Dog grooming products to keep your pooch clean and tidy

When it comes to finding the best dog grooming products for your pampered pooch, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. After all, dogs come in all shapes and sizes, so they'll all have different grooming needs depending on their breed, coat type and activity level. From dog shampoos and brushes to nail clippers and grooming scissors, all of these tools play a crucial role in keeping your dog clean and their appearance tidy.

Ensuring your dog is happy and healthy is the top priority for all paw-rents, and making sure your hound is regularly groomed will help them stay that way. Not only will routine grooms have them looking and smelling amazing, but they can also help them stay healthy. You can ensure their eyes and ears are looking how they should, rid their coat of any painful knots and keep their claws at a comfortable length with dog nail clippers, as well as identify any underlying issues, like skin conditions, that you may not have noticed otherwise.

Some pooches love a little pamper session, but for other canine companions, grooming may not be their favourite activity. After all, there's a lot going on. The sounds of fur clippers and scissors may freak them out, bath time and running water might fill them with dread, and the sight of a hairbrush could have them clearing off sharpish the minute it comes out of the drawer. That's why it's important to have the right dog grooming products on hand, as well as plenty of encouragement and rewards to make grooming a happy and calming experience for your hound.

Best dog grooming products at a glance:

• Best dog shampoo: Animology Fox Poo Dog Shampoo – View on Amazon UK
• Best dog towel: Henry Wag Microfibre Pet Towel – View on Amazon UK
• Best dog grooming scissor set: Dream Reach Professional Dog Grooming Scissors Kit – View on Amazon UK

You'll find some top tips for grooming your pooch, along with answers to other frequently asked questions to do with dog grooming, at the bottom of this article, but if you're not sure how to start with the products, we're here to help. We've searched the web to bring you all the best dog shampoos, brushes, towels, clippers and grooming scissors to introduce to your grooming routine that will have your four-legged friend looking their finest.

Best dog grooming products

FAQs

Why is grooming your dog important?

There's no doubt that grooming your dog has them looking good and smelling great, but did you know there are other benefits to regular grooming? GuideDogs.org says that it enhances the relationship between you and your dog while also keeping their coat healthy by ensuring it's mat-free and promotes new hair growth. It also allows you to check your dog for any abnormalities or skin problems that may otherwise be missed. Keeping on top of grooming will mean your dog is less likely to shed, so you won't have the problem of fluff covering your sofas and getting matted in your carpets.

How often should you groom your dog?

How often you should groom your dog will all depend on your breed and the type of coat they have. Some dogs may require daily brushing, whereas others may be fine with a weekly brush. When it comes to clipping, this can vary from every four to 12 weeks, depending on the needs of your pooch.

If you've got a long-haired breed like a Yorkshire Terrier or Newfoundland, they'll require regular brushing and clipping to make sure their coat remains tangle-free.

Equally, curly-haired dogs such as Poodles or any Poodle crossbreeds, like Cockapoos and Labradoodles, will need a good brush daily to ensure their top coat or undercoat doesn't get knotted or matted, as this can be quite painful for them. They'll also require consistent haircuts and clipping to keep on top of coat maintenance.

Dogs with low-maintenance coats, like Chihuahuas and French Bulldogs, won't require a grooming schedule that is quite as strict.

How to groom a dog:

You've got all the dog grooming products you'll need, but how do you go about actually grooming your pooch? Luckily, we've got a step-by-step guide and all the top tips you'll need with help from GuideDogs.org.

Bathing

Bathing your dog on a regular basis can cause their coat to dry out and remove natural oils from it. However, you'll still want to make sure they're smelling fresh and clean.

Make sure to test the temperature of the water beforehand to make sure it's not too hot but also not too cold before gently helping them get into the tub.

Use a specially formulated dog shampoo and work into a lather, and apply to their coat, avoiding their eyes and ears. Leave on for the specified length of time before thoroughly rinsing off. Once they're out of the tub, squeeze your dog's coat gently to eliminate excess water before drying them off with a doggy towel.

Pick your area

Choose somewhere in your home to be your dedicated grooming station. Ensure it's non-slip, dry and stable, as well as somewhere you can keep your dog calm, comfortable and secure.

Health checks

Before starting the grooming process, GuideDogs.org recommends doing some physical checks on your dog to help monitor their health. Check their eyes for any signs of abnormalities and wipe away any discharge with a damp piece of cotton wool, wiping from the corner of the eyes outwards.

Next, look in their ears for any signs of inflammation, irritation, discharge or other problems. This is a particularly important step for dogs with floppy ears and those who love swimming, as they can be more prone to ear infections and may need cleaning more regularly.

Lastly, you'll want to work your way around the rest of their body, including their paws, checking for changes such as new lumps and bumps, including ticks and fleas. You should include a teeth and mouth inspection in this to keep an eye on their dental health, too.

If you notice anything concerning, you should contact your vet for further advice.

Massage

Now, onto the actual grooming. You'll want to begin by giving your dog a mini massage, running your fingers through their fluff against the lay of their coat all over the body, avoiding the face and tail. This will help you to access their undercoat to loosen dead hair and dirt, stimulate hair follicles to promote the growth of a healthy coat, stimulate the skin, and keep muscles supple.

Brushing

First, use a bristle brush and brush against the lay of the coat, avoiding their face and tail, to get out some of the smaller tangles.

Next, comb with the lay of the coat to try and remove larger knots. Working in small sections at a time. Be careful not to apply too much pressure around your dog's more sensitive areas, such as their ears, abdomen and legs and take extra care when you're working on removing knots and tangles out of the coat of larger breeds.

Once you've got all the knots out, you'll want to gently wipe your dog over with a damp cloth as it will help to remove the final bits of loose hair and give their coat a lovely glossy shine.

Remember to give your dog plenty of verbal and physical praise throughout their groom. Nervous and anxious dogs may need a little extra encouragement, so you may want to be armed with a couple of treats to reward them during their time on the table. It's also important that you recognise your dog's signs of stress and unease, as these are your cues to stop or change up what you're doing in order to keep the groom a happy and calm experience for everyone involved.

Rosie Floyd is a Pets, Homes and Garden Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things dogs. She grew up always having at least one dog as part of the family and has experience in owning a variety of breeds, including Labradors, Cockapoos and Yorkshire Terriers.