Nails, Ears, Teeth and Eyes: The At-Home Care Most Owners Skip
Most owners think of grooming as the six-to-eight-weekly trip to the groomer, but a lot of what keeps a dog comfortable and healthy happens in between, at home. None of it is difficult, and a few minutes a week prevents the painful nails, sore ears and dental disease that a groom alone will not fix. Here is the maintenance worth building into your routine.
Nails: little and often
If you can hear your dog's nails clicking on hard floors, they are too long. Overgrown nails are not just noisy — they push the toes out of position, make walking uncomfortable, and can eventually curl into the pad. The trick is little and often: taking the very tips off every week or two keeps the quick (the blood vessel inside the nail) receding, so the nails stay naturally shorter.
Clippers are quicker; a rotary grinder is more forgiving if you are nervous about the quick, especially on dark nails where you cannot see it. Whichever you use, take only a small amount at a time, and if you do catch the quick, a little styptic powder stops the bleeding. If your dog hates having its feet handled, this is exactly where the at-home handling practice pays off.
Ears: check weekly, clean only when needed
Give the ears a quick look and sniff each week. Healthy ears are pale pink and nearly odourless; redness, a yeasty or sour smell, dark discharge, or constant scratching and head-shaking all point to an infection that needs a vet, not just a clean. Floppy-eared and hairy-eared breeds — spaniels, doodles, poodles — trap moisture and are the most prone.
When the ears are healthy, clean them only when they actually need it, using a proper dog ear cleaner on a cotton pad — never push a cotton bud down into the canal. Over-cleaning a healthy ear irritates it and can cause the very problem you are trying to avoid. In our humid climate, drying the ears after swimming or a bath goes a long way.
Eyes and tear stains
Wipe away any gunk from the corners of the eyes with a damp cloth, working from the inner corner outward, and keep the hair around the eyes trimmed so it does not poke or irritate. Light-coloured breeds often develop reddish-brown tear stains; these are usually cosmetic, but a sudden increase in tearing, squinting or a cloudy eye is worth a vet check.
Flat-faced breeds such as Pugs and French Bulldogs have shallow eye sockets and prominent eyes, so they need their facial folds kept clean and dry and their eyes watched more closely for irritation.
Teeth: the most skipped job of all
Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in dogs, and no groomer can fix it for you — it is an at-home job. Brushing a few times a week (ideally daily) with a dog-specific toothpaste is by far the most effective thing you can do; human toothpaste is toxic to dogs, so never use it. Dental chews and vet-approved additives help, but they do not replace brushing.
Introduce it gradually: let your dog taste the toothpaste, then rub it on the teeth with a finger or a soft brush, building up over time. Bad breath, red or bleeding gums, or reluctance to chew are signs the teeth need a vet's attention.
Brushing between grooms by coat type
Regular brushing is not just cosmetic: it is when you find ticks, grass seeds, lumps and skin problems early, and it is the single biggest thing that keeps grooming bills down by preventing the matting that forces a shave-down.
- Curly and wool coats (poodles, doodles): brush and comb every one to two days — these coats mat fastest, and line brushing to the skin is what prevents a shave-down.
- Double coats (Labradors, Huskies, Golden Retrievers): brush a few times a week, more during the big seasonal shed, using an undercoat rake to clear dead fluff.
- Long single coats (Shih Tzu, Maltese): brush daily to prevent tangles, paying attention to friction spots behind the ears and under the legs.
- Short coats (Staffies, Beagles): a weekly once-over with a rubber curry brush removes loose hair and spreads skin oils — quick, but still worth doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I cut my dog's nails?
As a rule of thumb, if you can hear clicking on hard floors they are too long. Taking just the tips off every one to two weeks keeps the quick receding and the nails naturally short, which is far easier on both of you than occasional big trims. A grinder is more forgiving than clippers on dark nails.
Should I clean my dog's ears regularly?
Check them weekly, but only clean when they need it. A healthy ear is pale and almost odourless; clean it with a proper dog ear cleaner on a cotton pad and never push a cotton bud into the canal. Over-cleaning a healthy ear causes irritation. Redness, smell or constant scratching means a vet visit, not just a clean.
Do I really need to brush my dog's teeth?
Yes — dental disease is one of the most common problems in dogs and cannot be fixed by a groomer. Brushing a few times a week with dog toothpaste (never human toothpaste, which is toxic to dogs) is the most effective prevention. Chews and additives help but do not replace brushing.