Things You'll Need
- Rubber brush
- Bristle brush
- Slicker brush
- Bathtub or
- Large bowl
- Water
- Dog shampoo
- Dog nail clippers
- Cat grooming brush
- Cat shampoo
- Rubber curry
- Dandy brush
- Body brush
- Hoof pick/brush
- Mane comb
- Towel
Instructions
Dog Grooming
Brush your dog's fur to spread its natural oils, remove dead hair and clear away any mats. The type of brush you need to use will depend on the length of your dog's fur and its condition. Choose a rubber brush to loosen dead skin and dirt from the fur. A bristle brush removes dead hair and a slicker brush removes mats and tangles from longer coats. Brush your dog from front to back, making sure that you brush all its fur.
Place your dog in a bathtub or a large bowl if the dog is small. Thoroughly wet its fur, then lather it with a dog shampoo. Start at its back and work your way toward its head. Take care when you are washing its face not to get suds in its eyes. Rinse the dog very well, making sure you do not leave any shampoo in its fur.
Clip your dog's toenails if they are so long that they are beginning to curve. Some dogs do not like this, so be sure to give plenty of treats and praise while you are doing it. Spread the toes apart, isolating one toenail. Use a guillotine-style pair of dog nail clippers to clip the nail at a slight angle at the point just before it starts to curve. Take care to avoid the quick, which for a dog, runs inside its nail. You can see the quick if the dog has white nails, but it is more difficult to see on dogs with black nails.
Cat Grooming
Use a bristle comb or a rubber brush to loosen dirt and to remove dead hair from your cat's coat. While cats groom themselves, regular brushing will keep the skin and fur in even better condition.
Bathe your cat if its coat has gotten excessively oily or if it has gotten into something smelly or dirty. Place the cat inside a bowl or bathtub and wet its fur, taking care to avoid getting water into its ears. Massage a cat shampoo into its fur, again avoiding the ears. Completely rinse the cat shampoo from the fur. Consider using a large cup or a pitcher to wet the cat if it is afraid of the sound of the water running.
Trim your cat's nails if they are so long that they are curling. Outdoor cats generally will not need this, but many indoor cats do not keep their claws as sharp. Press on the pad of a foot so that the claws are revealed. Use a sharp cat nail clipper to clip on an angle at the point just before they start to curve. Avoid the pink quick, which runs through the nail.
Horse Grooming
Brush your horse's coat with a rubber curry using a circular motion. This will loosen dirt that has become trapped beneath the hair. Take care when brushing your horse's legs, as the rubber curry brush can be painful. Do not use this brush on the horse's face.
Use a dandy brush to remove the dirt you loosened with the rubber curry. Perform a flicking motion with the brush against the horse's coat, bringing the brush against the coat and then flicking it upward. This will cause the dirt to come off of the coat and often results in a cloud of dust coming from the horse. Continue this over the areas you just brushed with the rubber curry, avoiding its face.
Brush the body brush over the coat in a smooth motion. This will remove any dirt and dust that is left and will also smooth down the horse's hair after it became fluffed during the previous brushing.
Comb the horse's mane using the mane comb. Do this as you would brush your own hair, using long, gentle strokes. Comb the horse's tail with the dandy brush.
Clean the horse's hooves with the hoof pick and brush. Use the pick like a vegetable peeler and scrape away the top layer of the horse's hoof. Use a gentle motion away from your body to do this. When you have removed the thin top layer, brush any dirt or debris away from the hollow areas of the horse's hoof.