DIY Dirty Dog Grooming Travel Tips

Our DIY dirty dog grooming travel tips, suitable for beginners, which is also applicable at home or after a muddy dog walk. Hans, my Tri Bordercollie and I explore what works with us while on one of our dog friendly narrowboat holidays.

Unpaid AD: This post also includes honest reviews of Tropiclean products, been sent to test. We have been a lover of their Fresh Breath gel for years.

About twice a year, I'd take my Tri Border collie, Hans, to a local dog groomers to help shed his Winter or Summer coat through the seasons. But, when lockdown kicked in and a nearby dog groomer permanently closed down, we took things into our own hands.

So while we're on a dog-friendly narrowboat holiday, I'm going to talk you through our DIY dog grooming travel tips. But, these also apply to dog grooming at home and what's worked well for us in the past.

*And what's worked well with a previous dog Yorkshire Terrier I had. These are in no way, professional dog groomer's tips - just what works for us, from a sort of beginner's perspective. Nor, will I be touching on clipping dog hair, as each breed is totally different.

DIY Dog Nail Clipping

Anyone who starts trimming a dog's claws will find it a nerve-wracking experience. It's the fear that you'll harm your pet and cut too far. And, I believe dogs can sense if you're nervous.

I'll give you a heads up - I started trimming my Yorkshire Terrier's nails. And by the time I had a Border Collie, he's totally fine with me trimming them.

But, if you leave your dog's nails to get too long, they can snap, bleed, then takes weeks to heel and grow back properly. Unfortunately, I speak from experience.

My Dog Nail Trimming Tips

• I tend to only trim the front claws
• Almost never trim the dewclaw as mine is never that long, but this guide will help you
• Focus on the transparent nails first if your dog has a mix, as you can see, and don't cut to cut into "the quick", which is the skin part
• You can gauge the length of the transparent ones compared
• Only trim 1 or 2mm at a time if unsure
• Use this type of dog nail clippers as Poundland ones tend to be tougher to use, or more suitable for smaller breeds

DIY Dog Brush

I'm going to let you into a shocking secret. I rarely brush my dog's fur. Or wash him. But that is because he's a long-haired Border Collie and almost never gets matted.

Instead, I used this Ancol Ergo shedding blade, which looks similar to a hacksaw. I'll be upfront though - I used to be able to use it with the handle open, like a long blade. But the handle broke and I can now only use it the loop way.

This is an amazing tool for dogs with double coats and sheds my dog's undercoat in seconds. You can watch a video on me using it here.

DIY Dog Teeth Cleaning

Cleaning your dog's teeth at home can be an absolute pain in the bum if you don't get into a good habit with your dog from being a pup.

As mentioned before, I also don't think it helps if you have a nervous disposition. AND, if you start randomly trying to clean a dog's teeth from age 3, this random act can make them put up a fight. See here.

OK - well, it doesn't help to trial lots of products that don't work, either. In the same video link above, you'll see I tried using Kelp too and liver flavoured toothpaste unsuccessfully until I bought some Tropiclean.

Tropiclean Clean Teeth Gel

After a visit to a dog groomers, I noticed they were selling and promoting Tropiclean Fresh Breath gel with some before and after images. But, I saved money, as you do, by buying through Amazon.

I decided to do a 30-day trial Tropiclean review and documented it on YouTube. Hans' plaque started to disappear. Although, a week after the trial, plaque started to break off.

I panicked, thinking Hans' teeth were breaking. But no. And you'll see in the video review, Hans didn't like the minty taste initially. Nor the directions to squirt in his mouth.

Hans preferred the much more tactile approach of my applying to my finger, then me rubbing it on his gums and teeth. And after a week, he started licking it off my finger, seeing it as a treat.

They've since brought out a peanut butter which Hans also likes. But whether he prefers it to the original version, unfortunately, he can't speak.

Other Dog Teeth Cleaning Options

Alternatively, if your dog doesn't enjoy their teeth being cleaned with a brush, Tropiclean has since brought out Dental Wipes.

These are great for easy travel and are textured to help wipe tartar away. However, as with our first ever Tropiclean experience, they're very minty, so your dog may not enjoy them at first.

But, they're less aggressive as a toothbrush. And I always compromise and let Hans sniff the wipe on the floor when using any kind of wipes.

Dog Breath Options

If you're still struggling, could also use water additives to help your dog's breath and plaque at the same time. I particularly like Tropiclean's Fresh Breath drops, as it's a great little travel bottle. Just spray 3 pumps to water for a 12 hour fresh breath, offering 32 servings.

However, if your pet has plaque issues, I personally think a water additive isn't enough alone. We found something like the Fresh Breath water additive alongside the Fresh Breath Gel the perfect combination.

Alternatively, you could also try Tropiclean's Oral Care Foam. Note, Hans was freaked out by the pump and a squirt on my hand first was much better received.

Cleaning Your Dog's Ears

Depending on your dog's breeds, you may need to keep on top of cleaning their ears to prevent infection.

But, one thing Hans loves, is inside his ears being scratched. And he loves to sniff his ear wax, which smells like wet dog, in my opinion.

Tropiclean has launched ear cleaning wipes, which works a treat for travelling as they pick up all sorts of dirt and grass on his many adventures. And they're in a handy-sized pouch.

Alternatively, you can use an ear cleaner and apply in the ear canal. Then massage the base of their ears and wipe clean after 3 minutes.

Although this does work, it was Hans' least favourite experience. He immediately wanted to shake his ears. That was, until he got a good ear massage.

There was some serious doggy soft-eye going on and you can see the dirty dog grooming marks on the wipe!

Using a Tear Stain Remover

I can't really comment on how effective Tropiclean's tear stain remover is, or any other brand, as my dog never suffers from any. But, this may be because I'm always wiping things away from his eyes.

However, he enjoyed the facial part of me dampening his face with a wet cotton wool pad. Then massaging the remover in, before dampening again.

He hung around more for the face massage.

Other DIY Dog Grooming Essentials

Very rarely, I'll need to cut something out of Hans' fur, so a good pair of scissors will help.

Also, we cannot live without a microfibre dog towel for quick drying. Hans is always getting muddy on a walk, or jumping into the canal for a floating tennis ball!

Another thing we've tried on Hans is Tropiclean's Papaya and coconut shampoo. As declared, we only bathe Hans when he's filthy. But what us humans love about it the most, is the natural smell. Hans' coat is soft and fluffy without any fake, overpowering perfume smells.

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