Giving your dog — especially a large dog — a home groom doesn’t have to be a circus. Believe it or not, you can brush and bathe your dog without the chasing, wrestling, struggling, and ending up like you just sat in the front row of the Shamu show at Sea World.
I am VERY excited to introduce you to the Groomie. This device was invented by an engineer who loves his dog but hates the house full of hair that comes with it. The Groomie is a brush that attaches to your vacuum cleaner’s hose. As you brush your dog, the vacuum sucks the loose hair away. The Groomie can also be used on furniture to remove pet hair from the fabric. If your dog isn’t a fan of the vacuum, this might not be the tool for you… but if your pup can tolerate the noise, he might love the experience of the Groomie.
A grooming aid I am planning to invest in is some sort of bathing restraint. Moose is a handful and a half when he’s in the tub! A pair of bathing tethers will free up both my hands to scrub, rather than holding him with one and washing with the other. One end of the line is attached to a powerful suction cup that sticks to the tub or wall. The other end clips to your dog’s collar. Once I slap these on the Moose monster… he’s not going anywhere during bath time. I may still end up soaked, but that’s half the fun of bath time.
If you are bathing your pups at home, you may want to invest in a plastic or mesh snare for your drains — catch the hair before it swirls away with the water and causes a clog in your plumbing.
There are lots of neat gadgets out there to make bath time and brushing easy and enjoyable for you and your pets!