Just like it is with people, for a dog to be at their best, special care and attention needs to be taken to ensure they are clean and healthy.  And sadly, just like a recalcitrant toddler, it takes the firm loving hand of a parent figure like owner to keep the dog presentable. 

Grooming with respect to dogs and other animals is all about taking care of the needs of the dog.  It covers things as diverse as:

• Brushing your pet’s hair to keep it free of tangles and knots
• Cleaning of teeth and gums to avoid tooth disease.
• Clipping nails and claws.
• Bathing.        

Grooming is essential in order to keep your dog clean, healthy and hygienic.  This is why it is a very useful skill to have for pet owners.  But like all skills it takes, time to learn and plenty of dog owners are quite willing to pay for a competent groomer to do the work for them, making grooming a lucrative skill for individuals who work with dogs, such as dog walkers or pet shop owners.  Grooming is also invaluable to charities who work with rehoming dogs, such as the RSPCA, as a well kept and presentable dog has a far better change of being rehomed successfully.  

Doing it Yourself – Reasons to Groom Your Own Dog

There’s plenty of reasons why grooming your dog yourself is better than getting someone else to do it for you. These include:

1) Spend More Quality time with your pet:   Many dogs actually look forward to being groomed.  Properly trained from youth, they learn to see it as extra time with their favourite humans and can learn to be patient and obedient no matter how you push and prod at them.

2) Spot Early Warning Signs of Illness:  Close contact with your pet will mean that you’ll be more likely to spot any problems or issues that might threaten your dog's health. 

3) You’ll Save Money and Expense:  Professional dog groomers cost money, and good ones are often in high demand making them expensive to hire for regular pet care.  You can save significant amounts of money caring for your pet's grooming needs yourself.

4) Develop an in demand Skill:  Once you get good enough, you can even turn around to offer your dog grooming expertise to others.  Your own pet can act as a walking advert and testimonial to your skill with a brush. 

5) Because an Unkempt Dog is Miserable:  A dog with its hair matted and muddy is a sorry sight. Worse still, a dog can pick up all manner of fleas and other parasites that can pose a health risk to other dogs and people and even lead to infestation in their homes.