On average, dog owners spend about $1,641 a year on their dogs. This includes things such as veterinary care, food, boarding, and grooming.
While some expenses are inevitable such as veterinary care and food, others such as grooming appointments can be more sporadic.
If you want to learn how to keep your clean dog clean in between grooming appointments, you came to the right place.
Read on to learn how.
Brush Your Dog Consistently
Consistently brushing your dog is one of the best ways to ensure they stay clean in between grooming appointments, especially if your dog has a longer coat. If you brush your dog a couple of times a week, you will be able to keep their coats shiny and free from mats and tangles.
Brushing your dog can also help prevent excess shedding, which will give the dog a clean coat appearance in between baths.
Cover Up Furniture and Dog Beds
A dog only stays as clean as the areas where he spends most of this time. If your clean dog goes to sleep on a dirty bed, it’s only a matter of time before the dog starts rolling around and gets dirty as well.
We know that washing dog beds is more trouble than it’s worth. In order to save yourself from doing all that work, you should cover up dog beds and furniture with old bed sheets.
It’s easy to throw those sheets in the washer and replace then as often as once a week. If your dog lays down on clean surfaces, he will stay clean longer.
Bring Out the Dry Shampoo
Depending on the type of coat your dog has, he might start to have a strong odor the longer he goes without a bath. Other dogs have hair instead of fur, which means it can have a greasy appearance.
If you notice your dog is a little stinky but it’s not time to take him grooming, try using dry shampoo instead.
Dry shampoo is the perfect solution because it helps get rid of smells and absorbs the natural oils from your dog’s coat.
There’s also a dry shampoo formula you can do at home with ingredients from your kitchen. Simply take a few tablespoons of cornstarch and mix it with a few tablespoons of baking soda. Massage it on your dog in between baths to freshen up their coat.
Use Rugs or Towels in Doorways
If your dog has access to your back yard via a doggy door, you never know exactly how much dirt or mud he will drag in when you’re not looking. To prevent your dog from dragging mud or dirt everywhere, you should place a rug or a towel need the doorways of your home.
This way your dog can quickly clean himself before coming back inside.
Clean Them with Wet Wipes
If your dog drags too much dirt on this paws, wet wipes are the best way to clean them up without having to give him a bath.
Even if you keep a close eye on your dog, they still like to chase small animals, dig, or roll around in the dirt. By keeping dog wet wipes around you can give them a quick wipe down when you return from a walk or the park.
Keep Their Ears Clean
It’s not only important to keep their coats, paws, and rear clean between baths, you also have to take care of your dog’s ears. Since most dogs have floppy ears, you don’t know all of the humidity, dust, or grime that can hide out in there.
If you don’t remove the excess build-up, the ears can start to grow yeast and you will smell it from several feet away.
In between grooming appointments, take dog ear wipes or drops to clean out their ears. You can do it about once a week or when necessary depending on the type of ear.
Freshen Them Up with a Spray
As we mentioned, some dogs smell sooner in between grooming appointments. If you already tried dry shampoo or wiping them down and an unpleasant smell still lingers around, It might be time to try a freshening spray.
Think of freshening spray as perfume for dogs, except it will absorb odors and leave them smelling fresh.
Limit Their Water Contact
Although some dogs are naturally attracted to the water, it’s important you limit their contact with water if you want to keep them clean in between grooming appointments.
When dogs are around water, there’s a fair chance they will always be around dirt. Dirt and water will equal a muddy dog, which will be extremely difficult to clean once the dog has dried out.
Aside from dealing with mud, if your dog is around water, you also have to deal with the wet dog smell.
Don’t Forget the Anal Glands
All dogs have a pair of sacks in the anal opening known as anal glands. The glands secrete naturally when your dog defecates, but when they get too full or blocked, they will develop a strong smell.
In order to prevent your dog’s anal glands from becoming an issue, make sure the groomer expresses the glands every time your dog gets groomed. If you don’t get your dog groomed that often, you could learn to do it yourself.
Oral Hygiene Matters
Even if you keep your dog clean between grooming appointments, you cannot ignore their oral health. Similar to humans, bacteria can accumulate in your dog’s mouth leading to plaque, dental and gum disease, and bad breath.
There are a few things you can do to keep your dog’s teeth clean such as brushing them regularly or giving them a dental stick. Some people even add fluoride to their water to prevent plaque from forming.
How to Keep Your Clean Dog Clean
Follow these tips and you can keep your clean dog clean between appointments. Don’t forget to keep their bedding clean, use dry shampoo, clean their ears, and use wet wipes.
Want to learn how to ease your dog during bath time? Check out this article.
