February 6, 2025 • 11 mins
Are you ready to take your dog’s grooming into your own hands? In this video, we break down the 10 essential tools and tips you’ll need to keep your pup looking and feeling their best—from trimming fur to tackling tough mats and even nail care! Grooming your dog at home can save money, build trust, and create special bonding moments with your dog.
✨ Here’s what we’ll cover:
1️⃣ Grooming scissors for precise trims
2️⃣ Brushes and combs to detangle and smooth
3️⃣ Dog-safe shampoo and conditioner for a clean, healthy coat
4️⃣ A lick mat to create positive grooming experiences
5️⃣ Nail clippers and a Dremel for safe nail care
6️⃣ Clippers and small paw pad trimmers for the perfect cut
7️⃣ A grooming table to keep your dog secure and comfortable
8️⃣ A force air dryer to prevent mats and speed up drying
9️⃣ Dog toothpaste and a finger brush for healthy teeth and fresh breath
🔟 Confidence and patience—because every dog is unique!
📌 Helpful Links:
✅ Shop the tools mentioned:
https://www.baxterandbella.com/puppy-products
✅ Grooming tips for nervous dogs: BAXTER & Bella’s 4-Week Cooperative Care Course
https://www.baxterandbella.com/4-cooperative-care-course
✅ Learn more about dog grooming: BAXTER & Bella’s At-Home Grooming Class
https://www.baxterandbella.com/at-home-grooming-class
Follow us on social media
Instagram @BAXTERandBella
Facebook @TheOnlinePuppySchool
YouTube @BAXTERandBella
Subscribe to our site for FREE weekly training tips!
Check out our FREE resources!
Join our membership here.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we are talking about the 10 things you need to
groom your own dog from home.
So, whether you're looking tosave some money on grooming
appointments or you just want tosimply bond with your dog by
spending more time together,grooming your dog at home is a
really great idea.
Here's what you're going toneed.
Welcome to the puppy trainingpodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter and Bella, the online
(00:23):
puppy school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hello and welcome to the PuppyTraining Podcast.
(00:49):
I'm Amy Jensen.
I'm so glad you're here.
Every week, we talk aboutsomething puppy related or dog
training related and hopefullyit's helping answer some of your
questions that you might have.
So today let's hit the 10things you're going to need to
groom your own dog from home.
I do this on a regular basis.
I have three dogs.
My youngest, uh, bella.
She's learning how to begroomed, so we do a lot of
(01:10):
practicing and then I also takeher to a professional groomer
every eight to 12 weeks for areally good, thorough job, and
they do a really good job withher and it's good for her to get
out of the house and be withsomebody else for a little bit.
The same thing with Baxter hegoes in with her, they go in
together.
And then I have a SchnauzerYorkie mix, bruno.
He's a little older and thingsare getting a little harder for
(01:30):
him, so I've always groomed himfrom home.
He gets a Schnauzer cut.
It's pretty cute, and so I'mnot a professional groomer, but
I do this a lot with my own dogs, and here are the things that I
find really useful.
So number one on the list aregrooming scissors.
There's a lot of differentkinds out there.
I have several that I recommend.
(01:50):
One is just a straight shear,the other would be a curved
shear and then thinning shearsare nice for blending.
I also have a little tiny Iguess they call them a mini
safety pair of scissors, and Ilike those because they're small
.
They're only about four inches,they have a blunt nose and it's
perfect for getting the eyehair away from my dog's face.
(02:12):
So you know how with doodlestheir hair grows.
And my schnauzer Yorkie mix.
He has hair that grows intowards his eyes.
Those little mini safetyscissors are perfect for just
trimming that triangle aroundtheir eyes so they can see
better.
We want our dogs to have goodvision, right.
I use the straight shears to dothe basic cutting their tails
around their ears Bruno's bellyline for his cute little
(02:34):
Schnauzer skirt that he has.
But the curved shears are nicefor their paws.
So if you want that nicerounded look on your doodles
paws, a set of curved shears canbe really, really handy.
So invest in a good pair ofscissors, especially if you're
going to do this a lot from home.
Number two is a brush and comb.
Now the type of brush you getdepends on the type of dog you
have and their coat.
(02:54):
For my doodles a good slickerbrush is really nice along with
a metal comb.
So with my doodles I'm linebrushing, meaning I'm taking the
metal comb and I'm starting atthe bottom of their legs.
I create a line with the comband then I brush that line of
hair and then I go up their legand create another line and
(03:15):
brush, and create another lineand brush and I'm moving all the
way up my dog's leg.
