Ways to Easily Groom Your Pets

With spring just around the corner, the days of your pet’s hair forming tumbling-tumbleweeds are not far away. To diminish the amount of hair flying around your house, spend a few minutes each day brushing your pet’s coat. Regular grooming helps to promote hygiene, circulation, growth of healthy hair, as well as remove any dead hair which could cause matting and ultimately lead to discomfort.

We know that not all pets enjoy their day at the spa, like we do, so here are 3 simple steps to get your pet to enjoy (or at least withstand) each and every primp and prime. Psst! These steps can work for nail trims too!:

1. Get your pet used to being handled

• Start by finding a quiet place in your house where both you and your pet can be relaxed. Have a pocketful of sumptuous treats at hand, along with your clicker. (Hint: did you know that our NOW FRESH Large Breed Recipe doubles as a treat?).
• Run your hands all over his head, his ears, down his throat and down his back. If he behaves well, click and treat him. Repeat for other body parts-especially his feet. If he pulls back, back off and try just touching his feet. If he allows that, click and treat.
• Gradually work up the amount of contact, clicking and treating at each stage. Eventually you should be able to handle any part of his body without resistance. Once your dog is relaxed about being handled, it’s time to introduce grooming tools.

2. Introduce grooming tools

• Let your pet sniff your brush before you place it on his body. Start with a gentle glide of the brush down his back. Click and treat if he behaves.
• If he resists, back up a step and simply touch the brush to his back and begin to work up the amount of contact with his body by clicking and treating at every stage.
• Work up to being able to brush him all over his body. Once most dogs are over their initial hesitation of being groomed, they find out how pleasurable it is, and are happy to stand still while you give them a good firm brush.

3. Be patient

• Sessions should be kept short and positive. If you find yourself getting impatient or wanting to progress too quickly, quit until later in the day and then try again. Getting upset and impatient will only hamper the learning process for your pet, making grooming an unpleasant experience which will be difficult to reverse.

Did these tips help you? Share your stories with us by leaving a comment!