If you read our recent blog about introducing basic grooming routines to your puppy, let’s dive into some of our favorite grooming product picks!
The Puppy Academy student, Fenway!
At our puppy training school in Hermosa Beach, we like to use all-natural and organic products as much as possible, that are safe for a puppy’s sensitive skin, and non-toxic. During our grooming class where we introduce our students to basic handling, brushing, toothbrushing, and nail trimming, these are the products that we use and also recommend to their parents!
If you take a walk down a local pet store or go online, the number of products available is overwhelming! We’re all about reducing the overwhelm when it comes to puppy training but also puppy care! So we put together a simple and concise shopping list recommendation for all your puppy’s grooming needs! Now, it’s easy for you to review, compare, and shop for the next time you plan on grooming your puppy.
Toothbrushes for Your Puppy!
Not sure how to pick the right toothbrush for your puppy? The PenVinoo Dog Toothbrush is a great option for young puppies. Start your puppy off with regular toothbrushing to help them get used to the sensation and motion of the brush, having their mouth handled, and make future teeth cleaning easier for you! And regular tooth brushing will help prevent plaque buildup that hardens into tartar and can cause gum and tooth disease later in life.
Why we recommend it:
It features a dual-sided bristle head with one large brush for your puppy’s larger teeth like canines, and the smaller brush for more detailed brushing. The smaller brush end is a great option for young small puppies with smaller mouths. Paired with a dog-friendly toothpaste these brushes are a great starting option for a new puppy owner and for training your puppy to become familiar with toothbrushing!
Note: Toothpaste is actually not necessary when it comes to brushing your puppy’s teeth. The bristles on the toothbrush work well enough on their own to remove plaque. However, flavored toothpaste makes the process easier as some puppies enjoy the taste!
Pick the Right Brush For Your Puppy!
Depending on your puppy’s breed, research the specific care needs to keep their coats tangle-free, healthy, and clean. Some brushes are specifically designed to handle thick undercoats and long fur that might require de-shedding and regular brushing, while others work best for puppies that have shorter coats and don’t need to be brushed as often. We have a few options that can help you when it comes time to buy a brush for your puppy!
The first is HaloVa Pet Comb, Professional Double Sided Pin & Bristle Bamboo Brush for Dogs
The bristle side on this dual-sided brush is great at removing loose fur or hair, surface dirt, and small tangles. The rounded tip side of the brush helps you go deeper, for long and thick-coated pups, to remove dirt and dander that is trapped in the fur and on the skin, and brush out knots while still comfortable on your puppy’s skin!
Why we recommend it:
If you are just starting to brush your puppy, this is a great choice! The dual-sided brush comes in handy whether you’re just doing light brushing or need to do some detangling. If you’ve never brushed your puppy before, the soft bristles are a great introduction to their first-ever grooming session. Wire-toothed brushes might cause your puppy to feel uncomfortable and risk them not like getting brushed since they can be harsh on their skin.
The second one up is the Glendan Slicker Dog Brush and this is a great option for puppies with shedding coats!
If you have a puppy that is prone to getting mats or tangles and needs a deeper brush, a slicker brush allows you to get closer to their skin! This brush is also suitable for puppies that have long and short coats as it doubles as a massage brush that stimulates the skin for blood circulation!
Why we recommend it:
Since this brush works with both long and short-coated puppies, it’s a great all-around option for most puppy owners.
The bristles are rounded so even if you apply light pressure, they won’t scratch or feel uncomfortable on your puppy’s skin like other slicker brushes can.
Massaging your puppy’s skin also helps to promote more fur or hair growth, removes dander that you can’t get at from the surface level of your puppy’s coat, while also promoting blood circulation which can help avoid certain skin diseases.
Lastly, the Andis Pet Steel Comb is a great lightweight choice for puppies! It gently removes tangles, small mats, and dirt from your puppy’s coat.
Why we recommend it:
On one side of this comb, the teeth are spaced out and offer light detangling and finishing for your pup’s coat! The other side offers a fine-tooth combing option to help get through mats and knots. You can use it in combination with the other brushes or on its own if your puppy doesn’t require heavy brushing and deshedding! All of the teeth on this comb have rounded ends so your puppy won’t feel scratching or any discomfort when being combed.
