Grooming & Shedding
Short, regular sessions do more than an occasional marathon. Find your dog's rhythm in how often to brush a dog, by coat type, then pick the right tool with slicker brush vs deshedding tool.
When hair starts drifting across the floor in spring and fall, dog shedding season explains what is happening and how to keep up. Cat owners will find a brushing schedule and a gentle plan for cats who resist the brush here too. The brushes, de-shedding tool and nail grinder these guides mention are in dog and cat grooming tools.
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How-to
How to Get Snowballs Out of Dog Fur and Paws, and Stop Them Forming
Pulling ice balls off your dog’s paws hurts. Melt them with lukewarm water, dry between every toe and brush the feathering once it’s dry. See why some coats collect snow, how trimming paw fur and keeping nails short help, and the frostbite signs that need a veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Get Burrs Out of Dog Fur, and When a Foxtail Needs a Vet
Most burrs come out at home if you hold the hair at the base and tease them loose from the outer edge, with a drop of cooking oil for stubborn ones. See where burrs hide, how to handle burrs in mats, toes and ears, how to prevent them, and when a foxtail is a job for your veterinarian.
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How-to
Dog Doesn’t Like Their Paws Touched? How to Build Up to Nail Trims
A step-by-step plan for a dog who pulls away, mouths or growls when you reach for a paw: when to see your veterinarian first, a touch-to-hold ladder with treats or a lick mat, then adding wipes, the paw cleaner cup and the grinder.
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How-to
How to Clean Up a Dog After Swimming in a Lake, Pool or the Ocean
A fresh-water rinse after every swim, step by step, plus what the ocean, a lake and a pool each leave in the coat, how to dry ears, skin folds and a dense double coat, and the signs after a swim that need a veterinarian.
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How-to
How to Brush a Dog That Hates Being Brushed, One Stroke at a Time
For the dog who runs, squirms or mouths the brush: rule out mats and pain, choose a gentler brush for the coat, set up non-slip footing and a lick mat, then build from one rewarded stroke to a full brush-out, stopping at the first sign of stress.
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How-to
How to Bathe a Dog That Hates Baths: Setup, Steps and Drying
For the dog who scrabbles, shakes or bolts at bath time: brush out tangles first, make the tub steady underfoot, keep a lick mat in reach, wash the face last, skip the dryer battle and build tolerance between baths, plus what to do when a bath still goes wrong.
