How to groom a puppy for the first time at home

Grooming a puppy does more than making it look cute. Good grooming means good health, but something for every groomer to remember is that different types of dogs each have different grooming needs. There is not one single way for a professional pet groomer to groom a dog, and this includes puppies. Still, a puppy’s very first grooming experience should be approached a certain way.

Just like a child’s first haircut, a puppy’s first grooming is a momentous occasion that should be handled with care. Working with rambunctious or poorly-trained puppies can be a trying situation even for experienced pet groomers, but you have to bear in mind that your initial approach to grooming can have a lifelong impact on the puppy being groomed— and it’s critical for the dog’s mental health to make it a positive one.

Preparing the Puppy for the First Grooming

During the first grooming session, the main objective is to familiarize the puppy with the process and space. When the puppy and its owners first arrive, be sure to introduce yourself and talk in soothing tones to build trust. Showing affection by petting or playing with the puppy will also show that the grooming experience is enjoyable. Above all, be patient. The salon is a new place with distracting sights and smells. Additionally, the puppy may initially be afraid of the clippers, dryers, and grooming tables, as it will be its first time being exposed to such tools. Showing the puppy that it is in a friendly atmosphere will help it to relax and cooperate during the grooming process.

When Grooming Begins

As a pet groomer, you should always keep the first grooming session with a puppy short. The puppy will perform better and get more used to being handled by a groomer in a short session as opposed to a full one.

During the grooming process, the puppy should always be loosely restrained. This will allow you to keep control of the puppy without scaring it. Also, even though the grooming session will be short, it’s always best to start slowly and stick with the basics. The following services are the best for grooming a puppy for the first time:

Bathing

Giving the puppy a standard bath with appropriate shampoos and conditioners is the best way to get started. By lathering at the neck and working your way down toward the back legs and tail, you’re giving the puppy a calming massage with the bath. It’s recommended to use a washcloth for the puppy’s face to avoid getting soap in its eyes.

Brushing

All dogs need brushing every now and then— some more than others. Brushing keeps the puppy’s coat healthy and reduces shedding, which is a relief for mom and dad. It’s relatively easy, but always remember to be careful with the inner thighs and tail, as they are especially sensitive areas that the puppy is not used to having touched.

Clipping

The most common problem that most people have when trimming their dogs’ claws at home is that they tend to trim them the way they would trim their own nails. However, doing that will actually hurt the puppy. Unlike humans, dogs have a blood vessel that runs down into the nail. This is called a ‘quick,’ and when it gets trimmed, it hurts the animal. Dog groomers know to clip only the portion of nail beyond the quick, but sometimes trimming a puppy’s nails is more challenging. To avoid hurting the puppy during its first grooming, be sure to cut small slices from the tip of the nail at a forty-five-degree angle to avoid the quick.

When Grooming is Finished

It usually takes two or three sessions for a puppy to become completely comfortable with its groomer and the grooming process. But if the first visit goes the right way, this will enable you as a certified pet groomer to establish a lifelong relationship with your new furry client. For more tips on how to go about first grooming a puppy as a newly certified groomer, call Merryfield at 954-771-4030.

At What Age Can I Start Getting My Puppy Groomed?

Mon, May 22, 2017 at 6:55AM

Officially it is best to wait until your new puppy is 8-weeks old, and can leave their mother before you consider getting them groomed. Once the puppy has been introduced to its new home and has established relations with the new owner they can think about getting the puppy groomed. We recommend starting at 12-weeks of age. The very first grooming appointment is an introduction to the puppy and the owner to the world of grooming. The puppy with be introduced to a bath, blow drying, nail clipping, and slight trimming. We do not recommend having a puppy be given a full hair cut the first time being groomed. The reason behind this is you are forcing the puppy to stand still and be handled for 1.5 hours. This is a lot to ask of a puppy. It would be like asking a one-year old child to sit without moving, going to the bathroom, or play with any toys for 45 minutes. That is why we only do the basics for puppies first groom. We bathe them, slowly dry them, trim the nails, trim the fur from around their eyes, pads, and around the sanitary area. This is about all they can handle. The puppy will be introduced to having scissors around the face, having to hold still while the pads on their feet are trimmed. Depending on how the puppy reacts to the first grooming we may recommend doing this type of trimming one more time before the full haircut. The more comfortable the puppy becomes with being handled by the groomer and being on a table, and in the tub the better the puppy will become as they grow up.

