BlogBook
Book OnlineText for a Quote
The American Puppy Blog

Dog care, grooming tips
& pet expertise

Expert advice from our certified canine nutrition team in St. Charles, MO — because your dog deserves the best.

95
Articles
5
Topics
7
Min Avg
Filter by topic
02

Top 10 Must-Reads

Top 10

The articles fellow dog parents can't stop clicking.

1Grooming TipsCan You Brush Your Dog Too Much? Where the Line Sits, Coat by Coat2Grooming TipsGrooming a Dog's Tail: The Mats Start Underneath, and the Wag Makes the Rest Harder3SeasonalYour Muddy Dog at the Back Door: Rinse It Off, or Let It Dry?4Dog GroomingBernedoodle Grooming: It's the Size, Not Just the Coat, That Sets the Schedule5Dog GroomingSchnauzer Grooming: The Pattern Is Fixed, So Your Real Choice Is How Much Furnishing to Keep6SeasonalDoes Your Dog Need a Winter Coat? Start With the One He's Already Wearing7SeasonalBathing Your Dog in Winter: Plan It Around the Drying, Not the Calendar8SeasonalThe Last Short Cut of the Year: How Short to Go Before Winter9Dog GroomingBichon Frise Grooming: The Round Shape Is Scissor Work, and the Coat Has to Hold It Up10Dog GroomingYorkie Grooming: The Coat Can Only Carry So Much Length

Dog Grooming · Canine Nutrition · Grooming Tips · Cat Care · Seasonal

04

Dog Grooming

40 Reads

Schedules, breeds, and what we wish every owner knew.

Dog Grooming8 min read

Bernedoodle Grooming: It's the Size, Not Just the Coat, That Sets the Schedule

Dog Grooming8 min read

Schnauzer Grooming: The Pattern Is Fixed, So Your Real Choice Is How Much Furnishing to Keep

Dog Grooming8 min read

Bichon Frise Grooming: The Round Shape Is Scissor Work, and the Coat Has to Hold It Up

Dog Grooming8 min read

Yorkie Grooming: The Coat Can Only Carry So Much Length

Dog Grooming8 min read

Goldendoodle Haircuts: Pick for the Coat Your Dog Got, Not the Breed Name

Dog Grooming8 min read

Poodle Grooming Styles: You're Picking an Upkeep Schedule, Not a Look

Dog Grooming8 min read

Shih Tzu Grooming: The Coat That Doesn't Shed Is the One That Mats

Dog Grooming8 min read

Stress Shedding in Dogs: Why a Nervous Dog Leaves Fur Everywhere

Dog Grooming8 min read

The Fluff Dry: Why Some Dogs Leave the Groomer Twice the Size (and Some Leave Smaller)

Dog Grooming8 min read

Your Dog's Coat Changed Color This Summer: Fading, Staining, or Just Old Hair?

Dog Grooming8 min read

Why Your Dog's Coat Came Back Different After a Short Cut

Dog Grooming10 min read

Cutting Your Dog's Hair at Home: What Works, What Goes Wrong, and How to Decide

Dog Grooming9 min read

Before You Pick the Dog, Pick the Coat: What Each Dog Coat Type Asks of You

Dog Grooming9 min read

Your Dog Hates Having Their Paws Touched: How to Work On It at Home

Dog Grooming9 min read

The Doodle Beard: Why It's Always Wet, and How to Decide How Short to Go

Dog Grooming8 min read

Lawn Treatment Season: What Your Dog's Coat and Paws Pick Up

Dog Grooming8 min read

Bathing Your Dog After Flea Treatment: How Long to Wait, and How to Time It

Dog Grooming9 min read

Dog Teeth Cleaning: What a Groomer Can Do, What Only Your Vet Can, and What “Anesthesia-Free” Really Means

Dog Grooming8 min read

Your Dog's Feathering: Trim It, Tidy It, or Leave It?

Dog Grooming7 min read

Your Dog Is Matted: Brush It Out, or Clip It Short?

