grooming an older dog.

Between-grooms know-how from scruffyboy

Somewhere around the grey muzzle, grooming quietly flips. The young dog barely needed help staying clean and could stand being wrestled; the old dog needs more help (he cleans himself less, sleeps more, misses spots) and can stand much less. The routine does not get abandoned. It gets adapted: gentler, shorter, and a little more often, so no single session asks much of him.

work with the joints, not against them

Most old dogs carry some arthritis, diagnosed or not, and grooming positions that were nothing at three are genuinely painful at thirteen. Let him lie down for as much of it as possible rather than making him stand, do one side at a time with a rest between, keep sessions to a few minutes, and put something non-slip under him for anything involving standing, especially the bath. A dog who suddenly hates having his hips, back end or a particular leg touched is not being difficult; he is reporting pain, and that observation is worth taking to the vet rather than working around.

the coat and skin change under you

Old coats thin, dull and sometimes go greasy or flaky as skin oil production changes, and old skin is thinner, drier and marks more easily. Swap to softer brushes with lighter pressure, and treat the weekly brush as the health check it now is: your hands will find the lumps, bumps and sore spots long before anyone's eyes do. Most lumps on old dogs are harmless fatty nothings, but new ones, changing ones, or anything that bothers him goes on the list for the next vet visit. Map them; you will not remember otherwise.

nails, the sleeper issue

This is the one that catches everyone. Shorter walks and softer ground mean nails stop wearing down just as stiff joints make clicking-long nails a real mobility problem: long nails change how the paw lands, which an arthritic dog pays for with every step. Check them fortnightly, keep them properly short (the vet or groomer will do it in minutes if you would rather not), and while you are down there keep the fur between his pads trimmed so his feet grip the kitchen floor. An old dog who slides on hard floors loses confidence fast, and half the fix is his feet.

bathing an old dog

Less often, warmer, and quicker. He feels cold more than he did, so lukewarm-to-comfortably-warm water, a warm room, and a fast, thorough dry matter more than ever; never leave an old dog damp. Between baths, a waterless clean does most of the work with none of the ordeal, which is exactly the trade an old dog wants. Incontinence dribbles and the general old-dog mustiness respond better to little-and-often spot cleaning than to more baths, and a suddenly strong smell is a symptom to chase, not a hygiene failure.

tell the groomer he's old

If he sees a professional, say it plainly: he is thirteen, he is stiff on the left hip, he cannot stand long. Good groomers adapt everything (support slings, breaks, lying-down work, shorter appointments) and will often suggest a simpler, quicker cut that trades show-ring looks for twenty fewer minutes on the table. Take that trade. At this age the goal is a comfortable dog who feels handled with respect, and grooming, done his way, often becomes something an old dog openly enjoys. It is one-on-one attention from his favourite person, after all.

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scruffyboy makes gentle, quick, no-fuss cleanup gear, which is old-dog gear by another name. Join the list for first dibs, or read the other guides.