If money were no object, you would find yourself sending your pooch to the most expensive dog spas, dog grooming pads, dog day cares, and all the other luxurious places for our four-legged hairy friends. After all, you want nothing but the best for your pet dog, right? Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the means to give our best friends the Hollywood treatment that they so deserve. But this doesn’t mean they can’t have it good as well. So how do you balance dog care, especially dog grooming, with your limited budget?

You can actually give your hairy one a grooming treat by making your own grooming products using ingredients from your kitchen and some essential oils. There are homemade recipes and how-to’s for pet products that you can find in the Internet and right here in our Economy Dog Care Guide.

For example, to make a dry dog shampoo with a fragrance that lasts, combine a cup of cornmeal with a cup of baby powder, and a teaspoon each rosemary and lavender essential oils. Use a big, airtight bottle for this purpose and let the mixture stand overnight to allow the rosemary and lavender scent to permeate. This is ready for use the following day. Simply sprinkle your dry dog shampoo on your dog and work it into her coat in circular movements. Then brush the fur until the mixture gets off, and your pooch will be feeling fresh without having to endure a full wet bath.

If you search hard enough, you will discover other great ideas for making such grooming products as herbal shampoos, flea dips and the like. With a little ingenuity, you won’t ever have to spend on dog grooming products again.

For Hands-On Pet Owner

For dog owners who would rather groom their own pets than spend on professional grooming services, here are three must-remember dog grooming tips:

Tip No. 1: The Mane Problem

Make it a point to brush your dog’s coat regularly. Most dogs, by nature, enjoy the warmth that comes with brushing, so take advantage of brushing times to bond with your pooch. The frequency of brushing that dogs require depends on the breed, as some breeds have thicker coats than others. If your dog is long-haired, it is recommended that you brush daily to keep the coat from matting and entangling. For medium-haired pooches, brushing at least once a week is usually sufficient. For short-haired breed, brushing once a month should be enough. Check out our economy dog care e-book.

Tip No. 2: Nail It!

Unlike brushing, nail trimming is difficult to impose on dogs, especially for those who have experienced having their nails cut painfully short. The best way to prevent your dog from being traumatized into disliking nail trims is to be careful, especially if you are trimming the nails the first time. Make sure to research or watch tutorial videos to make sure how short is short, or have a professional teach you.

Tip No. 3: Bathing is Big

Bathing can also be a traumatic experience for both pet and owner. Some dogs have an aversion to getting wet, causing them to run amuck the moment water touches their coat, leaving the entire house dripping wet. To prevent this, your dog should grow accustomed to bathing. Until you know how your dog will take to bathing, you might consider leashing your pet to make sure your dog doesn’t take off out of the bathroom with wet fur.  Make it a point to allot bath time once a week. And of coarse use soap-free shampoo to keep your dog’s eyes and skin healthy.

How to Groom

A Dog Yourself

Most dog owners are well aware of how much money it can cost to have their pet dog groomed. This is a big expense, and with money scarce for many people grooming is one easy cost that can be cut down.

If you want to be frugal in this you should of course start with comparison shopping. Look for the cheapest professional. Not every dog groomer has the same prices. You need to find the one that offers good service for the cheapest price. This may be a lot of work initially, but it can save you money in the long run.

However, one of the best ways to groom your dog for cheap is to do it yourself. If you learn how to groom your dog you will be able to save yourself a lot of money.  You can seek second hand grooming equipment like dog grooming clippers and you can even look for second had grooming tables (although not always needed – it depends on your dog)

Anyway, if you have a dog that requires regular clipping there are lots of books on how to groom a dog. In most cases you will find you have paid for your dog grooming clippers in just two or three cutting and your dog will still love you even if you don’t do the best job the first time around.

If you have a dog that requires regular baths you can even make some of your own grooming supplies like shampoo. You can also find lots of free information on how to clip your own dog’s nails.

If you seek it out it’s basically it’s easy to find information on how to groom a dog and as such learn how to tend to grooming your dog yourself. You will save a great deal of money over the life span of your dog. See our “Economy Dog Care Guide”