Dog Grooming7 min read

Hair in Your Dog's Eyes: Trim It, Tie It Up, or Leave It?

Dog Grooming8 min read

Hair Between Your Dog's Paw Pads: What It Does, and How to Decide About Trimming It

Dog Grooming8 min read

What a “Puppy Cut” Means: How to Ask for the Dog Haircut You Want

Dog Grooming8 min read

Dog Dandruff: What Those White Flakes Mean

Dog Grooming10 min read

Your Newly Adopted Dog's First Groom: What to Know Before You Book

Dog Grooming8 min read

Bathing Your Dog at Home: Why Brushing First Matters More Than the Shampoo

Dog Grooming9 min read

Puppy Coat Change: Why Your Puppy Suddenly Started Matting

Dog Grooming8 min read

Dog Skin Fold Care: Wrinkles, Humidity, and the Dogs Who Need It Most

Dog Grooming6 min read

Checking Your Dog for Lumps and Bumps: An Owner's Guide

Dog Grooming6 min read

Short-Haired Dogs Still Need Professional Grooming — Here's What a Groom Covers

Dog Grooming6 min read

How Much Does Dog Grooming Really Cost?

Dog Grooming6 min read

Anal Gland Expression in Dogs: What It Is and When Your Dog Needs It

Dog Grooming7 min read

Grooming Senior Dogs: How We Adjust the Table, the Pace, and the Handling

Dog Grooming6 min read

How Often Should You Really Groom Your Dog? A Breed-by-Breed Guide

Dog Grooming4 min read

7 Signs Your Dog Needs Grooming (And When It's Urgent)

Dog Grooming5 min read

Puppy's First Groom: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Dog Grooming7 min read

What Makes a Great Dog Groomer? 8 Things to Look For

Dog Grooming5 min read

The Right Dog Shampoo for Every Coat Type

Dog Grooming7 min read

Grooming Anxiety in Dogs: How We Help Nervous Pups Feel Safe

Dog Grooming5 min read

Why Quality Over Quantity Is Our Core Grooming Philosophy

05

Canine Nutrition

10 Reads

Real food, real science — certified by our team.

Canine Nutrition8 min read

Can Dogs Eat Eggs? Yes — but the Raw-Egg-for-a-Shiny-Coat Advice Needs a Rewrite

Canine Nutrition7 min read

Can Dogs Eat Cheese? Yes, Mostly — and Where It Goes Wrong

Canine Nutrition8 min read

Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter? Yes — With One Ingredient You Have to Rule Out First

Canine Nutrition6 min read

Can Dogs Eat Chocolate? No — Here's What It Does, and What to Do Tonight

Canine Nutrition7 min read

Can Dogs Eat Grapes? No — Here's Why, and What to Do If Your Dog Just Ate One

Canine Nutrition6 min read

What Your Dog's Coat Is Telling You About Their Diet

Canine Nutrition5 min read

Omega-3s for Dogs: Why This Supplement Changes Everything

Canine Nutrition9 min read

Grain-Free vs. Grain-Inclusive Dog Food: What the Science Says

Canine Nutrition6 min read

How to Read a Dog Food Label: What the Marketing Does Not Tell You

Canine Nutrition4 min read

The Best Products We Use on Blue and Belle

06

Grooming Tips

14 Reads

Small things that make a big difference between visits.

Grooming Tips8 min read

Can You Brush Your Dog Too Much? Where the Line Sits, Coat by Coat

Grooming Tips7 min read

Grooming a Dog's Tail: The Mats Start Underneath, and the Wag Makes the Rest Harder