I'll repeat that with all oftheir legs, and then I'll start
at the back of their coat, ontheir back, and move towards the
front of their head and gettheir entire body so it's called
line brushing and again, a niceslicker brush and a metal comb
work really well to make sureyou're getting down to the skin
and that you're finding anytangles that need to be worked
(03:36):
out.
Number three is dog shampoo andconditioner.
Make sure that you get a dogfriendly shampoo.
Their skin pH is different thanours, and so we want a formula
that's specifically for dogs.
I'm looking for ingredientssuch as oatmeal Maybe it says on
the bottle anti-itch shampoo.
My doodles tend to be a littleitchy, especially when they're
out rolling around in thegrasses, or those environmental
(03:58):
allergies that can crop up.
So I like a good anti-itchshampoo, and again I'm looking
for ingredients like oatmeal,which means it's super gentle on
their skin.
When you're bathing your dog,always use lukewarm water, wet
your dog's coat thoroughlybefore applying the shampoo and
then make sure that you rinsereally well.
We want to make sure all ofthat shampoo and conditioner
(04:19):
gets out of their coat so thatit's not left on there to
irritate their skin later.
Number four is one of myfavorites.
It's called the lick mat.
This is for positiveassociation.
Bath time and grooming can bestressful for some dogs.
Not all of them love it, andthat's where a lick mat comes in
.
Spread a thin layer of naturalpeanut butter.
You can put some Greek yogurton there, you can use pumpkin
(04:40):
puree or some applesauce, butyou smear that all over the lick
mat and then you stick it to asurface where your dog can enjoy
it during grooming.
So I'll put it on my showerwall or I'll have somebody hold
it while my dog's on my groomingtable, or I can hold it while
I'm blow drying them.
It just helps calm the dogsdown and it creates that
positive association so thatthey look forward to future
(05:03):
grooming sessions.
Number five nail clippers and aDremel.
I like to use both.
I clip my dog's nails with theclippers first and then I take a
Dremel and I just three littletaps on each nail to file them
so they're not sharp or there'sno rough edges.
Keeping your dog's nailstrimmed is really important.
It's not just for looks, it'simportant for their health and
mobility.
So long nails can cause yourdog pain, it can affect their
(05:25):
walking gait and even lead tojoint issues, which we don't
want.
So start with nail clippers totrim the length off and then
finish with a Dremel to get ridof those rough edges.
Number six are clippers, andthen small clippers for paw pads
.
So with Bruno, my schnauzer, Itrim his top coat pretty short.
I use a number 10 blade in thesummer.
In the winter I'm using more oflike a 7F blade.
(05:46):
So different lengths of metalblades you can attach to these
clippers, depending on what coatlength you're looking for.
So get a good pair of clippersif you're going to be doing this
a lot.
I have some Andes clippers thatwork well.
I know many people like theWahl brand.
So just get a good dog clipperand do a dog specific one.
It goes really nicely throughtheir coats.
And then I like a mini pair ofclippers.
(06:06):
It's only about maybe a halfinch wide to three quarters inch
wide, so it's easier to getthat down in between my puppy's
paw pads to get all that hairout.
I like to hike a lot with mydogs.
We go outside on grandadventures maybe not so grand
but fun adventures and I don'twant little things collecting in
the hair between their paw pads.
So I just take that little minipair of clippers and clean out
(06:27):
in between those paw pads asbest as I can.
So a mini pair of clippers, Ithink is super useful, along
with just a good, solid pair ofdog clippers.
All right, number seven is goingto save your back.
So I invested a while ago in anice grooming table.
It just makes things so mucheasier if you're doing this
regularly.
So I have a nice table.
It fits all three of my dogs.
There's an adjustable arm on itso I can raise or lower it
(06:50):
depending on if I'm groomingBaxter, who's 50 pounds, or
Bruno, who's 12 pounds.
It has a nice non-slip surfacefor them to stand on and several
attachment points.
It just makes it a lot easierfor me to get the job done
without having to bend over andstress my back.
I'm getting older, you guys, soI'm feeling it in my lower back
a lot.
So if you're going to be doingthis from home pretty regularly,
(07:13):
I think a grooming table isworth the investment.
All right, another item that Ifound recently for my doodles is
a force air dryer.
Now with Bruno, I don't reallyneed a blow dryer.
I cut his coat pretty short andthen I towel dry him as best I
can and he air dries prettyquickly.
But my doodles have a lot ofhair and so that force air dryer
(07:34):
speeds up the process ingetting them dried off and it
prevents the matting, becauseyou're blowing that hair out,
it's not going to be left wetand then they're running around
and it's starting to get tangledbefore they're even dry.
