Grooming your dog at home: coat, skin, nails and ears

A bit of regular grooming keeps your dog comfortable, helps you spot problems early, and — let's be honest — makes them a lot nicer to have on the couch. You don't need to be a professional; most of it is a simple routine you can do at home. Here's the plain-English rundown.

Why it's worth doing

Grooming isn't just about looks. Running your hands and a brush over your dog every week gives you a regular chance to notice a lump, a sore patch, a grass seed or a flea before it becomes a real problem. It helps keep the coat clean and manageable, and for most dogs it's a bit of quiet bonding time too.

Know your dog's coat

How often you groom, and with what, depends on the coat:

• Short, smooth coats — low-maintenance; a regular brush keeps loose hair and skin flakes down.
• Double coats (a soft undercoat under a coarser topcoat) — shed a lot, especially at change of season, and need more frequent brushing to stop the undercoat matting.
• Long coats — tangle and mat easily, so they usually need brushing every day or two.
• Curly or wavy coats — knot easily and often need regular clipping as well as brushing.

Brushing

Brushing is the workhorse of home grooming. It lifts out loose hair and dirt, spreads the skin's natural oils through the coat, and stops mats forming. Use a brush suited to your dog's coat, work gently in the direction the hair grows, and take extra care around the belly, legs and any sensitive spots. A calm few minutes a few times a week beats a big wrestling match once a month. New to it? Our bathing and deshedding guides go deeper.

Bathing

Bathing needs vary; bathing too frequently or using unsuitable products can dry or irritate the skin. A few pointers:

• Only bathe when your dog is actually dirty or smelly, not on a rigid schedule.
• Use a dog shampoo, never human shampoo — a dog's skin has a different pH and human products can irritate it.
• Use lukewarm water, lather gently, and rinse thoroughly so no shampoo residue remains.

Nails

Nails that are too long are uncomfortable and can change the way a dog walks. A rough sign they're overdue: you can hear them clicking on hard floors, or the nails touch the ground when your dog is standing. Trimming takes a careful hand — cut too far and it hurts and bleeds — so if you're not confident, there's no shame in having a groomer or vet do it (and show you how). Go slow, little and often.

Ears and eyes

Regular checks can help you notice changes from your dog's normal. Wipe only the part of the ear you can easily see with a soft, damp cloth — never poke anything down the ear canal. Book a vet visit if you notice redness, swelling, a lot of dark wax, a bad smell, or your dog shaking its head or pawing at an ear; and for any eye discharge, cloudiness or redness.

When to call in a pro

• A groomer — for a coat that's heavily matted, or a clip you're not set up to do at home.
• Your vet — for any skin that's red, raw, smelly or not settling (see itchy or flaky skin), ear trouble, or nails you're worried about.

One thing grooming won't fix is parasites — fleas, ticks and worms are their own job, and we cover them in our guide to fleas, ticks and worms.

At Tidbit: our Grooming range has the basics — a shampoo like Fido’s Everyday Shampoo, a ZeeZ slicker brush and a nail clipper. Match the tools to your dog’s coat.

Related guides

• How often should you bathe a dog?
• Deshedding: how to manage a dog that sheds
• Itchy or flaky skin in dogs: signs to watch and when to see a vet

Sources reviewed 12 August 2026. This guide is general information, is AI-assisted and human-edited, and is not a substitute for individual veterinary advice. For skin, ear or nail problems, or anything that isn't settling, see your vet. Read our editorial policy.