Dog Sanitary Trim How-to and Why
Some dogs, like smaller breeds and ones with hair instead of fur can get pee and poop (dingle berries 😉 ) stuck to their private area. Male dogs of short stature often spray on their belly when they don’t squat to pee.
Not only is this gross, but is not sanitary and can lead to odors and the pet waste on your couch, bed and carpet.
Solution – Give Your Dog a Sanitary Cut/Trim
Longer coated dogs hair will grow and grow especially if they have hair and not fur. When the hair/fur around the privates gets trimmed, it is called a “Sanitary Cut” on dogs.
#1 Lemonade – Male/Female Urine on Fur
Also around a dogs penis or vagina the dogs hair can start to get matted when it is too long and then saturated with pee. This can be very irritating and eventually harmful to the dog, so giving your dog a sanitary trim can help keep them cleaner and healthier in between professional groomings, but please learn how to do it safely because these are very tender areas.
#2 Chocolate – Male/Female Feces on Fur
If the hair around their little bums get too long you can start to find poop dangling from their bums, or dingle berries as I like to call them.Using a clipper on a short setting to shave the hair around their sphincter (butt hole) helps tremendously.
Older Dogs, More Problems
Older dogs tend to need a sanitary trim and grooming more than younger dogs as they may get lazier when going to the bathroom.
WHAT YOU NEED – Sanitary Cut for Dogs:
You don’t need a lot to give your dog a Sanitary Cut, though it is a little challenging. Be careful and do not attempt unless you feel comfortable.
Dog Hair Clippers
I recommend Andis clippers if this is something you will be doing monthly and may even try cutting other areas of your pet yourself. There are other cheaper options like this if you only need it every once in a while. Anything like this will work for you.
Recommended Dog Hair Clippers – View or Buy
Less Expensive Dog Clippers – View or Buy
A 10 Blade: Or the equivalent. (Animal blades are different from human hair blades) The length of a pet blade size 10 is 1/16″. This is a perfect length that will last you at least a month, but not too short that it will irritate your pups skin.
Size 10 Dog Blade – View or Buy
Peaceful Well-Lit Environment: Try to do this in a quiet area where there are not any distractions. You want your pup to sit as still as possible. I also recommend putting the smaller dogs up on a table so you have better control and can see easier. Good lighting will also be helpful.
Grooming Table: A grooming table is very helpful when grooming a dog; it definitely helps grooming your dog and with a sanitary trim.
How-To: Sanitary Trim
Once the pup is at a good height for you to see underneath them and in between their legs you can get started.
If they have never had a clipper on them before slowly introduce it to them and give them treats to make it a positive experience. Let them smell it then rub it on them while it is off. Then rub it on them while it is off, not so it will cut the hair but just so they can feel the vibrations and hear the sound.
Lift Those Dog Legs
Lift up one of the back leg and then pull it out so you can see the dogs privates parts. Be sure to go with the dogs body. Don’t pull, yank, or stretch the dogs legs straight out. This is uncomfortable for them.
Now start shaving the inside of the dogs leg. Like the inner thigh area moving towards the dogs privates. Do small strokes and make sure to avoid the loose skin in the dogs tuck up area. This can be cut easily if the clippers go near it.
Repeat the above step on the other side.
Lift the dogs front feet up now and shave lower abdomen of the dog. For male dogs you may want to go a little further up because they tend to pee on their bellies.
Dog Poop, Pee and Dingleberries
If your dog has some dingle berry you will want to clean it off as much as you can, so you can see what you are doing or at least loosen it away from the skin making it easier to shave.
Shaving Dog Bums
Now you want to shave around the butt hole. Start by lifting the dogs tail so you can see. Many dogs instinctual sit down. This can be difficult, so you can ask for help and what they can do is just place their arm on the dogs belly to prevent them from sitting.
If you have no help and your dog is small enough you can put your arm under and then still reach around and lift the dogs tail. Now start shaving with how the hair grows. Small strokes toward the butt hole. Be careful to not actually shave the hole because it can get knicked.
