| Grooming for a puppy is an absolute must! However, not all breeds need to be taken to a professional groomer. This information has been complied from many years of personal experience. Having been a breeder myself, I assure you, if you take the time to do this in the beginning, you will have years of fun with the grooming of your pet instead of years of hide -n- seek! If your pet needs to be groomed professionally, the best time to start is after they have had all their puppy shots. This is typically around 16 weeks of age. |
Many people wait until the puppy is over 6 months for their first groom. However, the sooner you familiarize them with being groomed, the happier your puppy will be. I associate the puppy's first grooming experience with that of a child first dentist appointment. If it scares them, they will fear and dread it the rest of their lives. However, if introduced at a young age and introduced properly, it can be both a positive and rewarding experience. A good breeder will have been working with your puppy from the time he was born, however, if they did not, do not worry! Love and patience are the keys to years of successful grooming. The following are things you should do with your pet if he is 8 weeks old or 8 years old. TRUST ME... IT IS NEVER, TOO LATE! :) Play with your pet for a few minutes to help him get rid of some of his excess energy before working with him. Select a location for grooming. This should be a table with a soft cloth for traction. The reason you should use a specific table (or place) your pet will remember this place and know that it is not play time now but "grooming time". Customers are so amazed when they see their pup on my table so well behaved! If introduced correctly and consistently, your pet will associate this experience with pleasure and will actually look forward to this special time between you and him. At first, puppy grooming is also a behavior lesson. Conduct frequent short sessions with patience, LOTS of verbal praise and treats. Touch your new puppy's feet and rub your fingers between it's toes a couple times a day. This will make nail clipping easier. I promise, your groomer and your vet and in the long run, your precious pet, will love you for this. It is a natural instinct for dogs to pull their feet back when being touched. NOTE: This is a critical step for your pet as ALL pets require regular nail trimming. Many pets are perfect for grooming, only stress out during the nail trimming process. This can be avoided by your taking the time to help train them to not mind it at all. Show your puppy his brush & comb. Let it sniff it a few seconds. Brush it's coat a few times, then reward your puppy with a small treat and verbal praise. Do the same with the comb. NOTE: A grooming session is only complete after the use of your comb. Each day increase the number of brush and comb strokes. After the first week, you should be able to do the brushing AND combing in a short period of time. Play with your puppies ears, by touching them on the inside & outside. Afterwards, reward him with lots of praise and a small treat. This is important because so many breeds require the hair be plucked from their ears and this is the second favorite to nail trimming. Open your puppy's mouth and touch its teeth and gums. Dental care should begin as early as possible. You can begin by using a finger brush or puppy toothbrush and specific toothpaste made your pet. A NEW PUPPY AND HIS FIRST GROOMING SESSION... When I have a puppy in my shop, and this is it's first grooming experience, I will only do what I can to be helpful for your puppy, please be assured it will not frighten or traumatize them. A puppies first grooming session is similar to a child's first dentist visit. If a child goes to a dentist and has cavities filled, he will probably fear the dentist the rest of his life. If he goes and it is a pleasant experience, he learns not to be afraid. I take things slowly to minimize any stress and trauma. They all LOVE my massage system, however, drying sometimes may scare them. So what I do to help them, is hold them close to me and hand dry them. If that is still too scary, (although rare), I will crate dry and slowly introduce the hand dryer throughout the grooming session. Usually by the 2nd or 3rd grooming session, they welcome being hand dried. Oftentimes the clippers scare them. I allow the clippers to run while on the table so they can feel the vibration. Then I use them on the pads of their bitty feet. Slowly I shave the sanitary area. Depending what style you want, this may or may not be possible for the first grooming session.I will discuss this with you in person at the time of the appointment, however if you have any questions to your pets appointment, please feel free to call me. I welcome questions at any time! |
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GROOMING YOUR PUPPY
| (239) 267-0172 |