All-Natural Coat and Skin Care!
Bath time is one subject we get asked about frequently, along with what products to use. We are always on the lookout for our high-grade, all-natural, organic, and non-toxic products that we can trust to be more gentle on a puppy’s sensitive skin, and we’ve found some favorites along the way!
At our school in Hermosa Beach, CA we are on the lookout for high-grade, all-natural, organic, and non-toxic products to use on our students. During the handling and grooming class, we teach our students’ parents how to properly bath their puppies, including providing them with great recommendations to continue grooming care at home!
Our go-to recommendation is the Earthbath 2-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo for puppies!
Nothing can beat the convenience of a co-wash! It’s great for owners that want a quicker and easier bath time by eliminating a step in the process. And it’s just as effective at detangling and conditioning your puppy’s coat!
Why we recommend it:
Product quality is a must when it comes to picking a coat and skincare for our students and for your pups, too! It features plant-derived and coconut-based cleansers, organic aloe vera, and vitamin E.
Plus, this product doesn’t have parabens, dyes, soap, sulfates, phthalates, and alcohol. It’s totally safe, gentle on puppy’s sensitive skin, non-toxic, and best of all, it’s made in the USA and cruelty-free! Oh, and it leaves your puppy smelling amazing!
Since it’s more beneficial to space out your puppy’s bathing schedule (as constant washing can dry out their skin and strip it from its natural oils), you’ll probably be looking for a good in-between solution to keep them looking and smelling fresh!
Also from earthbath, the Puppy Spritz offers that in-between bath refresh to keep your puppy smelling great!
Why we recommend it:
Puppies can’t be bathed too often since it can strip the natural oils of their coat and damage their skin. This spritz deodorizes which means it eliminates bad odor and doesn’t just mask it. And it also works to smooth out small tangles and knots that might occur in between brushing too! Just like its co-wash counterpart, this spritz also is all-natural, organic, non-toxic, and cruelty-free.
Nail-Care for Your Puppy!
Depending on which you select: the nail clippers or nail Dremel, we wanted to give you options that we have found to work well with our students, that has also been easy for their parents to use!
If you are planning to use nail clippers, the CleanHouse Dog Nail Clippers are a great easy-to-use beginner option for new puppy owners.
This is an all-around easy to use tool that works on puppies of any size. If you read our previous blog on introducing nail clipping to your puppy, once your puppy feels comfortable having their paws and nails handled, you can use a nail clipper like this to simply trim off the tips of your puppy’s nails.
Why we recommend it:
There is a safety feature on this clipper that makes it much easier to trim the tips of your puppy’s nails without risking nicking the quick (the nerve in your puppy’s nails). It’s also durable and since it works on puppies of different sizes, this is one tool that will last you and you can continue to use even as your puppy grows up!
Finally the Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Cordless Pet Dog Nail Grooming & Grinding Tool is our second, and probably favorite to recommend to new puppy owners for trimming their pups nails on their own.
For puppy parents that are nervous or just don’t want to risk using a nail clipper, the Dremel is a great option! It’s also very easy to use and instead of clipping, you are simply grinding your puppy’s nails down instead of cutting them. Again, there is a getting used to period that we highly recommend you do with your puppy. Introduce them to the tool and the sound it makes before starting to use it.
Why we recommend it:
We believe puppyhood should be easy so why not use tools that make grooming easy and stressless? Dremels provide you the peace of mind that you won’t accidentally nick your puppy’s nail quick.
Also, they give you the option of speed and strength depending on how much of your puppy’s nail you need to grind down. It’s lightweight and comes with extra grinders, plus its battery powered so you don’t have to worry about dealing with a cord.
Before you go, don’t forget to Pin a copy of our top grooming picks to your puppy Pinterest board! Save it for easy online shopping, directly from our Amazon store, plus check out other products we’ve curated for bringing home a new puppy!
For more puppy care, puppy training, and puppy behavior resources, check out our Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners blog series! And if you need help now with any puppy training concern, join us on Instagram live @thepuppyacademy every Wednesday at 1 pm PT to get your questions answered by our trainers!
Check out these blogs related to puppy training and more!
Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: Grooming Basics for Puppies!
Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: How to Prevent Nipping, Chewing, and Jumping!
Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: Puppy Handling and Harness Tips!