How to Groom an Airedale Terrier

To keep your Airedale’s coat in top shape consider grooming your pet at home. It saves you money and allows you to bond better with your pet. Follow these step by step instructions to learn how to groom your Airedale Terrier at home.

Tools:
Slicker brush, steel comb, mat breaker or rake, grooming shears, dog grooming clippers, clipper blades: #9 or #10 and #5 or #7 (with finish blades the same size), toenail clippers, styptic powder, ear cleaner, ear powder, eye cleaner, cotton balls, cotton swabs, ear powder, dog shampoo, towels, blow dryer

1. Comb through the entire coat with the slicker brush, comb and mat splitting tool. Remove all mats from the dog’s coat before bathing.

2. Place a small amount of ear cleaner in the ear canal and remove with cotton balls and swabs along with any dirt. Use the ear drying powder to remove any hair in the ear canal and to dry the ear canal after cleaning.

3. Place a small amount of eye cleaner on a cotton ball and remove any dirt under the eye area.

4. Trim the tips of the toenails off just below the quick with the heavy duty toenail clippers. Don’t forget the dewclaw if the dog has them. Use the styptic powder immediately for any nails clipped too short.

5. Use the shears to remove any fur and mats from between the pads of the dog’s feet.

6. Use the #9 or #10 blade to remove the hair on the face and head according to the pattern shown in illustration one above. Start shaving in the direction of hair growth from between the eyebrows to the base of the skull.
7. Continue shaving from the center of the top of the head to the outer corner of the eye on each side. Then from the inner corner of each eye to the outer corner of the mouth on each side.

8. Lift the dog’s head back and shave in the direction of hair growth from the mid jaw to the breastbone and set the chest pattern as seen in illustration two.

9. Using the same sized blade as you did on the head, remove the hair from the outside of each ear (shaving in the direction of hair growth). Use the shears to scissor the edges of the ears. Shave from the base of each ear diagonally under the jaw to the throat on each side to form a “V” shape at the neck.

10. Using a #9, #7 or #5 blade start at the base of the skull and shave a strip down the back to the tip of the dog’s tail, as seen in the pattern in illustration one. Continue to shave down the sides of the dog to set the pattern. Use a mirror to make sure the sides are even.

11. Shave the dog’s tail then lift it and shave under it with the #9 or #10 blade. Form the wide “V” shape on the back legs as shown in illustration three.

12. Bathe the dog in quality shampoo made specifically for dogs (or whatever your veterinarian recommends).

13. Towel dry the dog in the tub as much as possible. Use a blow dryer or cage dryer to finish drying the dog’s coat.

14. Using a finish blade of the same size as you used on the body earlier go back over all of the shaved areas again to give them a final finished look.

15. Comb through the rest of the fur opposite from the direction of hair growth to fluff it out away from the dog’s body.

16. Use the grooming shears to remove any long hairs from the legs and chest or shorten to your liking. Scissor straight down the dog’s legs to give them a columnar appearance in front.

17. Use the shears to blend in the hair on the top of the foot to the leg. Trim around the edges of each foot for a finished appearance.

18. Use thinning shears to blend in all of the shaved areas into the longer hair.

19. Comb down each side of the snout and under the chin through the beard. Trim away any stray hairs or to the desired length.

20. Comb the eyebrows straight down. Use the scissors to cut a “V” shape between the eyes to separate the brows. Trim the brows to the desired length, angling them from longer at the inner eye to shortest at the outer corner of each eye.

Finish the grooming process with a nice massage for your dog, or just some bonding and petting. Grooming your Airedale is a great way to spend quality time at home with your pet while saving you money in the process.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *