Grooming guide
How to Groom Your Dog at Home: A Beginner's Guide
Moving from monthly salon trips to grooming at home sounds daunting, but most of it comes down to order of operations and the right attachment at the right moment. Here's the routine we recommend to every new Furbuddy owner.
1. Set up a calm space
Pick a spot with good light and a non-slip surface — a laundry floor, bathroom, or outdoor patio all work. Have everything within reach before you start: brushes, clippers, treats and a towel. Dogs read your energy, so a relaxed, unhurried setup does more for a stress-free groom than any tool.
2. Start with a dry brush-out
Always brush before bathing. Use a slicker brush in short, gentle strokes following the direction of the coat, working from the shoulders back. This lifts dirt, breaks up small tangles and shows you where the mats are hiding. Never drag a brush through a knot — hold the base of the fur with one hand so you aren't pulling on skin.
3. De-shed the undercoat
Double-coated breeds (huskies, retrievers, shepherds) carry a soft undercoat that a slicker brush won't reach. Switch to a de-shedding tool and work in small sections with light pressure. This is where most of the loose fur comes from — and where a vacuum-attached grooming head saves you the whole-house clean-up afterwards.
4. Clip and tidy
Attach a length guide before you touch the clippers to your dog's coat — guides prevent scalping and keep the trim even. Move slowly with the grain of the fur, doing the body first and leaving sensitive areas for last. Use a small hygiene trimmer around paws, face and rear, and keep the blade flat rather than pointing into the skin.
5. Bath, dry, reward
Bathe with a pet-specific shampoo in lukewarm water, rinse thoroughly (residue causes itching), then towel dry and let your dog finish air-drying somewhere warm. Finish every session with a treat and praise, even if you only got halfway. Consistency beats perfection — a good association today makes next month's groom easier.
How often should you groom?
Short-coated breeds do well with a weekly brush and a trim every few months. Long or double coats benefit from two or three brush-outs a week, especially through spring and autumn shedding. Nails, ears and paw fur are worth a quick check every fortnight.
Groom at home without the clean-up
The Furbuddy 6-in-1 grooming + vacuum kit combines the slicker brush, de-shedding tool, clippers and hygiene trimmer with quiet suction that catches fur as you work.
Shop the kit