How Often Should Your Dog Visit the Groomer

For many dogs, visiting the groomer is one of their least favorite activities. However, grooming is extremely important for maintaining your dog’s health and wellbeing. Plus, they’ll look a lot better when they’re trimmed up and feeling like their best self! Check out our tips on how often your dog should visit the groomer.

Keep Your Schedule in Mind

Many dog owners attempt to groom their dogs themselves to minimize the frequency of their visits to the groomer. While this can be an effective way to keep your dog trimmed, you should consider the time and skill that grooming requires. Grooming your dog yourself when you don’t have the time and resources that you need can lead to shorter grooming sessions and overlooked issues like ticks, ringworms, and other parasites. Grooming is a complex and time-consuming activity, so you should be prepared to learn the necessary steps to do it the right way and should also be prepared to devote some time to grooming.

Make Appointments in Advance

You should make your grooming appointments in advance to ensure that your dog is being groomed enough. Once your groomer understands both you and your dogs’ needs and expectations, they can set more regular appointments and you’ll have a consistent grooming schedule. This will help keep you honest and ensure that your dog is being groomed enough. It will also help your dog get accustomed to going to the groomers to reduce their discomfort or anxiety about appointments. Come to appointments with your calendar or phone prepared to confirm your next appointment date.

Recommended Frequency of Grooming Appointments

When it comes to determining how often you should schedule appointments, you should consider a variety of factors. For family members that are allergic to pet hair, thorough brushings twice a week and baths once a week are recommended to minimize shedding. Frequent bathing is also recommended for dogs with extremely oily skin. Excess skin oil means your dog’s skin and coat can collect dirt very quickly. You should also consider how much your dog sheds. Breeds like Akitas, Alaskan malamutes, American Eskimos, and Welsh Corgis are known for their frequent shedding, and need to be brushed and bathed quite often. Otherwise, their fur can become matted.

Other Needs that You Should Take Care Of

There are a few other issues that you may encounter in your dog that may necessitate an appointment with the groomer. First of all, dogs have scent-producing glands near their anuses that can become blocked and may need care from the groomer. They may also need whisker and nail care to make sure things stay clean and painless. Finally, oral and ear care are issues that you may have difficulty taking care of but groomers can handle with ease. If your dog struggles with any of these problems, give your vet and groomer a call to see what they can do to help.

Grooming your dog is extremely important for maintaining their health and wellbeing, so making sure that they are groomed enough is one of your more important roles as a dog owner. Be sure to schedule in some time to get your furry friend groomed!