So it's not just forprofessionals.
If you want that cute, fluffydoodle, look, this is a must
have for at-home grooming,especially again for those
(07:55):
longer haired breeds.
Now it reduces drying time andthen, like I said, it prevents
mats from forming.
You always want to use, nomatter what dryer you're using,
a low heat setting to protectyour dog's skin.
They have sensitive skin andthen just start in sections and
you just do a little bit at atime with those force air dryers
.
Sometimes the noise can befairly loud, depending on which
one you buy.
You can take that nozzle headoff in the beginning to help
(08:19):
your puppy get acclimated to it,but if you start when they're
young, they just grow uplearning that this is what we do
and they don't mind it.
I also pull out that lick matduring the blow drying sessions
just to help them like thatbetter.
Number nine is dog toothpasteand a brush.
Oral hygiene, you guys, is justas important for our dogs as it
is for us.
We want to make sure that weuse a dog safe toothpaste and
(08:41):
the flavors, you guys, you'regoing to laugh at them, but dogs
love them.
So you're going to find peanutbutter flavored toothpaste,
liver paste, chicken paste,poultry paste, right?
So find a flavor your dog likesand then I just use a little
finger brush in the beginning toput my finger in there and wipe
it around on their teeth reallygently and softly.
But I let them lick, lick, lickto start with and then they get
(09:02):
to lick the rest of thetoothpaste off at the end.
So, yeah, get a flavor thatthey're going to like.
Regular brushing is going toprevent plaque buildup, bad
breath and gum disease in yourdog.
Finally, number 10 is patience.
This is probably the mostimportant one on the list is
that we need to go slowly.
We need to help our dogs enjoythe experience.
Every dog is different.
(09:23):
Some are going to love theattention right away, while
others maybe need some time toadjust.
So Baxter happens to have thisspot on his chin that he really
loves being groomed.
So I'll take a comb and he'lljust stick his nose straight up
in the air and just let me combhim.
He adores it.
But then other dogs maybethey're finicky with their paws
or their nails or they don'twant their ears touched.
(09:45):
If you have any struggles withgrooming your dog, please reach
out to us.
We have a four-week cooperativecare course here at Baxter
Bella where we walk you throughhow to get your dog to cooperate
with you when grooming or goingto vet visits.
So those two thingsspecifically are what we're
targeting.
Don't hesitate to reach out tous if you have questions.
We'd love to help you.
(10:06):
For the list of products that Imentioned today, head over to
our website and check out ourproducts tab.
There are several companiesthat we really enjoy working
with.
One, for example, is Pupwell.
They have wonderful groomingproducts.
The scissors that I talkedabout, the brushes and combs
that I talked about are all fromPupwell.
Pottery has a wonderfulanti-itch shampoo and I have a
link to that on my website aswell.
(10:27):
I have Amazon links to mygrooming table and the force air
dryer that I use.
So check out our products pageon our website, baxterabellacom,
for all of the information.
Thanks for tuning in to thepuppy training podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
(10:48):
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
Today we are talking about the 10 things you need to
groom your own dog from home.
So, whether you're looking tosave some money on grooming
appointments or you just want tosimply bond with your dog by
spending more time together,grooming your dog at home is a
really great idea.
Here's what you're going toneed.
Welcome to the puppy trainingpodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter and Bella, the online
(00:23):
puppy school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hello and welcome to the PuppyTraining Podcast.
(00:49):
I'm Amy Jensen.
I'm so glad you're here.
Every week, we talk aboutsomething puppy related or dog
training related and hopefullyit's helping answer some of your
questions that you might have.
So today let's hit the 10things you're going to need to
groom your own dog from home.
I do this on a regular basis.
I have three dogs.
My youngest, uh, bella.
She's learning how to begroomed, so we do a lot of
(01:10):
practicing and then I also takeher to a professional groomer
every eight to 12 weeks for areally good, thorough job, and
they do a really good job withher and it's good for her to get
out of the house and be withsomebody else for a little bit.
The same thing with Baxter hegoes in with her, they go in
together.
And then I have a SchnauzerYorkie mix, bruno.
He's a little older and thingsare getting a little harder for
(01:30):
him, so I've always groomed himfrom home.
He gets a Schnauzer cut.
It's pretty cute, and so I'mnot a professional groomer, but
I do this a lot with my own dogs, and here are the things that I
find really useful.
So number one on the list aregrooming scissors.
There's a lot of differentkinds out there.