Grooming Tips7 min read

Your Dog's Coat Has a Grain: Cowlicks, Whorls, and the Spot That Never Lies Flat

Grooming Tips7 min read

The Dewclaw: The One Nail on Your Dog That Never Wears Down

Grooming Tips8 min read

Does a Harness Mat Your Dog's Coat? Yes — Here's Where, and What to Do About It

Grooming Tips8 min read

Why Does My Dog Smell — Even After a Bath? Where the Odor Lives

Grooming Tips7 min read

Should You Trim Your Dog's Whiskers? A Guide to What They Do and How to Decide

Grooming Tips6 min read

The Sanitary Trim, Explained: What It Is and Why It's Worth Doing Right

Grooming Tips6 min read

Plucking vs. Trimming Your Dog's Ear Hair: The Pros, the Cons, and How to Decide

Grooming Tips6 min read

Tear Stains on Dogs: What Causes Them and What Helps

Grooming Tips6 min read

My Dog Got Skunked: What Works (Not Tomato Juice)

Grooming Tips9 min read

Why Doodles Mat So Fast in Missouri Summer Humidity

Grooming Tips5 min read

How to Brush Your Dog Between Grooming Appointments

Grooming Tips6 min read

Overgrown Dog Nails: How They Cause Arthritis (and How Often to Trim)

08

Seasonal

28 Reads

Coat changes, paw care, and weather every season.

Seasonal7 min read

Your Muddy Dog at the Back Door: Rinse It Off, or Let It Dry?

Seasonal7 min read

Does Your Dog Need a Winter Coat? Start With the One He's Already Wearing

Seasonal7 min read

Bathing Your Dog in Winter: Plan It Around the Drying, Not the Calendar

Seasonal8 min read

The Last Short Cut of the Year: How Short to Go Before Winter

Seasonal8 min read

Black Walnut Season: What Those Green Husks Do to Your Dog's Coat and Paws

Seasonal8 min read

Your Dog Rolled in Something Dead: Getting That Smell Out

Seasonal8 min read

Tree Sap, Tar, and Gum: Getting Sticky Stuff Out of Your Dog's Coat

Seasonal8 min read

Allergic to Your Dog? What Grooming Can and Can't Do About Dander and Ragweed

Seasonal8 min read

Why Your Dog Is Shedding More in August: The Fall Coat Blow, Explained

Seasonal7 min read

Poison Ivy and Your Dog: Why You Get the Rash and They Don't

Seasonal7 min read

Chiggers on Dogs: Missouri's Itchiest Summer Pest

Seasonal6 min read

Burrs in Your Dog's Coat: How to Get Them Out Without Shaving Everything Off

Seasonal6 min read

Hot Cars and Your Dog: What Every Pet Owner Should Know This Summer

Seasonal7 min read

Shaving a Double-Coated Dog for Missouri Summer: What to Know Before You Decide

Seasonal6 min read

Chlorine and Your Dog's Coat: What Pool Season Is Really Doing to Their Skin

Seasonal7 min read

Boarding Your Dog for a Summer Trip? Here's Why We Recommend a Groom First

Seasonal6 min read

Blue-Green Algae in Missouri Ponds: A Summer Water Advisory for Dog Owners

Seasonal7 min read

Dog Allergies in Missouri Summer: The Signs on the Skin (and What Helps)

Seasonal7 min read

Foxtails in Dogs: The Missouri Grass Seed That Works Its Way In

Seasonal7 min read

Fleas in Missouri Summer: How Dogs Get Them and How to Catch Them Early

Seasonal7 min read

Can Dogs Get Sunburned? Sun Protection After a Summer Haircut

Seasonal6 min read

Hot Pavement and Your Dog's Paws: A Summer Safety Guide

Seasonal7 min read

Ticks in Missouri Summer: Where They Hide on a Dog (and How to Find Them)

Seasonal7 min read

Dog Ear Care After Swimming: Preventing Ear Infections This Missouri Summer

Seasonal7 min read

Dog Hot Spots in Missouri Summer: Why They Spike (and How Grooming Helps Prevent Them)

Seasonal5 min read

Spring Shedding Season: How to Manage the Fur Explosion

Seasonal5 min read

Summer Grooming in Missouri: Keeping Your Dog Cool and Comfortable

Seasonal5 min read

Winter Paw Care: Protecting Your Dog from Ice Salt and Cold

Ready to book your pup's groom?

St. Charles, MO's most trusted salon — every breed welcome, bandana & bows always included.

Book a Groom →