Your Puppy and Grooming: How to Prepare them and What to Expect

Before you know it, grooming will be a big part of your new puppy’s routine and that can be a little daunting for both new owners and pups alike! So, we sat down with our award-winning Grooming L&D Manager Kerry to talk about how best to prepare your pup for their first pamper, and how to keep them groomed and clean before they can visit.

Things to know before your puppy has their first groom

Before a puppy visits the grooming salon for their first puppy groom, it’s important for you to try and familiarise your puppy with things like dog brushes and combs, starting with the body first.

You can also start to get pup used to the noise of hair dryers- without using them on your puppy. Simply turn them on for a few minutes and let them listen, grooming salons are full of different noises and some will be new, so this really helps get them settled.

Helping your puppy become familiar with regular brushing is also a big help for grooming prep. We recommend brushing them once a day for approx. 10-15 minutes. This really helps not only with the feel of the brushing itself, but by constantly handling their feet and face it can help desensitize them, so it’s not so much of a shock.

Daily brushing is not only part of the grooming process but can really help build up a bond between you and your new pup. It also helps you get used to their body, skin, and coat, so you can more easily spot abnormalities like any lumps or bumps, or spot fleas and ticks!

Prepping your puppy for the grooming salon not only helps groomers out with behaviour but will help your pup enjoy their pamper if they know what most of the sensations already feel like.

It’s not all about prepping for their professional groom either, regularly brushing common problem areas such as legs, ears and tails on longer coated breeds can help minimize matting, and for the short-haired breeds, ensuring the removal of their dead coat can help them regulate their body temperature.

Using treats to help your puppy relax whilst grooming

If you’re unsure about the overall grooming process, even in their comfortable surroundings- rewarded your pup with puppy treats for good behaviour throughout their grooms will also help them realise that grooming is a positive experience.

When can my puppy have their first groom?

All puppies are welcome into the grooming salon once they have received all their vaccinations (usually between 12-14 weeks old). Our aim is to always offer a pleasant, welcoming environment to first timers.

What does the first puppy groom involve?

Before they start, our groomers perform a health check prior to entering the salon (this includes looking for things like matting and knots etc) and let you know of any problem areas before we start.

Pups are then treated to a bath with a suitable shampoo and then dried (which can be the scariest part, so the hairdryer tip is really important).

We then slowly introduce them to the foot trimmers and remove any hair that is between the pads as well as checking and clipping their nails if needed. Puppy nails can get very sharp!

For longer coated breeds, we will trim around hygiene areas followed by cleaning the eyes and ears where required.

Shorter coated breeds will receive the same in their groom without the trims where required, and we always finish off with a lovely smelling spritz!

How often do puppies need grooming?

This depends on the breed of dog, but we always recommend that pups visit us as soon as they are safely allowed and have regular grooms until the age of 6 months. This will help keep them healthy and happy and help them enjoy their pamper throughout every life stage.

Our grooming team are on hand in your local salon for any grooming queries you may have- they can also recommend products for at-home grooming.