Grooming & Your Puppy

Where to begin?

First, you will need a good dog brush and maybe a comb also if your dog will have a medium to long coat length or will be double coated. You will start with just light brushing and / or combing of their hair every day to get them used to the feel of the brush and comb going through their fur and against their skin. Starting this now, making it fun, and before any tangles or matts have developed, is the best way to let Sweet Little Pumpkin know that this is a good thing and not something to be afraid of or that will cause them pain or discomfort. If they try to grab the brush or comb, discourage that behavior. If they become growly, don't stop. If you stop before you are done because Sweet Little Pumpkin is having a temper tantrum, you teach them that if they don't like something, a temper tantrum makes it stop. So, please, don't stop when Sweet Little Pumpkin acts up. Give happy praise, letting Pumpkin know what a good puppy they are, while you continue to brush and comb them from head to tail, legs to toes. A little treat from time to time helps along the way too. OH! Don't forget to handle those paws and ears too! Those nails will need to be clipped and those ears will need to be cleaned, so let's make sure Pumpkin knows it's okay for their paws and ears to be handled.

First Visit to the Groomer

Here at Pooch Pawlor, we have a customized Puppy Grooming Program that takes Sweet Little Pumpkin from their first bath and progresses them through various phases of Grooming Training with the groomer and helps to work them through their various Fear Periods as they grow and mature. Therefore, we do require a firm commitment from you to bring your puppy in once a month for their first year.

To start, all puppies must have completed their Puppy Shots Routine with their veterinarian. This is usually completed by the age of 16 to 20 weeks old. Their first appointment will include a puppy bath, a little trim up of their face and feet if needed, and their private areas trimmed up of any hair growth to help keep these areas more Sanitary. 

Each month thereafter, their visits to the groomer are adjusted according to their needs as the puppy grows and starts to develop their adult coat. These appointments always include a bath, ears and teeth cleaned, anal glands gently checked, nails trimmed and filed. It may also include a Face, Feet, and Sanitary trim, or an Outline Tidy. What's an Outline Tidy? It's when the groomer trims up hairs that are longer than the rest, sticking out in wild directions, and just being unruly hair. Trimming these up so they blend in with the rest of the coat gives your puppy or dog a more polished looked. If your dog will mature into a dog with a medium or long coat, these monthly sessions will prepare your dog for their Full Body Stylized Groom once they have reached that point in their development.

Once Sweet Little Pumpkin is about 8 months old, we begin working on their Full Body Stylized Groom. This is something that your groomer will discuss with you when you arrive for each appointment. How this grooming is performed will be based on the dog's coat length and condition, as well as what you, as the owner, would like to see your dog look like when you pick it up after the appointment. After Pumpkin has finally grown in their adult coat, your groomer will talk to you about setting up a regular grooming schedule and pre-booking your appointments on an average 4 to 8 week cycle.

If Pumpkin gets monthly groomer visits, do I still have to brush and comb her / him at home?

Yes, absolutely. As puppies grow, their hair changes. They not only work towards going from puppy coat to adult coat, but that coat changes in texture and length. Not to mention, puppies get into EVERYTHING!! Things that could become tangled in your puppy's coat causing knots and mats. By brushing and combing your puppy out in-between visits to the groomer, you not only keep then accustomed to the grooming process, but you are also keeping their coat tangle and mat free. Not to mention the reduction in loose, flying, dog hair around your house that embeds itself into furniture, clothes, blankets, and anything else it can get to. Puppies go through various Fear Periods as they grow and mature. Doing your part at home to continue the grooming training process helps ease any of those Puppy Fears that happen while they strive to reach maturity. Regular brushing and combing of your dog also helps to build and maintain the bonds and trust you have with your puppy and dog.

For more information on proper brushing techniques, please read our blog Maintaining Your Long Coated Dog!

For more information on why dog nails need to be kept short, please read our blog All About Nails.

Why is it important to keep my double coated dog brushed out in-between groomer visits? Please read our blog For the Shed of It!