Maintaining the tools will be a very short subject but I wanted to bring it up anyway.
The no 1 reason for scissors and nailclippers to go dull is dirt. Keep the tools, coat and claws clean and it will last longer. I use water in a glass and a toothbrush for kids to scrub off the dirt off the claws before I clipper them for this reason. Also, just like our nails, the claws get a little softer when wet.
Oil the blades on clippers, don't twirl the cord around it or the blowdryer cause it can cause damage on the cord in the longrun.
Remember to not bathe a matted dog, and that not only coat but also dirt collect in those mats. So letting mats build is not only harmful to the dog, it is harmful to the tools which means a bigger cost to you in the longrun. Maintaining the coat and brushing regularly litterally saves you money. Cause even if you don't groom your dog yourself, the dog will need less hours at the doggroomers if it is maintained between grooms.
If you have a smoothcoated dog or a dog of a breed where bathing only happens when necessary you're fine with the cheap stuff. But if you got a longcoated breed, nonshedding breed or hairless dog, choosing a good schampoo and conditioner is crucial.
As I've said before, a clean coat mats less, so a longcoated dog such as many toybreeds will need a lot of baths if you want to keep the coat long. some longcoated dogs, like sheltie and collie has a different kind of coat so they aren't really included into this, but maltese, yorkie, cocker spaniel, chinese crested powder puff, bichon frisé and havanais etc will need baths often. I heard on youtube "If your dog mats on day four, you bath on day three." and there's truth to that, atleast if you want to keep the coat fully long. If you keep it shorter you will need less but still will need regular brushing.
The reason you want a good shampoo and conditioner is that bathing often will take the oils out of the coat and skin and dry it out - so it will mat and tangle even worse and that is a bad cycle you don't want. My personal preference is Espree cause I love the result, scent and ingredients but there are many good ones out there. They cost a little more but they last a really long time. If the coat seems dry and you aren't about to show and don't worry about the coat being heavy you can do a conditioner-only-bath to conditioner the coat.
The dog has a different pH in the skin than we do, so don't use human specified products.
With a long coat you do not, I repeat not want to rub the lather in. Rubbing causes mats. You comb it in with your fingers or a boar brush. When you toweldry the dog you scrunch the coat, not rub. This goes for all matting coats.
Hairless dogs need regular baths to keep pimples and blackheads away. All people have different ideas on how they keep them away and I have heard people use Dove products since they are so skinfriendly and moisturizing. I sadly have no good tips since I lack experience in hairless dog skincare more than hearsay. But I know products for kids are commonly used since they are more skinfriendly.
As for the best care on the curly coated breeds, I sadly can't help there either, but you can always ask a breeder that shows, they usually have the best tips to give.
And of course, the coarse coats such as terrier. These coats rarely need baths cause every few weeks the coat is stripped out and therefor all the dirt on the hair comes off with it. But if you have to bathe the dog cause it stinks, use specialized coarse coated schampoo. As for clippered coarse coated breeds I recommend the same tips as for the matting coats, but it can handle scrubbing a little better since it's short. If the dog just smells a little, you can mist it with detangler spray and brush with a boarbrush. Repeat until satisfied with the result and wipe off with a damp cloth. If the dog simply feels too oily for your taste I've heard that you can put on babypowder and brush it out but I haven't tried this myself so I honestly don't know if it works or not.
Coat always mats the easiest under the armpits where it's a little moist and coat is being rubbed to eachother. If your dog is just a pet you can easily cut this part short to avoid the hassle. Wet coat also mats worse so make sure you comb through after a walk in the rain. Always dry your dog completely dry after it's been wet to avoid mats and keep the dog healthy. Not even dogs want to go around wet and cold. Make sure the coat isn't just damp or "almost dry", but completely dry.
The shorter coat, the less risk of mats.
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