What are the worst mistakes novice dog owners make about grooming their dogs?
I asked groomers. And groomers, along with other pet professionals, answered.
They agreed, unanimously, that the worst grooming mistakes of novice dog owners come from ignorance, not from ill intentions. Novice dog owners want to do the best for their canine companions, but sometimes what they’ve been told and what they believe may not be what they need to know. Misinformation and misunderstanding can be the cause of mistakes that end up in unhappy outcomes—not only for the dogs involved, but also for the human family members.
Katie Kay (Toronto) Ex-groomer here. I made this mistake as a first-time dog owner before I started working in the field. I assumed that most dogs just didn’t like being groomed and not much could be done about it, and that my dog’s hatred of going to the groomer was just because dogs don’t like baths or nail trims.
Leanne Hugg (Florida) Not acclimating a puppy/dog to handling and basic grooming from the start.
Julie Ellingson (California) Oh, worst mistake—believing their doodle breeder that doodles are low-maintenance dogs and should stay fluffy. It’s a specific worst mistake, but laughably common.
You do your due-diligence on how your dog should be groomed in exactly the same way you do due-diligence on what to feed him and how to train him. You have access to an unlimited amount of information online, so that’s certainly a good place to start. In addition, you can talk in person locally with knowledgeable professionals in your area—your veterinarian, your training class instructors, breed club members, rescue organizations.
Morgan Spector (California) The only grooming lessons I ever took were from the woman who bred my shelties, over a period of about a month. She showed me line-grooming, back-brushing, trimming whiskers, feet, doing the nails, the whole thing. Haven’t had shelties for ages but still use the techniques on my mutts. The main thing I found was to assume that they aren’t used to it. Take it slow.
Jennifer Wilcox (Australia) All my puppy clients are given instructions on how to handle, groom, give ear drops, eye drops, check teeth, and condition the pup to handling, injections, etc. Choosing a groomer who will not frighten the pup and handles him with care is very important.
Julie Ellingson I tell new puppy owners to buy a cheap electric toothbrush and pet their puppy all over with it—lots of praise involved and some super treats. Makes the weird buzzy thing that I pet them with much less weird and scary.
Your due-diligence may help you choose a breed or mix of dog whose fur will be easiest for you to maintain. You may have already chosen a dog without considering how you’d care for that dog’s fur . . . or your dog may have chosen you and fur style just didn’t matter! Whenever you research the best grooming and maintenance procedures for your dog, you can start to do better.
Be honest with yourself about what you can and can’t do!
Photo by Jennifer Bristol
Julie Ellingson [One of the worst mistakes dog owners make is] not being honest with themselves about the time they have to care for that over-the-top floof they love so much. A long coat is a labor of love. Most people like the idea of the coat, but not the coat itself. The disappointment lies in when, despite being shown how to line-comb and given proper equipment to work with, they simply cannot keep up—especially during the coat change from puppy to adult.
I have clients who showed their dogs [in conformation]. If the dog was being “specialed,” he was on my table every other day. (Tibetan Terrier—crazy coat to care for.) It was the only way to keep up the coat, a thrice-weekly bath and comb-out. And here’s the truth: I have the equipment to properly dry and comb out the dog, not to mention decades of experience. They don’t. Once the coat tangles, damage is inevitable and it will tangle more easily every time. There is a certain point where it is kinder to shave and begin again.
Liz Jacques (Massachusetts) [I’m] not a groomer, but I own a pet-care business and obviously have owned many dogs. I frequently see pet owners who assume they don’t need to do any grooming maintenance at home as long as they take the dog for regular professional grooming. Many breeds still need some brushing/combing in between professional grooms to avoid mats. Not to mention it’s a great opportunity to check your dog over for skin problems, injury, etc. Also, many clients seem to neglect ear care at home, which is particularly important for floppy-eared dogs.
Deb Harper (Washington) As an ignorant owner (and not a groomer), I’ve been shown how to strip my terrier. I do it every day, but I’m not efficient. Finally got a Mars rake, which really helps. My GSD is raked with an undercoat rake daily in fall and spring and weekly other times. Still need the professional groomer when blowing!
Julie Ellingson You need a good HV dryer to help you. I started way before those were a thing—all that work was done with hot dryers and by hand. Muscle . . . lots of muscle. Nowadays, I have an arsenal of product (modern de-shedding shampoo, conditioner, and sprays are a godsend) and the high-velocity dryers to blow out the undercoat. It’s still a metric crap-ton of work, but not as hard as it used to be!
