Grooming your dog at home can save time and money that you would have spent in a salon, but it isn’t always easy. The more complex your dog’s needs, the more work you have to do grooming him. No matter what type of dog you have, the basics are generally the same, so make sure that you have the supplies you need before getting started and your dog will be on his way to looking prim and proper.

Brushing and Trimming

While you brush your hair after a shower, you should brush your dog’s fur before his bath. This clears away the dead hair that could otherwise end up in your drain. Also, if your dog has mats in his fur, getting them wet makes them more difficult to remove. Choose a brush suited for your dog’s type of fur — for example, short-haired dogs need soft-bristled brushes — and give him a thorough brushing from head to tail at least once a week, and before every bath.

Bathing Your Dog

According to the ASPCA, you should only bathe your dog once every three months, or as needed in between. This is because dogs produce protective, natural oils that coat their skin and fur, and washing your dog can strip those oils away. Choose a low-foaming dog shampoo and wash your dog in lukewarm water, lathering him according to the shampoo’s instructions. Be careful not to get any in his eyes, ears or mouth — when it’s time to wash his face, use a wet washcloth.

Nail Care

When a dog’s nails get too long, they make it difficult for him to walk — this can even affect his gait and his posture, and leave his paws deformed. When your dog’s nails are long enough to hear tapping the ground when he walks, they need to be trimmed. Use a special pair of canine nail clippers and carefully snip the tips, being careful not to cut through the visible vein running into the nail. If you cut this vein, called the quick, apply styptic powder to the cut to stop the bleeding. Not all dogs like having their nails trimmed, especially if this is your first time, so save it for when he’s tired and relaxed. If he resists, don’t force him to undergo all four paws at once — you may have to do a few nails at a time until he gets used to it.

Other Considerations

Your dog’s breed determines the other factors you may need to consider before starting to groom him yourself. For example, pugs and other dogs with facial folds need to have them cleaned out at least once a week. Dogs with large ears, like basset hounds, need to have their ears cleaned out once a week. Ask your veterinarian if your dog has any special needs like these, so you can incorporate them into your new grooming regimen.

Crock-Pot dog food is easy and convenient to make for you, inexpensive for your pocketbook and good for your dog — so much so that it could be called the lazy man’s way to a happy and healthy pet.

Cook’s Duties

Put it in, turn it on and walk away — just walk away. That’s all there is to it. No stirring, no clock watching. The hardest part is deciding what to put into your slow cooker. The combination of meats, vegetables and grains is entirely up to you, but your pup is sure to love chicken, brown rice and carrots or ground beef, oatmeal and chopped spinach. Once you explore the range of suitable and available foods, neither you nor your dog will ever find puppy supper boring again.

Control

Homemade dog food gives you complete control of what your dog eats, and it’s up to you to see that he gets a balanced diet. That means considering the ratio of ingredients, as well as that of calcium to potassium. The former is easily satisfied by a 1:1:1 ratio (or the Rule of Thirds — one part meat to one part veg to one part grain), and the second by feeding bones. With long, slow hours in a Crock-Pot, you can cook poultry bones until they disintegrate and become one with the food, thereby supplementing your dog’s calcium intake.

Convenience

It doesn’t get much more convenient than homemade dog food in a slow cooker. It means no labels to read, impossible names to pronounce or heavy bags of kibble to lug from the store to the car to the house. It also means no slaving over a hot stove. The dog’s dinner can perk along all night, while you and he pound your respective pillows. It can also simmer while you’re at work or out shopping; just put the pot somewhere Snoopy can’t possibly get to it, as he may not be able to resist the enticing aroma. Recipes are plentiful and easy to find, and you can let your creative inclinations run riot (as long as you stay within his dietary needs).

Costs

Homemade dog food doesn’t have to break your food budget. Not all the ingredients you put into your dog’s dinner need to be what you would serve company. Check with the produce man at your grocery store or farmer’s market about a price break on vegetables that are a little too tired to be on display — the dog will neither know nor care if the carrots are limp; dogs approach food with their noses, not their eyes. Grow your own veggies. Look over the meat displays at your local mega mart for special labels that mean reduced price. Check your freezer for freezer-burned meats. If you have hunters as friends, they may have some game they’d like to get rid of to make room in their freezer for this year’s bag. Rolled oats, whole barley and brown rice are downright cheap.