Preparing Puppies for the First Pet Grooming Session - Extremely Important

 

Many puppy parents make the mistake of waiting until their pups are 6 months of age or older before taking them for grooming. But the general rule of thumb is that they should be no more than 16 weeks old, as younger pups are easier to train. They should also have had all of their shots before being groomed for the first time.

 

Furthermore, the grooming sessions initially should be kept short and sweet. I recommend initially sticking with the following services the first few times that they groom pups:

• Bathing

• Light brush out

• Nail trim

• Ear cleaning

• Light trim where especially needed, such as around the face

 

During the first grooming session, the main idea is to familiarize puppies with the process. A pup's initial experiences at the grooming salon can set the stage for how he/she responds to being groomed for the rest of his life.  So it's important to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

 

The more socialized and used to being handled a puppy is, the better!!!

 

I can not stress enough how important is for the puppy parent to regularly tickle their paws (including between their toes), face, legs, ears and tushies. This helps the puppy learn not to fear these areas being handled while being groomed.