I have several that I recommend.
(01:50):
One is just a straight shear,the other would be a curved
shear and then thinning shearsare nice for blending.
I also have a little tiny Iguess they call them a mini
safety pair of scissors, and Ilike those because they're small
.
They're only about four inches,they have a blunt nose and it's
perfect for getting the eyehair away from my dog's face.
(02:12):
So you know how with doodlestheir hair grows.
And my schnauzer Yorkie mix.
He has hair that grows intowards his eyes.
Those little mini safetyscissors are perfect for just
trimming that triangle aroundtheir eyes so they can see
better.
We want our dogs to have goodvision, right.
I use the straight shears to dothe basic cutting their tails
around their ears Bruno's bellyline for his cute little
(02:34):
Schnauzer skirt that he has.
But the curved shears are nicefor their paws.
So if you want that nicerounded look on your doodles
paws, a set of curved shears canbe really, really handy.
So invest in a good pair ofscissors, especially if you're
going to do this a lot from home.
Number two is a brush and comb.
Now the type of brush you getdepends on the type of dog you
have and their coat.
(02:54):
For my doodles a good slickerbrush is really nice along with
a metal comb.
So with my doodles I'm linebrushing, meaning I'm taking the
metal comb and I'm starting atthe bottom of their legs.
I create a line with the comband then I brush that line of
hair and then I go up their legand create another line and
(03:15):
brush, and create another lineand brush and I'm moving all the
way up my dog's leg.
I'll repeat that with all oftheir legs, and then I'll start
at the back of their coat, ontheir back, and move towards the
front of their head and gettheir entire body so it's called
line brushing and again, a niceslicker brush and a metal comb
work really well to make sureyou're getting down to the skin
and that you're finding anytangles that need to be worked
(03:36):
out.
Number three is dog shampoo andconditioner.
Make sure that you get a dogfriendly shampoo.
Their skin pH is different thanours, and so we want a formula
that's specifically for dogs.
I'm looking for ingredientssuch as oatmeal Maybe it says on
the bottle anti-itch shampoo.
My doodles tend to be a littleitchy, especially when they're
out rolling around in thegrasses, or those environmental
(03:58):
allergies that can crop up.
So I like a good anti-itchshampoo, and again I'm looking
for ingredients like oatmeal,which means it's super gentle on
their skin.
When you're bathing your dog,always use lukewarm water, wet
your dog's coat thoroughlybefore applying the shampoo and
then make sure that you rinsereally well.
We want to make sure all ofthat shampoo and conditioner
(04:19):
gets out of their coat so thatit's not left on there to
irritate their skin later.
Number four is one of myfavorites.
It's called the lick mat.
This is for positiveassociation.
Bath time and grooming can bestressful for some dogs.
Not all of them love it, andthat's where a lick mat comes in
.
Spread a thin layer of naturalpeanut butter.
You can put some Greek yogurton there, you can use pumpkin
(04:40):
puree or some applesauce, butyou smear that all over the lick
mat and then you stick it to asurface where your dog can enjoy
it during grooming.
So I'll put it on my showerwall or I'll have somebody hold
it while my dog's on my groomingtable, or I can hold it while
I'm blow drying them.
It just helps calm the dogsdown and it creates that
positive association so thatthey look forward to future
(05:03):
grooming sessions.
Number five nail clippers and aDremel.
I like to use both.
I clip my dog's nails with theclippers first and then I take a
Dremel and I just three littletaps on each nail to file them
so they're not sharp or there'sno rough edges.
Keeping your dog's nailstrimmed is really important.
It's not just for looks, it'simportant for their health and
mobility.
So long nails can cause yourdog pain, it can affect their
(05:25):
walking gait and even lead tojoint issues, which we don't
want.
So start with nail clippers totrim the length off and then
finish with a Dremel to get ridof those rough edges.
Number six are clippers, andthen small clippers for paw pads
.
So with Bruno, my schnauzer, Itrim his top coat pretty short.
I use a number 10 blade in thesummer.
In the winter I'm using more oflike a 7F blade.
(05:46):
So different lengths of metalblades you can attach to these
clippers, depending on what coatlength you're looking for.
So get a good pair of clippersif you're going to be doing this
a lot.
I have some Andes clippers thatwork well.
I know many people like theWahl brand.
So just get a good dog clipperand do a dog specific one.
It goes really nicely throughtheir coats.
And then I like a mini pair ofclippers.
(06:06):
It's only about maybe a halfinch wide to three quarters inch
wide, so it's easier to getthat down in between my puppy's
paw pads to get all that hairout.
