Once a dog gets too smelly or shaggy, there’s only one way out: bath time.

Professionals cost a lot of money and aren’t always necessary for maintenance, so youcando this yourself.

You just need to know how to groom your dog the right way, for both of your sakes.

“Remind them that everything is okay,” says New York-based dog groomer Heather Faulds.

Letting your pooch sniff and examine the tools you’ll be using can go a long way.

Doing too much at once is bound to stress your pet out, so take it slow.

Your pet may never look dog show-ready.

Dont stress them out by striving for something unattainable.

Next, the actual grooming process should start with a safe nail clipping and ear cleaning.

Dont stress them out by striving for something unattainable.

Dog grooming takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

Using sharp objects on moving targets can be very dangerous if you dont know what you are doing.

Dogs are unpredictable; you never know what can happen working with live animals, Sacco says.

Wildman says the same thing: Grooming pets at home can be very dangerous as pets are very unpredictable.

They can move without warning which could result in an accident with the scissors or shears.

Make an investment in the tools youre using for this.

There are a ton of specialty products for dog-grooming, some more niche than others.

Sacco even has a phrase that sums this idea up: Humanity before vanity.

Remember to be careful and patient.

A bad haircut is temporary, but a bad experience can stick with your dog forever.

This is especially true before you groom them.

Sacco says she washes each dog twice and makes sure theyre fully dried before trying to cut their fur.

Cleanliness and maintenance are important even when youre not preparing for a big grooming session.

I recommend frequent visits to the groomer for puppies so they learn to trust the groomers.

Dogs that come frequently to the groomers end up loving it and wagging their tails the whole groom.

Thats true for at-home grooming, too.

Tackling these issues often prevents them from getting badandprevents the experience from being scary for your dog.

At home, owners should brush their pets coat daily with the right tool for their fur.

They can also brush their teeth, and keep their nails clipped.