Don’t think no one will notice if you haven’t been keeping up with the daily maintenance of your dog’s grooming!
Michel Berner (Wisconsin) We can tell if you have actually brushed your dog’s coat regularly. We can also tell if you are actually brushing down to the skin, or if you’re just fluffing the hair that isn’t caught in mats. When we shave your dog short, it’s not because we’re butchers or hacks. It’s because we care enough about your dog to not torture them because you have failed to maintain their coats for the last six weeks. Longer coats are a daily commitment.
Debra Hewson Hunt (Washington) When I had my business, it was the matted dogs who hadn’t been brushed and combed, but [whose owners] wanted the hair left longer. There’s no way when it’s matted to the skin. For me, it was a shave-down so the skin could breathe, or leave. I wouldn’t torture a dog for owner neglect. Matted to the skin, but owners think you can leave about four inches? NOT. It’s abuse to let the dog get to that stage.
Kim Campbell (British Columbia) I actually still feel guilt about those dogs that I did brush out because the owners wanted them left long. One dog in particular really bothers me. I just feel so bad for putting her through it.
Julie Ellingson It took me many, many weeks of daily practice on dozens of different dogs to learn to properly brush down to the skin. (Oh, how I dreaded my boss and her darned Greyhound comb!) I show people all the time how to do it and give them a shopping list, but usually by the end of two grooming cycles, they are over it and the dog is 1/2” long at the longest point.
Gail Jackson (Missouri) I would say the most common mistake is surface brushing or only brushing the top coat, while the undercoat mats to the point of not being salvageable.
Christina Boling (Minnesota) What Gail said. And not trimming nails. But Gail’s is the best example. I’m not a groomer but I have worked as a grooming assistant.
Kim Campbell Brushing just the top of the hair, not line-brushing to get down to the skin.
Trish McMillan (North Carolina) I worked for a groomer briefly and learned this important skill, and now teach it to all of my clients who have fluffy dogs.
James Bahr (Illinois) I think everyone here nailed it. Matted to the skin due to owners only lightly brushing the top coat.
Jamie Wilke (Washington) The biggest mistake most pet owners make is bathing their fluffy dogs at home without brushing . . . then bringing the cotton-matted fluff in [to a groomer] and wanting the coat left long. They think that by bathing the dog, they are doing a good thing. Then when we have to peel them like an orange, they don’t get it. I’ve put far too many dogs through painful brush-outs in my over 40 years in the business. I politely decline now. For me it’s all about the dog first, a beautiful fluffy scissor-cut second.
Here is a veterinarian’s list of the worst mistakes you can make about grooming:
Summer Storm Kingery DVM (North Carolina)
▪ Not starting grooming routines from day one.
▪ Not using lots of rewards to make grooming fun and pleasant.
▪ Trying to do too much all at once.
▪ Not rinsing out all the soap. (It will attract more dirt and irritate skin.)
▪ Not brushing teeth daily as part of grooming.
▪ Cutting mats out with scissors, which can result in nasty lacerations. You must guard the dog’s skin from scissors and most owners have no idea how to.
▪ Letting clipper blades run hot.
▪ Using antibiotic drops in eyes for tear stains. (One part baby shampoo to nine parts water on a regular basis will keep the bacteria that makes tear stains in check without causing antibiotic resistance.)
▪ Not insisting on understanding how a pet will be managed by a groomer.
▪ Not training a pet to be groomed.
▪ Not obtaining a sedated groom for pets who are overly stressed.
There is no dog that does not need grooming.
Grooming a dog is a responsibility that lasts for the dog’s whole life. Good breeders and fosters start puppies with positive handling and husbandry care from their earliest days. Good dog owners add to and enhance their young dogs’ experiences with handling and grooming as the dogs grow and learn. Great dog owners adjust that care as necessary as their dogs mature and age.
Grooming a dog, not for a show but for life, is a matter of daily hands-on attention, whether you use the services of a groomer or not. The primary responsibility is still yours. You can learn what you need to do and you can do it kindly and gently if you keep up with it well. Your dog will look better, feel better, and will likely be more healthy in the long run, if you act responsibly with his or her grooming.
