One of the most critical parts of puppy care is creating a fun grooming experience for your new puppy at an early age!
Introducing grooming early on with your puppy will help prevent challenging issues later! We all know those adult dogs who fight tooth and nail when it comes to bathing or nail trimming!!
Puppies are much more open to new experiences including handling when presented calmly with patience and then strongly rewarded! Grooming processes like brushing, bathing, cleaning their teeth, ears, eyes and the usually difficult nail trimming can be much simpler to ease your young pup into without a fight!
Below are five steps for creating a fun grooming experience for your new puppy!
Make it a FUN Bonding Experience!
Even before that first grooming experience, acclimate your young canine with lots of positive and calm touching all over their body. Gently handle your puppy’s sensitive areas like:
- Paws,
- Teeth,
- Ears and around their eyes, and
- The tail, inner thighs and stomach.
before even attempting to groom them with any tools.
Having a puppy comfortable with being handled will win rave reviews (and appreciation) from your groomer, vet and others who may need to handle your pup!
Make all handling experiences:
- Positive and gentle.
- Short and frequent.
- Well-received and even desired!
Incorporate play, a lot of positive reinforcement and highly-valued treats to create an experience both you and your dog will enjoy!
Never force a young or even older dog to accept unwanted handling.
It is so critical to start early before any bad K9 habits, fears
or anxieties can lead to unwanted struggles.
Next Steps for Puppy Grooming
Once your puppy is comfortable with being handled, start with short periods of brushing and combing. Again, keep it fun and rewarding! Introduce the brush/comb to them first to sniff with lots of praise and rewards and once they are comfortable, begin gently brushing or combing them.
Puppy’s First Grooming
Once your puppy is content with brushing and combing, it’s time to find the best local groomer for your puppy. Remember, not all grooming salons are created equal or offer high-quality services with plenty of patience to avoid traumatizing your young dog.
Do your research first! Ask friends, neighbors, dog trainers and even your vet for recommendations. Then check out online reviews and schedule at least one visit to check out the facility in person. (Remember to also check out their grooming products to make sure they are all-natural and safe.)
When is Puppy Ready for Professional Grooming
Experts differ on when puppies need to begin professional grooming, but it can range anywhere from 10-12 weeks or 12-16 weeks. What IS necessary is for your puppy to have his second round of shots before being exposed to other dogs or locations with dogs. But their first professional grooming should be done before 16-weeks of age.
Puppy Grooming: The First Visit
The best grooming experiences involve a partnership between the owner and the groomer. Make sure your groomer knows important details about your puppy like:
- Is your puppy especially sensitive in certain areas?
- Do they hate being handled in certain areas?
- Do they have any known allergies or sensitivities?
Let your groomer know as much as possible so they can accommodate your puppy and their needs for the best experience possible!
Also, consider taking the puppy in for a visit before the actual grooming so they can get used to the new smells, people and noises with the human they trust most, you!
While these steps may seem like extra work, they will set your puppy up for success with being groomed for the rest of his life!
ARKANSAS BEAR CREEK GOLDENS AND DOODLES
Puppies Now Available!
We are a small family breeder located in the heart of the Ozarks in Northern Arkansas. We strive to raise healthy, happy, well-socialized, quality Golden Retriever, Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Mini Labradoodle, and Aussiedoodle puppies.
All our puppies come with a health guarantee for their first 12 months of age.
Please text or call us at 870-404-0127 or 870-404-1189 or use our Contact Form here for more information about upcoming litters..
