Lifelong Grooming Tips From Pups and Up!

Regular at-home grooming helps monitor for things like suspicious lumps, cuts or cracks on their paws and pesky parasites. It's also a fantastic way of bonding with your four-legged friend and who doesn’t love that? Plus, a well-groomed dog helps you maintain a clean home.

With the help of their grooming expert and groomer to the celebs, Daniela Forshaw, PET TEEZER – the dog grooming brush range from TANGLE TEEZER, shares their top lifelong grooming tips for pups and up.

1. Start them young. The sooner you start at home brushing the better, as your puppy gets used to be handled and good fur condition will be maintained. You can brush your puppy as soon as you bring them to their new home but you won’t be able to take them to a professional groomer until after they have their second puppy vaccination at around 12 to 14 weeks. And with 2020 being the year no-one could have expected, getting your puppy used to grooming early, is also a good back up plan should the professional fur-dressers have to temporarily shut up shop again!

2. Introduce grooming slowly. Start by combining brushing an area of the puppy’s body with a cuddle and a stroke. Your dog will start to associate brushing as a positive bonding experience and tackling a bit at a time avoid them getting bored. Replicate this approach with adult dogs who’ve always gone to a groomer – just maybe add a few of their treats to the process.

3. Use the right brush. Ensure you have the correct type of brush or comb for your dog’s fur type, as getting it wrong can cause pain, burns or skin irritation. The safest choice for a brush is non-metal and non-bladed. Whether it’s the Puppy, Detangling or De-Shedding Brush, Pet Teezer will give you peace of mind that you can groom your furry friend safely and effectively, plus the brushes offer a wonderful massage sensation that a dog will adore! The new Puppy Brush is designed to deliver the gentlest of brush strokes with soft-flex teeth that glide through the fur, the innovative two-tiered teeth detangle, brush away skin flakes and encourage oil glands to develop. It's also great for pets with sensitive skin and for using on sensitive areas, such as behind the ears, beneath the tail and creases of legs.

4. Brush weekly at a minimum for a shiny, healthy coat. If your puppy or dog has an especially thick curly coat or long fur, you should try to brush daily or every other day to avoid tangles turning into painful matts. The Pet Teezer Detangling brush will keep your dog’s locks flowing free without pulling or discomfort. You can also use it to separate fur to check for lumps and nasties - also use in the reverse direction to get down to skin level for a more thorough groom. 

5. De-shed. If your dog is prone to moulting, a Deshedding brush will keep their skin aired and prevent infections. The Pet Teezer De-Shedding brush has two-tiered teeth technology meaning the excess fur stays in the brush and not all over your carpet!

6. Remove food build up. If your dog is guilty of wearing their dinner, it's important to regularly wipe or brush it away to avoid them being stinky and grubby. Metal tools can scratch, pull and hurt unlike the gentle bristles of the Pet Teezer Detangling Brush.

7. Maintain their eye area. Prevent tear-staining and keep their eyes clean using a damp cloth which grips onto fur. If your dog has a fluffy face, gentle brushing will also help tease out any build up.  

8. Regularly check their paws. Grass seeds  and all kinds of foreign objects can get lodged in their ‘feet’. All types of Pet Teezer brushes will help separate long fur without tugging fur or tearing the webs of their paws. It's also important that you keep their claws trimmed too, as overgrown nails cause pain and can deform the feet. Most professional groomers offer a nail trimming service only to keep them in check. During the current pandemic it is advisable to ensure your dog’s nails are cut more regularly than usual, in case you lose access to your professional groomer due to a lockdown. A guideline is every 6 to 8 weeks.  Walking your dog on hard ground or pavements will help keep your dog’s nails shorter.

9. Ensure ‘sanitary’ areas are clear and clean. Wet wipes are great for this and the Pet Teezer brush is gentle, safe and most importantly washable for these delicate areas to part the fur.

10. Tip top teeth. Tooth and gum disease remains one of the prominent dangers to a dog’s health. Keep tartar and plaque at bay with hard chews, dental sticks and ideally brushing. Human toothpaste is poisonous to dogs, so always use a specialist dog toothpaste, which come in tasty flavours such as Roast Dinner.

11. Don't forget their ears. Long fur dogs may need their ear canal fur regularly plucked by a professional groomer or vet to prevent blockages that cause infection. A Pet Teezer brush will keep ears free of tangles, which if left un-groomed can turn into severe matting. If their ear area starts to smell this could be a sign of infection, so check inside their ears for redness or yucky gunk then book them for a visit to the vet.

12. Senior furcare. A senior dog still needs regular grooming but keep in mind that you need to work around their physical needs. You can adapt their brushing routine to let them sit or lay as they require, in shorter durations. As their fur thins out with age and old age lumps appear on the skin, the Pet Teezer range will be safe to use without fear of brush burn to the skin, or punctures and tears to hidden lumps.

The Pet Teezer Dog Brush range is priced from £10 and up at Petteezer.com.

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