What do I need to groom my dog at home.

What you need to groom your dog at home will depend on what type of dog you have. As well as how much you want to do at home. Do you want to just do touch ups and baths while taking fluffy in to the groomer to have the full haircut done? Do you want to do it all your self? I will lay out a general guide line of products that are useful. If you want to you can leave a comment and tell me your dogs breed and what you want to accomplish with his groom and I can give you a more detailed list.

For basic bathing you will need a good shampoo an oatmeal is a good choice, conditioner maybe used if the dog needs it.  (if you have a dog that has "Hair" ie. shihtzu you will want to be cautious of conditioners they can weigh down the coat and leave your puppy oily) Most dogs will do fine with just a oatmeal shampoo, but if your dog has yeast issues go for a hypo allergenic type shampoo. Oatmeal will have sugars that will feed the yeast and may lead to a yeast bloom. When to use a conditioner, if you need to loosen a dogs coat (double coated breeds) or if your dogs coat is very dry. If your dog has dry skin you need to get to the source of the dry skin, using shampoos and conditioners won't do much to fix the problem.  It will be helpful to get some tub restraints like the ones pictured below. 

The suction cup can be used on any tub. You can use any grooming loop or a kennel lead ( you see these at vet clinics for your use if you have no leash) the advantage to the ones above is that they don't get wet, they are durable and they are easy you just slip over Fluffy's neck and clip on the suction cup.
Have your towels ready and with in reach there is no need to have special mirco fiber towels a few old ones will do the job. If you dont have a double coated dog you can get away with drying them with your hair dryer or a small pet dryer Like the one on the left below. If you have a double coated dog or one that sheds like crazy you will need to invest in a good forced air/high velocity dryer like the blue one in the center. They are pricy at $300-$400 but so worth it. If you have a Samoyed, Husky or other equally hairy breed you will spend anywhere from $50-$120 on a single groom. This dryer will pay for it self in no time.  That is it for bathing. After bath will come in the next post.

Les Pooches Brushes

These are very pricey brushes they start at around $50 all the way up to $100. If you are a groomer you can get the whole sale price and a discount for ordering multiples ( contacted the company about pricing I talked to Marie she is super nice and informative). I found out about this brush from a co-groomer during a competition. He said that they are worth every penny. They cut his brush out time in half and they last longer then regular slicker brushes(so they end up being around the same price). I have found that they do cut your brush out time significantly and with little effort on your part. I used them to brush out a newfie and it was amazing how fast it went and he looked beautiful after. He looked so fluffy I have never gotten him to look so nice after his groom. I also was impressed by the matt-zapper. I used it on a matted tail I didn't have to split the mats I just brushed them out. Normally I would have split them and taking my thinning shears to this type of mat and then still had to brush out a ton of hair. I have four different types. They each work for different coat types.
The company suggests these brushes: 1 emergency matt brush ( for matts only), 1 pro-brush (f/f) for the wiery and doubble coated breeds, 1 pro-brush (m/ms) for the whimpy dogs, and 1 finishing brush firm, for "spider matts" on shitzu type coats , deshedding all breeds, and pulling coats straight on poodles and bishons.
If I were you I would spend the money on the wide brushes. I got two wides and two regulars now I wish I would have gotten all wides. The regulars are so small I would normally use this small of a brush on a super tiny dog or on faces. It is well worth the extra $10-$15 to get the wide ones. 

JW Slicker Brushes and Combs

When I first started grooming I bought all JW products. They had a different design back then, The handles were not molded into the hold brush. They had a rubber cover over the handle. Which did fall off after a few years. Over all they are a good product and I still have a comb that I started out with. The slicker brushes also lasted quite a while. They start out at around $5-$6 and the price goes up slightly depending on your size and comb or brush choice. I feel this is a ok brush for the professional ( Better brushed do exist ) and a good choice for a non professional just looking for a good brush for fluffy.

Master Grooming Tools Ergonomic Slicker Brush

• Ergonomic handles that keep your hand in a natural position to prevent fatigue and repetitive motion injury
• Handles molded and double-coated with rubber to fit your hand perfectly and provide greater control
• Strong and durable construction, yet light enough to glide through tough grooming jobs

• Ideal for brush-outs and mat removal                

These Brushes are priced around $4-$6.  They are nice while they work, for getting out mats and under coat. I find that they break pretty fast, the plastic piece where the pins are pulls out from the casing. You also have to be cautious of brush burn the pins are scratchy/sharp. They do have a life time Guarantee but that just covers defects, so I am not sure if the problems that this brush has would be covered.

Top Performance Professional Shear Case

Material:
      Custom-designed Aluminum
      Padded Interior with Elasticized Holders
Size: Measures 12"L x 8 3/4"W x 2"H

I would save your money on this one. I have had it for around a year and really have not used it that much. It started to fall apart about four months in. The elastic pieces will not hold up to regular use. It is priced around $16 so once again you get what you pay for. 

B-Air Bear Power Pet Grooming Dryer

Air Volume 131 CFM
Air Speed: 24,500/30,000 FPM
Heat: No (room temperature)
Motor: 2 HP (2-Speed)
Amps: 7.4
Watts: 850
Volts: 115
Dimensions: 12"L x 7"W x 9 1/2"H
Product Weight: This dryer weighs approximately 10 lbs.

This is a great little dryer for touch ups or small single coated dogs. If you have a double coated dog this will not work for blowing coat. I use this mostly for Shih-tzus type dogs and it works well for that. I have had this for around three or four years and its still working great. It is a great price at $99. 

Oster Blue Titanium 26 Tooth Blender Shear

I have had no luck with this type of shear. This brand was my first attempt at using them. I got them at a show for half price($100 or $150 I cant remember). They caught right away I think I got three or four strokes in before it happened. I asked my friend who had a pair just like it (and liked them) if it happened to her. She said yes but her sharpener claimed he could fix this problem for good. I never got around to sending them to him and decided to sell them. Another friend bought them for $50 and had the same trouble even after they were "fixed". She did send them in to Ryan's Pet Supplies sharping guys to give it one last try and low and behold they fixed them for her! They just replaced the screw. She has reported that she loves them now.