How Often to Groom Your Dog
All dogs, from Chihuahuas to Doodles and everything in between, should be on a consistent grooming schedule. This means different things for different people, as some would prefer to do minimal grooming at home, while others prefer to do a little more themselves.
Dog’s skin is on a natural shed cycle of every 3 weeks which means a proper bath is needed at least once a month. With quality products and techniques, your pup can be bathed more frequently, up to once a week. You may have heard that you shouldn’t bathe your dog too often because it will dry out their skin. This is a myth. For example, dogs in show coats are typically bathed weekly to maintain their skin and coat in perfect condition.
What About Teeth?
Dental health is extremely important to your dog’s overall health. Dental disease leads to many problems, like heart disease, not to mention it’s painful. The best solution is prevention. We recommend brushing your dog’s teeth every day with an enzymatic toothpaste.
What About Nails and Ears?
Nails typically need trimming anywhere from 2-4 weeks based on age, diet, activity level, etc. Ears typically need cleaning anywhere from a few times a week to every 2-3 weeks. A Chihuahua with ears that stand up gets much more airflow than a thick-coated doodle with floppy, heavy ears. Who do you think would be more prone to ear infections, therefor requiring more cleaning? Yep, the doodle!
What About Haircuts?
We recommend getting a full haircut every 4-10 weeks for most of our clients. However, this varies based on coat preference and time constraints at home. Some of our clients like to treat their pup to a fresh cut every month and others like to grow it out a little in between full haircut appointments. Just remember: the longer you go in between haircut appointments, the more at-home brushing/maintenance you will need to do. For those that prefer to go a little longer in between full haircut appointments, we offer Bath & Brush and Bath & Tidy Services which can be scheduled in between. This schedule ensures that your dog receives all the essential services they need (bathing, brushing, nails, ears) while allowing the hair to grow.
The other option is to bathe your dog at home – just make sure you are using quality products and properly blow drying/brushing them out completely. We are always available to answer any questions you may have about products (we sell everything we recommend in the salon), techniques, and grooming schedules.
Our Recommended Grooming Schedule:
(for dogs that need full haircut services)
Service every 3-4 weeks alternating between Bath & Brush/ Bath & Tidy and Bath and Full Haircut