I like to hike a lot with mydogs.
We go outside on grandadventures maybe not so grand
but fun adventures and I don'twant little things collecting in
the hair between their paw pads.
So I just take that little minipair of clippers and clean out
(06:27):
in between those paw pads asbest as I can.
So a mini pair of clippers, Ithink is super useful, along
with just a good, solid pair ofdog clippers.
All right, number seven is goingto save your back.
So I invested a while ago in anice grooming table.
It just makes things so mucheasier if you're doing this
regularly.
So I have a nice table.
It fits all three of my dogs.
There's an adjustable arm on itso I can raise or lower it
(06:50):
depending on if I'm groomingBaxter, who's 50 pounds, or
Bruno, who's 12 pounds.
It has a nice non-slip surfacefor them to stand on and several
attachment points.
It just makes it a lot easierfor me to get the job done
without having to bend over andstress my back.
I'm getting older, you guys, soI'm feeling it in my lower back
a lot.
So if you're going to be doingthis from home pretty regularly,
(07:13):
I think a grooming table isworth the investment.
All right, another item that Ifound recently for my doodles is
a force air dryer.
Now with Bruno, I don't reallyneed a blow dryer.
I cut his coat pretty short andthen I towel dry him as best I
can and he air dries prettyquickly.
But my doodles have a lot ofhair and so that force air dryer
(07:34):
speeds up the process ingetting them dried off and it
prevents the matting, becauseyou're blowing that hair out,
it's not going to be left wetand then they're running around
and it's starting to get tangledbefore they're even dry.
So it's not just forprofessionals.
If you want that cute, fluffydoodle, look, this is a must
have for at-home grooming,especially again for those
(07:55):
longer haired breeds.
Now it reduces drying time andthen, like I said, it prevents
mats from forming.
You always want to use, nomatter what dryer you're using,
a low heat setting to protectyour dog's skin.
They have sensitive skin andthen just start in sections and
you just do a little bit at atime with those force air dryers
.
Sometimes the noise can befairly loud, depending on which
one you buy.
You can take that nozzle headoff in the beginning to help
(08:19):
your puppy get acclimated to it,but if you start when they're
young, they just grow uplearning that this is what we do
and they don't mind it.
I also pull out that lick matduring the blow drying sessions
just to help them like thatbetter.
Number nine is dog toothpasteand a brush.
Oral hygiene, you guys, is justas important for our dogs as it
is for us.
We want to make sure that weuse a dog safe toothpaste and
(08:41):
the flavors, you guys, you'regoing to laugh at them, but dogs
love them.
So you're going to find peanutbutter flavored toothpaste,
liver paste, chicken paste,poultry paste, right?
So find a flavor your dog likesand then I just use a little
finger brush in the beginning toput my finger in there and wipe
it around on their teeth reallygently and softly.
But I let them lick, lick, lickto start with and then they get
(09:02):
to lick the rest of thetoothpaste off at the end.
So, yeah, get a flavor thatthey're going to like.
Regular brushing is going toprevent plaque buildup, bad
breath and gum disease in yourdog.
Finally, number 10 is patience.
This is probably the mostimportant one on the list is
that we need to go slowly.
We need to help our dogs enjoythe experience.
Every dog is different.
(09:23):
Some are going to love theattention right away, while
others maybe need some time toadjust.
So Baxter happens to have thisspot on his chin that he really
loves being groomed.
So I'll take a comb and he'lljust stick his nose straight up
in the air and just let me combhim.
He adores it.
But then other dogs maybethey're finicky with their paws
or their nails or they don'twant their ears touched.
(09:45):
If you have any struggles withgrooming your dog, please reach
out to us.
We have a four-week cooperativecare course here at Baxter
Bella where we walk you throughhow to get your dog to cooperate
with you when grooming or goingto vet visits.
So those two thingsspecifically are what we're
targeting.
Don't hesitate to reach out tous if you have questions.
We'd love to help you.
(10:06):
For the list of products that Imentioned today, head over to
our website and check out ourproducts tab.
There are several companiesthat we really enjoy working
with.
One, for example, is Pupwell.
They have wonderful groomingproducts.
The scissors that I talkedabout, the brushes and combs
that I talked about are all fromPupwell.
Pottery has a wonderfulanti-itch shampoo and I have a
link to that on my website aswell.
(10:27):
I have Amazon links to mygrooming table and the force air
dryer that I use.
So check out our products pageon our website, baxterabellacom,
for all of the information.
Thanks for tuning in to thepuppy training podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
(10:48):
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!