What Can You Do to Help?

It becomes more difficult to groom a puppy that is 6-months old for the first time than a 12-week-old puppy. The 6-month-old has already established fears and aggression. For example, it would be like taking a 5-year-old child and putting them in kindergarten without any discipline and experience of a pre-school and making them sit still and raise their hand when called on by the teacher. At this point in a puppy’s life if the owner has not prepped the puppy with any type of grooming; brushing, combing, or nail trimming. It makes the groomers job nearly impossible to have the puppy trust them and enjoy grooming.

All About the Training

At home grooming is also extremely essential to having a puppy become used to grooming, and to enjoy their experience at the groomers. Different types of fur require different tools. Our groomers are very willing to answer questions and show you tools that are appropriate for your puppy. One of the biggest misconceptions about puppies and grooming is when they will change from puppy coat to adult coat. This time in a puppy’s life is essential to maintain so the coat does not mat. Usually puppies get their adult coat around six months of age. The puppy coat on some breeds will not shed and becomes tangled in the adult coat if not brushed on a regular basis. Please ask one of our groomers if your puppy has started this stage in life or when this may occur in order to make the transition more comfortable.

To schedule a grooming appointment at the Lee C. & Patricia Culler Boarding, Grooming and Travel Center located at I-95 and LPGA Blvd. call 386-320-3199. By appointment only.

A puppy's first pet grooming session is a momentous occasion for pet owners, almost on par with a parent taking their child for their first haircut. The experience, which can often try the patience of even the most skilled ​pet groomers, can have a lifelong effect on a pup, be it positive or negative. Here are some important tips for dealing with the occasion for the benefit of all involved.

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 responds to being groomed for the rest of his life. So it's important to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

Groomers can get a jump on navigating the challenges of introducing a puppy to the pet grooming process by giving their owners some tips for preparing the pups for what could be a scary experience. The more socialized and used to being handled a puppy is, the better. 

Groomers should encourage pet owners to prepare their pups to be handled in ways they might not be used to. For example, they may want to regularly tickle their paws (including between their toes), ears, and tushies, which are some of the areas the groomer will be working on.

On the big day, when the puppy first arrives to be groomed, groomers should start by slowly introducing themselves to the little one by speaking in a soft, soothing voice, petting and cuddling the puppy and playing with them for a bit. By gaining their trust, the groomers enable the puppy to regard grooming as a fun, enjoyable experience. Above all, patience is key.

Pet groomers should stick to an abbreviated session to avoid stressing the pup, enabling pup to get used to being handled by a groomer. Bear in mind that pups may be frightened when they are first exposed to such alien devices and tools as clippers, noisy dryers, and grooming tables.

Chuck Simons, the inventor of the Groomer’s Helper grooming table device and co-owner of the popular Pet Salon in Margate, New Jersey, offers this advice: "We don’t do a lot during the first sessions; we want the puppy to become acclimated to being handled. The first experience must be a good experience, with lots of love and treats. This is their special place away from home. If you push them through the experience and restrain them, then you ruin that dog for the rest of his life."

Many puppy owners make the mistake of waiting until their pups are six months of age or older before taking them for grooming. As a general rule, puppies should be no more than 16 weeks old, as younger pups are easier to train. They also need to have had all of their shots before being groomed for the first time. The initial grooming sessions should be kept short and sweet. Many groomers recommend 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

Starting slowly will enable a groomer to build up to a full cut and other more elaborate services. The pups should also be loosely restrained. “Everything should be loose, never tight,” Simons further advises. “They’re not going to be leash trained, but they can be table trained. They are going to be on a loop, but you should stay with them at all times for their safety and to help them adapt to this.”

The same goes for bathing. "A bather has to be with the puppy at all times; it has to be a loving experience. It’s just like with a baby; you help them through it so that bath time becomes a fun time. Just lavish them with love. It’s through that regularity that they come to terms with the grooming experience."

Simons adds that it takes two to three sessions for a pup to become totally acclimated to and comfortable with the grooming process. But if approached the right way, this can enable a pet groomer to establish a lifelong happy relationship with their new pooch clients, which will ensure their long-term health and happiness.

"You are going to be grooming that dog four to five times a year for the rest of his life," according to Simons. "If you provide a pleasant experience, they will see the grooming salon as their loving place away from home, and will be happy to come there."