Giving Rover a Trim
Dog's hair grows just like human hair. It is continually growing and has to be cut every once in a while. Give your dog a hair cut when you are grooming him. Here are some tips for how to trim your dog's hair.
Brush your dog's hair before doing anything else. It will give it a nice comb while getting out any clumps or dirt. Get out any clumps by slowly going through the hair and starting at the bottom. Brush the bottom and slowly work up to the top until the entire knot is out. Brushing a dog's hair actually helps to stimulate his hair and make it grow faster and better.
Use a comb that is thick at first, and then use a finer one. You don't want to try to use a thick comb while getting out huge knots. It will just make things harder for you and will make your dog more upset.
If your dog's entire coat of hair is a complete mess, use a dog rake. It will get out the knots and will get out any loose hair. Remember to be gentle as your dog won't like it very much if you pull out a bunch of his hair.
If your dog has matted hair, make sure to brush it. You need to know which is still good and which parts you need to cut off. If your dog's hair won't brush well or at all, then cut it off.
To cut your dog's hair you shouldn't use normal hair cutting scissors that you would say use on a human. You need to buy dog hair scissors. They are better suited for the job and will make it so much easier for you.
Trim the hair starting with just a few inches. It of course depends on how long your dog's hair is to begin with, but only cut a little off at a time. It is better to cut off not enough than too much. You can always cut off more but you can never put back on what you have already cut! If it makes things easier for you and your dog will allow it, get his hair wet first. It will be easier to cut and will help you make more even lines.
If your dog is going crazy or is moving a lot, put his leash on. You should never take off his collar and leave it off. You should definitely put a different one on though if you are going to be getting him wet. That way you won't stain his coat of hair if the leash starts color-bleeding and you will be able to have a good leash that is made for being wet and giving baths or cutting hair.
When you trim your dog's hair, make sure to take your time. Have someone help you and maybe hold your dog or comfort him. He will probably be a little nervous and you need to keep him relaxed so you don't accidentally cut something you shouldn't.
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