Pupwell’s Luxury Dog Grooming Kit Helps Pups Shed Fur, Not Tears
More grooming, less fight (as long as you use the provided lick mat).
My dog, Moose, loves everyone: the vet, the mailman, my next-door neighbor’s toddler whose intrusive thoughts tell her to pull on my dog’s tail as hard as possible. Moose loves them, tail-pulling and all. The only person my dog does not love? The groomer.
To the untrained eye, one might think our groomer was a kind, gentle lady who gives lots of cuddles and treats as she patiently supports dogs through the grooming process. But my dog knows the truth — she is Beelzebub in the flesh who has come to eat the souls/trim the nails of good boys and girls everywhere.
Now, while I don’t agree with my dog’s sentiments (Rhonda, if you’re reading this, I think you’re a very nice lady), his feelings about going to the groomer have turned it into a very emotionally draining process for all involved. Unfortunately, considering my dog is a long-haired Dachshund who picks up the grime of New York City sidewalks with his low-rider silhouette, I have no choice but to get him groomed pretty frequently. Still, having to put him in the car and drag his shaking body into the pet spa, which he clearly believes is a sacrificial temple, is just not my idea of a fun errand.
Therefore, I started looking into doing more of his grooming upkeep at home, where I thought he might feel more comfortable. But as soon as I began researching, I began to feel very overwhelmed. Not only was purchasing grooming equipment expensive, the equipment felt hazardous in the hands of a non-professional — especially when it came to things like electric razors and nail trimmers. As I dug deeper, I started to miss Rhonda more and more (Moose, not so much) until I finally stumbled upon Pupwellopens in a new tab.
Launched in 2020, Pupwell designed its signature “Ultimate Grooming Kit” with the learning curve in mind. But, before we get into that, let’s get the big thing out of the way: This thing is expensive. However, despite that $350 price tag, the Pupwell kit is careful to err on the side of necessity rather than extravagance. Each kit comes with 14 different grooming tools, all of which work together to cover the holistic experience of dog grooming (i.e., distraction licky mat is included). For beginners, most tools are specific and straightforward: one for ears, one for de-matting, one for nails, etc. And after you have mastered those, you can move onto the specialty shears that will allow you to give your pup some pizazz.
This kit includes it all — except for the secret weapon. That comes separately, in the form of Pupwell’s free grooming education courseopens in a new tab, which teaches you, step by step, how to use the kit. In addition, Pupwell’s mailing list sends you guides and PDFs to help you on your home-grooming journey.
Keep in mind: None of this will make your dog like the process of grooming. But I will say my dog did appear significantly more tolerant of the whole process when it was done in the comfort of his own home. Plus, I believe the owner’s comfortability with the tools, given their ease use and the provided education, translates to pups feeling more comfy during their least favorite activity.
Just don’t forget to use that lick mat.
