Practical Dog Grooming for Long-Haired Dogs

You can groom a dog with long hair at home with scissors and dog grooming clippers. Such long haired dogs like the Chinese Crested or Yorkshire Terrier have especially long hair that will get tangled into knots if not groomed. Some dog owners like to comb long haired dogs. But this requires daily grooming to prevent new tangles. Instead, consider a practical dog grooming approach for long haired dogs. Groom the face with dog grooming clippers (or a human haircut clipper), then groom the body with scissors, as if giving the dog a haircut.

Groom a Dog with Long Hair: The Face

Dog grooming clippers, or a human haircut clipper, are safe to groom a dog's face with. Just run the clippers on your palm to be convinced that they will not cut your dog's face during grooming. Place your dog on a bed, with a sheet underneath to collect the groomed long hair. Facing your dog, hold his face or muzzle gently, and move the dog grooming clippers backwards along the side of the dog's face, as if you were caressing him. Then repeat this dog grooming technique on the other side. It's safe to groom a dog near the eyes and mouth as well. For a short hair groom, increase the angle of the dog grooming clippers. For a long haired groom, keep the dog grooming clippers almost flat. And if you come across any knots, cut them off with scissors.

Groom a Dog with Long Hair: The Body

It's easy to groom a dog with long hair to have a practical haircut. Unlike human hair, dog hair will curl, hiding any uneven clips. Therefore, to groom a dog by giving him a haircut simply hold clumps of your dog's hair between your thumb and fore-finger and clip them off with scissors. Try to groom all the dog hair to about the same length. Even if you come across knots that extend down to the skin, you can still groom a dog with scissors quite easily. Simply thread the tip of the scissors in a straight line through the knot. This keeps the blunt edge of the scissors close to the dog's skin to prevent cutting the dog while grooming. Thread and cut through the knot until you loosen all of it. Look for knots in armpits and around the collar in particular for a thorough dog grooming.

Groom a Dog with Long Hair: Under the Tail
You can also groom a dog with long hair under the tail, to keep the dog clean from doggie poop. Use the dog grooming clippers in straight motions. Be gentle and slow, and have someone there to hold the tail up as you groom the dog.

Groom a Dog with Long Hair: The Paws
You can also groom a dog with long hair around the paws to prevent leaves and dirt from collecting in the fur when the dog is outside. Dog grooming around the paws will also make clipping dog nails easier. Simply use the dog grooming clippers or the human haircut clipper in downward motions to groom the paws without shaving them too closely. And read this article on how to clip dog nails safely.