Congratulations on your new addition! Pups of all breeds need grooming even short-haired ones and that includes everything from a bath to a simple nail trim. The first grooming is typically one of the most stressful events in your fur baby’s life and the most impactful on their future behavior towards grooming. For this reason alone, it is crucial to find a groomer that has a lot of experience with first-time grooms. You can also help them along by doing some things at home with them.
With puppies, all of their nerves are sensitive, especially their little paws. You’ll want to play with all four a lot, but not to annoyance, make it playful, make it normal. When they get used to that sensation, you can add an electric toothbrush to the mix to get them used to a nail grinder. The electric toothbrush is also a great tool to run along your fur baby’s legs, back, tummy, and neck as it also mimics the vibrations of the clippers we use.
You’ll want to be very tactile with your fur baby, touching everything from the tips of their nose to the end of their tail. The goal is to make contact with every inch of them, so when we are grooming, they aren’t alarmed when we brush out their tail, ears, or facial hair. The more they are used to getting fondled all over, the less stress and anxiety they’ll have during a grooming session.
Brushing
Puppy hair is very soft and as their adult hair grows alongside them, they can become tangled quickly. I recommend using a slicker brush that has little wax balls covering the sharp tips, like this one (here). Use the brush as you are petting them to make the difference less alarming. My own pup thought the brush was a game, but all you have to do is be persistent. Show them that brushing is part of their routine. Many breeds require daily brushing if you want to maintain a long coat. Static can be a problem, so I suggest you spray the brush occasionally with some water or de-tangle spray (Here). As their adult fur replaces their puppy fur, switch to the Miracle Coat Brush, (here). Be gentle and careful to avoid brush burn. Only brush one section ten swipes or less to avoid it. If there is a small knot, be sure to hold the hair above it as you brush it out, to avoid pulling the skin.
Grooming your fur baby is a bonding experience that will deepen your connection with them. It also helps in improving their temperment, trainability, and overall behavior.
Bathing
If you intend to bathe your fur baby at home, be sure to use low water pressure, gentle hands, and the hypoallergenic shampoo. Read this article on suggestions. After the year mark, you can use a regular shampoo, unless the vet says otherwise. I recommend Burt’s Bees dog shampoo, because they have plenty of options from oatmeal to scent-free hypo-allergenic soaps. There is even a shampoo bar for our zero-waste friends, here. I tried this out myself and the product works better on short-haired dogs than long-haired. The downside or upside is that it is like using a regular bar of soap with a squeaky clean feel, but it does a good job and leaves a lovely lavender scent. Whatever shampoo you use, be very careful to avoid getting soap in their eyes or ears, as some shampoos can be harmful to their eyes if it’s not washed out properly. And the water left in their ears can lead to infections.
Drying
Some dogs can be left to dry themselves, like yorkies or other straight-haired breeds. Even for these breeds it’s best to brush them out right after the bath to prevent unnecessary tangles. For others, it’s best to dry them with a hair dryer or if you want to put forth the money on a grooming dryer, here is a link. If this is the first time, be sure to be very patient, take it slow, and keep the blast of air far enough away to be like a soft breeze. The last thing you want to do is to chase them with it. When we dry a newbie for the first time, we keep them wrapped in a soft towel and put a hands-free element on the dryer so our hands are free to rub and pat them dry with the towel. Sometimes, being held and coddled really helps too.
Tips on Picking a Grooming Salon
Each grooming salon is different – number of groomers, number of dogs, floor space, ambiance, methods, sound volume, etc. Some dogs are more accustomed to places with higher amounts of activity than others, while some need individualized attention with peace and quiet.
All 4 Pawz LLC, is a boutique style grooming salon where your fur baby will get personal spa time and a faster appointment. Other, larger shops, that have dogs running around and having a great time with each other are more suited for social pups and the appointment could be longer than a couple of hours depending on the scheduling. The choice is really based on your fur baby’s level of comfort when you pick them up and the report from the groomer.
We deal with a lot of dogs that have been to larger grooming shops and most of the anxiety the parents say they exhibited during a previous groom, had more to do with all the energy of larger shops than the actual grooming. So, for these pups, a boutique style salon is the way to go.
Your fur baby forms a connection with their groomer. Sometimes that connection isn’t met and there is nothing wrong if that happens, because they do actually pick their groomer. If one groomer doesn’t click, just try another until there is a bond. The groomer should let you know, but the first-time grooms are an exception to the rule, because it is the first time and everything is brand new and stressful.
Ending Notes
Here is an interesting tidbit. Music and background noise also have an impact on their level of contentment during a groom. Dogs with parents who have the TV on consistently will be far more comfortable with that background noise than any tranquil spa music. Some prefer silence and others like vocal music over instrumental.
After their first groom, it isn’t uncommon for them to sleep it off for the rest of the day, or at least, the better part of it. It’s nothing to be concerned about and it will probably happen the second time around too. But, eventually, they get used to grooming and get excited about getting some spa time.I hope this short article was helpful and that it helps you get your fur baby all prepped for their spa day. Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment.
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