How to Groom Your Dog at Home (Step-by-Step Australian Guide)
Naja Yehia
Dog Love · Adelaide Groomer's Method
How to groom your dog at home, the professional method.
This is the step by step workflow we use in our Adelaide salon, written for owners who already know how to handle their dog and just want to know how a professional does it properly. We are not teaching you what a brush is. We are showing you the exact technique, the exact dilution ratios, and the exact order of operations that separates a real groom from a half done bath at home.
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🐾 Who this is for
This guide is for people who already know how to groom. It assumes you can confidently handle your dog, you understand basic coat behaviour, and your dog comes to the bath already brushed out and free of major mats. If you are brand new to home grooming, start with one of our beginner articles first. This one is the salon level method.
The Numbers That Matter
Dilution ratios, at a glance.
Almost every owner who washes their dog at home uses shampoo and conditioner straight from the bottle. That is the single biggest mistake. Concentrated shampoo does not spread evenly, does not rinse properly, and irritates the skin. Every product you use should be diluted. Here are the exact ratios we use in the salon.
Step 01 of 05
Wash twice, and always dilute.
Wet the coat thoroughly with lukewarm water. Apply your first diluted shampoo (1:10) across the body and lather to clean off the surface dirt, dust, and grease. Rinse it out. Then apply the second diluted shampoo (1:20). This is the treatment pass: whitening, soothing, deodorising, whatever the coat needs. Leave the second shampoo on the coat for two full minutes before you rinse it.
During those two minutes, massage the coat thoroughly. Use your hands, a rubber brush, or a soft bristle brush with pin tip protectors. This is where the work happens. The massage lifts dirt out of the coat, distributes the product evenly, and stimulates circulation in the skin.
🐾 Critical brush warning
If your brush does not have pin tip protection, do not use it on a wet coat. It will scratch the skin no matter what the breed is. Pin protectors are non negotiable. Check every brush in your kit and throw out any that have lost their tips.
For washing the face, switch to a more diluted formula: 1:30. Lather very gently and avoid the eyes. Stronger ratios on the face risk irritation if any product runs into the eyes.
🐾 The ear rule
Avoid water in the ears as much as possible. Never rinse inside the ear canal. Water trapped inside an ear is the fastest way to start a yeast or bacterial infection, especially in floppy eared breeds. Wipe the ear flap and the visible outer ear only. Anything deeper is a vet job, not a bath job.
Step 02 of 05
Condition, also diluted.
Dilute your conditioner to 1:10 and spread it evenly throughout the whole coat. Work it from the skin out to the tips, not just on the surface. Concentrate on the longer feathering and any areas that are prone to dryness or tangling.
Let the conditioner sit for at least five minutes before you rinse. Use this time to massage the coat again, the same way you did during the second shampoo. The combination of dwell time and massage is what makes the conditioner actually work. Rushing this step is why home conditioner never feels as good as a salon finish.
Step 03 of 05
Rinse thoroughly, until there is nothing left.
Rinse the coat with lukewarm water until there is no visible foam anywhere on the dog. Run your hands through the coat as the water flows. If you feel any slipperiness or see any foam, keep going. Pay special attention to:
The tummy
It is the easiest area to miss because the dog is standing on all fours. Get underneath and rinse it properly.
Sanitary area
The groin and around the anus. Residual product trapped here causes irritation, redness, and licking afterwards.
Armpits and chest
Friction zones where product builds up and rinse water often does not reach properly.
Step 04 of 05
Blow dry thoroughly, and finish the coat.
Towel down the bulk of the water first. Then blow dry the coat with a high velocity pet dryer (not a human hair dryer) until there is no moisture left. A damp coat traps bacteria, causes mats to set, and makes everything that follows harder. Dry completely. There is no shortcut here.
While the dog is drying, this is the right moment to do two important finishing tasks.
Eye gunk removal
Use your Dogify kit to gently clean any tear staining or gunk from around the eyes. Eye area cleaning is much easier when the surrounding coat is freshly washed and partially dry.
Tangle removal at 80%
When the coat is about 80% dry, spray any remaining tangles with your Dogify detangling spray and comb them out with your Dogify coat specific comb. Working at 80% dry gives you the slip you need without the coat being so wet that mats tighten.
The right comb for your dog matters. Curly coats need a different comb to silky coats, which need a different comb again to double coats. Match the tool to the coat or you will damage one or both. Browse your Dogify coat care options to find the right kit for your dog's specific coat type.
Step 05 of 05
Clip or deshed, depending on the coat.
Now you have a fully clean, fully dry, fully detangled coat to work with. The last step depends on your dog's coat type and what you are trying to achieve.
If your dog needs clipping
For curly and wavy coats that need a body trim: pick up the blade you normally use and start slowly at the back of the dog, working your way through the whole body in steady, consistent passes. Keep the blade flat against the coat, do not press down, and let the clipper do the work.
This is the part of the guide that genuinely is only for people who already know how to clip. If you have never clipped a dog before, do not learn on your own dog. Book a session with a groomer first and watch.
If your dog does not need clipping
For double coated breeds and any dog where you are not cutting length, this is where you deshed. Use your Dogify kit to clear loose undercoat and finish the coat. Spray with your Dogify deshedding spray when the coat is about 80% dry, work through the coat with the deshedding tool from your kit, then continue drying as normal until there is no moisture left.
Deshedding on a fully dry coat is harder. Deshedding on a wet coat is damaging. The 80% dry window is the right moment, and the spray is what makes it work without damaging the coat.
🐾 What comes after
Once the coat is finished, do the nails, clean the ears (outside only), and check the paw pads. These finishing touches can be done in any order, but they should never be done before the wash and dry. A clean dog is easier to handle, and you can see what you are working with.
Quick Summary
- Wash twice. First shampoo at 1:10 dilution, second shampoo at 1:20, both diluted with water
- Leave the second shampoo on for 2 minutes. Massage with hands, rubber brush, or a soft bristle brush with pin tip protectors
- Brushes without pin tip protectors will scratch the skin. No exceptions, no breeds
- Use 1:30 dilution for facial shampoo. Avoid water in the ears entirely
- Dilute conditioner to 1:10. Spread evenly, leave on for 5 minutes, massage during that time
- Rinse until no foam is visible. Pay special attention to the tummy and sanitary area
- Blow dry thoroughly with a high velocity pet dryer. No moisture left anywhere
- Clean eye gunk and spray detangler at the 80% dry point. Comb out with a coat specific comb
- Either clip (experienced groomers only) or deshed with your Dogify kit and deshedding spray
- Nails, ears, and paws come last, never first
Dog Love · Tranmere, Adelaide
The right products make the method work.
This method depends on having the right shampoo, conditioner, brushes, dryer, and finishing tools. Generic supermarket products do not dilute or rinse properly. Cheap brushes scratch coats. Slow dryers leave damp patches that turn into mats. Get the gear that the professionals use.