When household expenses need to be kept down, salon visits are often one of the first things to do. It doesn’t matter if you have a full head of hair or a body covered in fur.
Before my husband and I bought our first home I used to pay tons of money to maintain my mane of blonde locks, but after we became owners and added a second cat and a dog to our family, my hair costs continued to move. further down in the budget worksheet.
Like a new roof, vet trips, and expensive pet food tore my hair out of Excel, I finally stole my husband’s hair clipper and decided to take an approach DIY for my own hair. As a result, my GhostBuster Lab Mix has been on the grooming table more recently than I have been on a stylist chair, but according to her groomer Jenn Shaw, owner of Tall Tails Grooming in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dogs can also benefit. a little DIY hairstyle.
“Even as a professional groomer, I don’t necessarily discourage people from trimming their pet’s hair at home,” says Shaw. “I definitely encourage regular maintenance between the grooms.”
As a lab mix, GhostBuster’s gorgeous double coat requires brushing, not haircuts, but for dogs that need frequent haircuts, the at-home haircut can be good for both the pet and the dog. Bank account.
“The financial situation of some people does not allow professional groomers and it is more important that the dog is comfortable rather than looking professionally polite,” says Shaw, who emphasizes that owners should s ” inform in advance about the appropriate grooming techniques and tools. She says the tools I use on my own hair wouldn’t work on a dog’s coat. “Clippers used for human hair don’t have the power or speed to cut animal hair and can actually pull the skin through the blade, causing nicks and cuts,” she says.
“Human clippers usually only have one blade length which can often be too short for pets and cause razor burn. In addition, the heat of these blades must be closely monitored or it can literally burn their skin. “
Shaw says that if you plan on mowing at home, investing in a good pair of pet clippers is imperative. This can mean an initial investment of over $ 100. “You get what you pay for, so spending more on clippers will mean they’ll run cooler and more efficiently, performing well and painlessly for your pet’s hair,” she explains.
Owners should also be extra careful and cautious in areas where the dog’s skin is thinner. These areas include the underside of the neck, face, eyes, edges and flaps of the ears, armpits, stomach, sanitary areas, toes, and leg tendons.
When you trim or brush the hair in these areas, there is a higher risk of bruising or cutting your pet because the thin skin quickly peels off the body when the fur is handled, making it easy to grab with grooming tools.
“A small gash on that thin skin can become a more serious problem as it can be prone to tears like tissue paper, especially if you use scissors instead of a trimmer.”
Shaw recommends supplementing DIY bride and groom with quick professional services for the face, feet, and washroom areas to avoid the risk of cutting off those sensitive areas. She says some professional groomers offer these toppings as a walk-in service.
I’m thankful that GhostBuster’s coat isn’t the type to be shaved – it’s hard enough to cut my head off!
Do you groom your dog at home? Tell us some tips in the comments!
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About the Author: Heather Marcoux is a freelance writer based in Alberta, Canada. Her beloved Ghost Cat was once her only pet, but Specter the Kitten and GhostBuster the Dog complete her furry family. Heather is also a wife, a bad cook and a former TV reporter. Some of his friends have hidden his food because of an excess of cat photos. If you don’t mind cat photos, you can follow Heather Marcoux on Twitter; she also posts animal GIFs on Google+.
Woman Bathes Terrier by Shutterstock.