At-Home Grooming Tips for Dog Owners: What to Buy and How to Use It

I have two dogs: a Cocker Spaniel and a Cocker Spaniel-Poodle mix. Let me tell you, they are a handful. The toughest part, beyond having to train them not to pee on my sofa, was having to groom them. One of my dogs freaks out every time she sees a hair brush and the other hates water (and I mean HATE). While there is an abundance of pet groomers and do-it-yourself salons in the area, there are situations when I have to be the one grooming my dogs from start to finish in my own house (like last week when they rolled around in the sleet and left my house smelling like...you guessed it, wet dogs!).

So here are some helpful tips for getting your dog in tip-top shape for the holiday visitors without spending extra cash on grooming services.

Keep your dog in the tub/shower by using a short leash. My dogs will willingly jump into the bathtub, but will also as easily jump right out in the middle of being shampooed. If you go to any do-it-yourself grooming place, you will notice that they have short leashes you use to keep your dog still while bathing him. What a simple idea. I found my dogs' short leashes from their puppy days and was able to tie the leash to the handle of the bath tub. Get creative - find a place to tie the leash and your dog is sure to stand still.

Get lavender shampoo. And feel free to get the cheap kind. I overheard a woman at a mall some months ago mention that lavender is the most effective scent of getting rid of the typical doggie smell. Most products, such as candles and air fresheners, which promise to eliminate pet odors contain lavender. So my thought process here is as follows: if lavender eliminates pet odors in the air, put the scent directly on the dog. I tried this with my dogs and I am really happy to report that lavender is a great shampoo scent. Both the dogs and the bathroom smelled nice after the grooming session. Two tips. One: shampoo the dogs twice; the first round washes out the dirt from their coats, the second leaves more scent and shine in the coat. Two: don't spend a lot on the shampoo. Check out BigLots, or Target, rather than pet stores. I found a large bottle of lavender dog shampoo at BigLots for $3 on sale. If you are going to save cash by doing the grooming yourself, be serious about it and don't drop $15 on doggie shampoo.

Brush before the shower. Brush in the shower. Brush after the shower. Brushing before and during the bath helps remove the loose hairs that are bound to shed. Brushing after the bath helps prevent knots from forming due to the wet coat. Just make sure that you have some paper towel handy to pick up the hairs from your bath tub to avoid clogging your drain.

Dry the dog with your blow dryer. But make sure your setting is on cool air. If you ever used one of those do-it-yourself grooming places, you'd know that the heat coming from the blow dryer is very low (although the air pressure is much stronger than that of your at-home blow dryer). Yes, you can blow dry your dog. Just make sure that, even if the setting is on high, the air coming out is cool. Some blow dryers have an extra button you can press to change the temperature to cold, so make sure to use that feature before pointing the dryer at your pooch. The dogs are bothered by the hot air - their skin is more likely to dry out and itch. Grooming is about as much fun for your dog as it is for you. Try not to make it worse.

Oh, and most importantly - keep your sense of humor. Dog grooming is not easy. It's not simple. It's really not all that fun either. But it is another way to bond with your dog. So try to keep your sense of humor in tack as your dog runs out of the tub, out of the bathroom and rolls around, all shampooed, on your couch. At least you will have a story to share with your coworkers the next day.

I hope you find these tips helpful and enjoy the dog grooming. Feel free to use the Comments section to offer your own advice for the devoted dog owners. I am off to walk my doggies. Lets see how much trouble they can get into in the snow.