Trimming your dog’s hair at home can be quite challenging. But if you have the right tools, knowledge, and expertise, you can do it just right. Salon grooming services can be quite costly. And it’s okay to splurge as well. However, trimming your dog’s fur at home can give you quite an experience bonding with them and showing some care. 

Here is a detailed guide on how you can cut your dog’s hair at home. 

1.Gather the tools

• A brush 

You need a grooming brush or comb to detangle the coat. Metal-pinned brushes are perfect for dogs with long coats while a rubber-toothed brush works wonders for small coats. 

• Shampoo

A gentle mild shampoo made for your furry friends. Look out for shampoos that do not contain any harsh chemicals and are easy to wash off. 

• Scissors

You need a couple of scissors to get the task done. 

• Professional-grade sharp scissors
• Curved Scissors
• Rounded Safety Tip Scissors

• Clippers

Dog clippers are easy to use and safe ensuring no cuts and scratches. 

Gather all these essentials in a place so that you have everything you need while trimming the coat. 

2.Bathe the dog

Set a bath. Keep the water temperature warm enough, not extreme or cold. Bathing your dog will get rid of all the debris and dirt from the dog’s coat. Use a gentle mild shampoo that won’t irritate the skin or cause any infections. 

If you can, set the bath in an outdoor setting. Dogs shed a lot of fur when bathing and that could clog the drain. Set a clean station with towels and napkins to minimize the mess. Collect the waste and empty that directly into the bins. 

Now let the fur air or blow dry completely. Don’t brush the coat while it is still wet. 

3.Brush the dog

This may be tiring but stay patient and gentle. Don’t brush too hard as it may irritate the dog’s skin. With a wide-toothed comb or brush start brushing in the opposite direction of hair growth. Get rid of all the knots, tangles, and matted hair. Start brushing from the head and move downwards. Be extra gentle in the underside stomach area as it tends to be extremely sensitive. 

4.Make your dog comfortable

This is perhaps more important than anything else. Get your dog comfortable and get them sitting in a place free of distractions. Comfort them with their favorite treat or toy to keep them occupied while you work on hair trim. 

Get your dog familiar with the trimming tools. This will make them comfortable making it easier for you to cut the hair. 

5.Start trimming

Here are a few tips to help you give that perfect haircut to the dog. 

• Firstly, decide how much hair you want to trim and how long you want to keep it. Trim enough in the areas that are prone to matting, such as the tail and belly. 
• Clippers are comparatively safer than scissors. Adjust the guards of the clippers to trim the hair in various lengths. 
• The blades in Electric clippers heat up after prolonged use. Keep checking while trimming the hair to prevent burns. 
• Hold up the hair and cut only if you could see through it. If the hair coat is too thick and you cannot see a light shining through, you possibly are cutting too close to the skin. 
• Keep the comb between the dog’s skin and scissors. This will stop you from cutting too close to the dog’s skin. 
• While using scissors to trim or give finishing touches, ask someone to hold your dog. This will prevent any sort of accidents and injuries. 
• Begin clipping on the back and proceed towards the tail. Similarly, start at the hips and move towards the feet. Keep the cutting in sensitive areas like the face, ears, feet, and tail towards the end. 
• Always hold the blade flat against you and not angled. Focus on trimming difficult tangles and mats first. 
• Round safety shears should be used on sensitive areas like the face and tail. Trim only when necessary as these areas tend to be extremely sensitive. Get rid of all the excess hair that comes in the way of eyes and ears. 
• In the sections of toes, trim the fur that hangs past the edges of toes and foot pads. Don’t cut any shorter. 
• Thinning shears can be used to remove patches of thick hair and matted areas. 

Continue to vary the length of hair throughout the body. This will offer a more enhanced and natural look to the dog’s coat. Grooming your dog is an extremely personal experience and once you get a hack of it, you would look forward to it as your bonding time. 

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