How do you groom a beagle?

Beagles, with their nice short hair and smaller size, are easy to groom. A basic grooming regimen including brushing their teeth, trimming their nails, bathing, brushing their coat, cleaning their ears, and caring for their paws and nose. You don’t need to do all of these in one go as it would take so much time. Here’s a guide on how to do and how often you need to do each grooming task.

Brushing the teeth

Start by getting your Beagle used to the taste of his toothpaste. Put a small amount on your fingertip and let him taste it. Do this for a couple of days then put the toothpaste on his toothbrush. Just let him taste it and get used to it. You can gradually start brushing his teeth as he gets used to the taste of the toothpaste and the feel of the toothbrush in his mouth. Brush your Beagle’s teeth from the front to the back to make sure that you’ve cleaned them all the way and avoid plaque buildup.

Trimming the nails

Cut your Beagle’s nails regularly. You can do this once every 2 weeks. Don’t allow their nails to get long as it could hurt them when they move around. Use a dog nail clipper when cutting your Beagle’s nails. Make sure you do this when he is calm or tired from exercise so that he won’t move around that much. Firmly hold your dog’s paw and give it a gentle squeeze to extend his nails. Cut his nails below the quick at a 45-degree angle. You can cut a small portion at a time until you get used to it. Be careful not to clip the quick as it will cause bleeding but it happens, just put styptic powder to stop it from bleeding.

Brushing their coat

Brush your Beagle’s coat often to maintain a healthy coat. It also helps remove dirt and dead hair. Brushing will also spread their body oils evenly across their skin and promotes better blood flow. Do this with long strokes in the direction where his furs grow. Be gentle but make sure the strokes are deep enough to be able to spread his body oils all over his skin.

Taking a bath

With their short coats, Beagles resist dirt and stay clean most of the time making them low maintenance when it comes to grooming and giving a bath. You can bathe him once every 3 weeks just to make sure that you rid him of dirt, oils, and dead hair that have accumulated on his body. You will need dog shampoo, dog conditioner, bath brush, cotton balls, washcloths, and a soft towel. Before bathing him, brush his coat to remove all the dead hair. Put cotton balls on his ears to make sure that water won’t go inside. Prepare the water – it shouldn’t be too cold or too hot. Then pour water on his coat. Once he’s soaked with water, massage the shampoo all over his fur. You can use a bath brush to reach every layer of his coat. Put a small amount of shampoo on a washcloth and gently clean his head, face, and neck taking care not to touch his eyes. Use another washcloth to clean his underbelly and genitals. Once you’ve covered everything, rinse him thoroughly. If you want, you can apply a dog conditioner all over his coat after rinsing. Leave it on for 3 to 5 minutes then give him a final rinse. Run your fingers through his coat to make sure that there’s no more conditioner left. Use a soft towel to dry him off or you can also use a hairdryer. Take off the cotton balls from his ears and he’s done!

Cleaning the ears

Your Beagle’s long and floppy ears make them vulnerable to infection as they block the airflow to the ears. Make sure you clean their ears at least once a week. Apply a few drops of dog ear cleaner on a clean piece of cotton and gently remove the dirt or wax inside his ears.

Paw and Nose Care

Check your Beagle’s paws regularly for any sign of injury. You can apply paw wax every other day to moisturize his paw pads and prevent cracks and dryness. Likewise, you can use a nose balm to keep your Beagle’s nose moist all the time.

Grooming your pet is essential for keeping him healthy. It keeps your dog away from various infections and diseases. Of course, you can always take your pet to the groomers but it’s more cost-effective if you do it yourself. It also enhances the bond between you and your pet as you spend quality time grooming him from head to toe.