VIDEO: Dog Grooming Basics from the Experts at Andis

While grooming your dog can make them look and feel great, proper skin, coat, and nail care is essential to your dog’s health, too. Many pet parents are overwhelmed with the idea of grooming at home—but, you don’t have to be!

Whether you’re just learning to groom or have your own shop, let master groomers teach you tricks of the trade on the Andis Grooming College website with easy-to-follow, step-by-step educational videos and how-to guides, like this:

The following Andis products were used in the video above:
Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
10” Steel Comb
Nail Clipper
Cord/Cordless Nail Grinder
Attachment Combs
UltraEdge AGC Super 2-Speed in Spring Green
8” Curved Shear or 8” Straight Shear

Consult the experts at Andis for these and other commonly asked questions:

Do all dogs need regular grooming?
All dogs need some level of regular grooming, time and amount of grooming are dependent on breed, health of animal, owner preference, and temperament.

My dog is pretty wiggly; how should I try to start grooming him at home?
You should always have your pet properly restrained, so enlist a helper, or get a good harness or lead that you can secure during grooming. Always have plenty of treats handy to reward the not so wiggly moments.

My puppy hates to be brushed. How can make it a better experience for her?
First of all, make sure your puppy is up on a counter with a bath mat or yoga mat so she is not slipping around safety is most important. If she’s on your lap or you’re in the floor you’re not in control of the situation also if possible, have another set of arms to help in the beginning until she learns. In the beginning only, brush for a few minutes at a time. Use her favorite treat for positive reinforcement or put some peanut butter on a spoon and let her lick it while your brushing. Puppies will fight, pull and sometimes scream so then we stop because we think we are hurting them. Brushing them does not hurt unless there is a mat. Continue to brush talking softly to them to ensure them it’s ok. Once the puppy stops pulling or screaming you can stop. Put them down on the ground and play with your puppy for a minute and this will create a bond and eventually she will love this time you spend together.

And, of course, don’t forget treats – these can be powerful motivators for dogs who prefer to avoid tubs!