhound comb.When your puppies fur gets really long and thick, you will need a serious comb like this one.  This is the comb I have and I love it.





 A good quality slicker brush.   This particular slicker brush is the absolute best for getting matts out of fur.



Pull the fur forward and brush out small sections at a time.  If you find a knot, hold the know with the comb, or your fingers and gently work out the pieces for hair from below the knot.  When you have removed as much fur as possible, if a knot still remains, then you can cut the last bit of knot out with the scissors.   Patience and gentleness is the key.  Treat your puppy periodically to keep the experience positive.   But don't let your puppy squirm away during grooming.  Make grooming sessions short and often and he will become more patient with the process over time.

For more information on the best Dog Clippers do a search on the blog for Andis and the post on the Andis Clippers should come up.