Unconditional love for your furry, four-pawed baby is a feat that guarantees indefinite love reciprocation from them. However tiring it may be, their cuteness always makes up for every poop, every dirty paw, and every slab of saliva they unintentionally leave all over the house. It is both rewarding and satisfying, and you would rather be at their furry arms than anywhere in the world.
Dog parenting is not as easy as it looks like on Instagram photos. It is not all cuteness and little barks. Most of it is relentless mud digging, pillow chewing, and the all too familiar bath time tantrums. Aside from the monthly vet trips, most dogs dread the weekly visits to the tub. The sound of running water makes them shake, squirm, and sometimes angry, causing dog parents to dread bath time, too.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the fear of water that makes them throw tantrums. There are a bunch of reasons for this behavior problem, but the primary ones are loss of control and past traumas (read more). As avid canine owners, it is not just about keeping your little dirt-magnets clean and fresh. Grooming and bathing keep your pup happy, healthy, and hygienic. It should be regularly done in a fun and stress-free way.
One way to properly eliminate those cartoon stink lines is by equipping yourself with the right grooming and bathing essentials. Aside from their basic bath needs (soap, shampoo, brush), here are some furry pieces of equipment to make bath time fun for them, and convenient for you.
1. Bath sprayer
Bath sprayers with long hoses make bath time ten times more enjoyable for both of you. For one, it would prevent you from dumping huge amounts of water at a time. This causes accidental water trauma, especially for small doggos. They would feel more at ease when the water is coming from a small source. Second, it would be easier to maneuver because of its long hose, thus providing you access to every dirty fur.
Owners of large dogs will easily trade dippers for bath sprayers in a jiffy. They all know how hard it is to wrestle them into the tub and keep them there while the shower runs. Portable sprayers also prevent huge canines from playing and attacking the showerhead, which is a dangerous feat to do on wet tiles.
2. Hairdryers
Air drying is an impossible task, especially for canines with a double fur coat on top of a thick undercoat. Owners of furry Huskies and Samoyeds all know that the struggle is, undoubtedly, real. Resorting to towels and electric fans is a total nightmare because nothing is more irksome than a wet dog running around the house.
Dog-friendly hair dryers are a must-have for fur parents that love DIY grooming and bathing. However, consider your dog’s size and fur coat before buying the right kind of dryer. Too much heat will harm your small pooch while too little power is, well, worthless for your Pomeranian.
Make sure to check its wattage, temperature, and volume level. Test it out to know if the heat will not damage their sensitive skin. You can check out these dog dryers reviews before making your purchase.
3. Grooming clippers
Let us all admit it, professional grooming is kind of denting your savings. Don’t get us wrong, pet groomers do deserve the highest wage—with all the sanitary trimming and boogie removal they are doing, we should have nothing but respect for these hard workers.
However, if you cannot afford their grooming services, you can always opt to groom your pups yourselves. Instead of making them look like human cotton balls, invest in quality grooming essentials such as grooming clippers. Not all dogs require electric clippers, hair cutting scissors can also do the trick. BUT, if you are new to DIY grooming, better stick to electric clippers to avoid injuring your pooch.
Before splurging on grooming clippers, check its size, blade’s durability, and the product’s versatility. Quiet and cordless clippers are better, especially for sound-distressed dogs.
4. Nail grinders
Using nail trimmers and clippers is the nightmare of every dog parent and pup out there. Fur parents get so nervous during clipping time because these tools are so delicate that one wrong placement can get your pup to howl in pain.
For canines, a few traumatizing experiences starring clippers and bleeding cuticles is enough to make you go ballistic whenever your owner says it’s nail trimming time. Both you and your pup can now breathe easily because nail grinders are here to trim those claws.
Nail grinders are battery-operated tools that have a grinding head to shorten and smooth out their nail’s edges. They are safer and easier to use than nail clippers. Just make sure to follow the guidelines on how to properly grind your puppy’s nails.
5. Toothbrush and toothpaste
Canine oral health is often a neglected part of their grooming routine. Like humans, they are also prone to periodontal diseases if dental hygiene becomes nonexistent.
To address this, use dog-friendly toothpaste and toothbrushes. This prevents tartar and plaque build-up, washes away teeth stains, and improves bad breath. You can buy any flavor and taste to suit your dog’s needs.
But whatever you do, do not use human toothpaste to clean their teeth. Most brands contain xylitol—a toothpaste sweetener that is harmful to dogs. Even small amounts can cause hypoglycemia, sudden seizures, and liver damage.