A common question asked is - should I groom my puppy?

Grooming isn’t just about making your dog look and smell great, it’s also an important part of his ongoing health and well-being maintenance. So the answer is YES!

Your puppy’s first grooming session at a grooming salon is an important milestone in their life. To ensure the occasion is filled with excitement, fun and adventure, you need to start preparing your little furball weeks before the time. Your pups first experience at a grooming salon can set the stage for how they respond to being groomed for the rest of their life, so it’s vitally important to make sure the experience is as pleasant as possible.

The sooner your puppy has their first groom the better. However, you will need to wait for pup to have completed their first round of shots; which is generally around 16 weeks old. If your puppy visits a grooming salon without having all of their vaccinations, it puts them at risk for all of the potential infections that could be floating around. No matter how much a salon is sterilised, there's no need to take a risk on your puppy’s health.

In the weeks leading up to puppy’s first groom, prepare your pup to be handled in ways they might not be used to. In particular, massaging their feet (including between the toes) and ears. Buy a soft brush specifically for puppies to lightly brush puppy’s coat when they are relaxed. As always, don’t be shy with treats to encourage positive outcomes.

When you arrive at a grooming salon, make sure to personally hand your pup directly to a groomer so that they understand that you are OK with handing them over to strange people. Groomers will softly introduce their selves to the puppy, cuddle and play with him. This not only gains trust but introduces pup to grooming as being fun and enjoyable, and also tires them out before starting the grooming session.

During playing time, we will check eyes, ears, teeth, nails and skin to make sure all is A-OK. The single focus for puppy’s first groom is to do whatever it takes to make it a good experience, with lots and lots of love , patience, cuddles - and treats.

A groomer is assigned to your pup and will stay with them throughout the entire grooming process. They will be introduced to all the equipment by letting the puppy smell, touch and lick it (if it’s safe). There is no rush to get the groom done.

Bathing

When your pup is put in the bath, they can play around first if they want to, and then slowly a light flow of warm water is introduced to wet the coat. They are then lavished with love, play and a lot of soft encouragement – and sometimes treats.

Shampoo and Condition

The shampoo used will be based on the type of coat your puppy has. It can also be specifically made for puppy coats. When it comes to your fur baby’s head, it's best not to wash the face at their first groom as even the gentlest shampoo can irritate a puppies eyes, ears and mouth. Depending on how dirty your puppy is, a second shampoo may be necessary.

Once clean, a conditioner is gently applied and softly brushed through their coat. Then a final rinse off and probably a whole lot of shaking.

Drying

A soft warm towel wrap with a big cuddle on the way to the grooming table and a light towel dry before the hair dryer. This is potentially the most stressful part of the groom as some pups are very nervous of the dryer noise and air flow. Patience, gentleness, love and treats with as much time-out as pup needs will generally win them over, however, if puppy is too nervous, the dryer will be put aside and towel dry as much as possible.

Trimming

It's best to not clip a puppy on its first groom unless there are health reasons to do so. Scissor trim their nether region for sanitary purposes and trim around the eyes if the fur is posing a potential health problem for your pup’s eyes.

To finish off the groom, trim back your pup’s sharp nails, not just for the health benefits, but to stop those puppy nail scratches that are all over your hands.

It takes about 2-3 sessions to get puppy comfortable and used to grooming. Handled the right way, the relationship between your puppy and the groomer will blossom and remain a happy event for life.

If you have any questions about grooming your puppy, feel free to contact Pet Direct's Customer Service Experts on 0800 200 240.