Maintaining your dog is important not only for aesthetic reasons but for hygienic and health reasons as well. And while most dog owners rather take their pets to professional grooming salons, sometimes you'll have to do some of the work at home. This is why it's important to invest in the most basic dog grooming equipment. Here are the things you'll need.

Start With Coat Maintenance

Shampoo

Bathing your dog might not be the easiest mission, but it has to be done from time to time. When buying a dog shampoo it's important to choose one that won't disturb its skin pH. Some dogs have super dry skin and might need a special shampoo. If you aren't sure about your dog’s skin type and which shampoo to get, it's best to consult your vet.

This is especially important if your dog has serious skin issues such as dermatitis, impetigo, folliculitis, eczema, and seborrhea; in that case, your pet might need a prescription shampoo. In case your dog has healthy and normal skin, consider getting a mild shampoo suitable for its breed and coat. If you're a new dog parent, it's always a smart idea to ask your vet about this product, to avoid skin and coat damage.

Brushes and Combs

Next on your dog grooming equipment list should be brushes and combs. Dogs will shed hair all over your place - sofas, armchairs, beds, clothes, and floors, and while vacuuming or swiping is a must, you'll also have to brush your dog every day (especially if they have long hair). Most shedding usually happens in spring, when they are getting rid of their winter coat.

The type of brush or comb you should get depends mostly on the type of dog breed you have. Choose a combination of a pet brush with detangling steel bristles on one and thick nylon bristles for distributing hair oils on the other side. However, if you have a pet with long and especially thick hair, then go for a de-mating coat rake that's perfect for detangling the undercoat. These are basic pet grooming tools for a dog's coat that tangles and thickens into balls of fur. This is very painful for the animal to get rid of and might be a challenge for you to comb them entirely.

Trimmers

Trimmers are another important grooming equipment. If you want to save some cash on professional trimming salons, you can buy one and do the process yourself. Some dog owners are skilled to do the entire thing on their own, while others use trimmers for touch-ups. Pet trimmers come with several positions and an attachment comb with a blade. The great thing is that they're user-friendly so there's no way you can't use them even if you're a beginner. Trimmers are safe for the animal and will remove the excess hair fast. Dog owners usually use them to trim paw hair, but also long hair above the eyes or around the mouth and nose.

Ear Cleaners

Dogs have sensitive ears and dog owners should always seek for signs of infections whenever they're grooming them. Be sure to check the pet's ears on daily basis; simple water in the dog's ear can lead to an infection. Whenever you're bathing your dog make sure to keep water away from their ears. To clean this area, use a cotton ball or a clean cloth.

In case your pet starts showing signs of irritations such as repeatedly scratching their ear but also rubbing it on furniture or the floor and if you spot a brown, yellowish, or bloody discharge and a bad smell coming from their ear, chances are they have an ear infection. Other symptoms are hair loss around the ear, redness or swelling, the dog will shake their head frequently, may lose their balance and have crusty skin around the ear flap. It's important to seek vet's help immediately (don't try to treat them yourself). These symptoms might be caused by an infestation of mites rather an infection. In that case, your vet will prescribe the necessary medicine which sometimes can be an over-the-counter product.

Nail Clippers

Even though dogs aren't as notorious for scratching as cats, you should still get nail clippers. Dogs can easily damage tables, sofas, armchairs, floors and their bed. The nail clipping process might be a bit of a challenge, but it's still easer compared to clipping nails to cats. What's essential to remember when trimming your dog's nails, is that you must never clip the entire nail to the root, but rather only the tip.

Clipping the entire nail is very painful and can cause serious issues like damaging a nerve. If you don't know which part is sensitive, just look at your pet's paw with a flashlight - if the nail has red or pink, it means there are blood vessels and nerve endings in there (the root of the nail). Be prepared for everything - your pet will feel nervous and will try to escape. To reduce the tension you can use a treat or ask another person to hold them while you clip their nails.