How to train your puppy for a trip to the groomers

You’re looking at this and thinking ‘I don’t need to train my pup to go to the groomers!’ I Say WHY NOT?

You are hopefully going to be training them to go potty outside, to sit and stay, to help them learn the right way to do thins when you take them out for Walks, so why wouldn’t you train them to go to the groomers? Just like you wouldn’t expect your kids to start at college, why expect your dog to cope with a groom the first time they go to a groomer.

It’s the groomers job I hear you cry! While many groomers do now have a puppy programme and can help you introduce your puppy to the grooming environment in a safe manner it is always the puppies guardians who are responsible for their care and that includes brushing at home.

So how do YOU start to train your puppy for the trip to the groomers……………

Just like you would with any training you need to make it short and fun for your little one, they learn better in short bursts, whether this is learning how to sit or how to accept a brush, short and sweet is the key. Probably no more than 5 minutes at a time to start.

So, first things first – Grab some puppy friendly treats a brush and or comb a metal spoon and a towel. You don’t want to be rushing off when you have puppy already do you?

When to do this?

You can start as soon as you have puppy home, well let them settle in for the first day but definitely the second day there is no reason you can’t start doing some of this, and when they are sleepy might be a good starting place too.

So where to do this?

Raise puppy up! Puppy will associate the floor as their playground so by raising them up we are showing them that this is not play.

Place the towel onto a worktop or table so puppy doesn’t slip and then place puppy on the towel (do not leave puppy unattended)

Place the brush and comb on the towel with a few treats scattered over and around them and let puppy have a sniff and get the treats, we want them to recognise these items as being good and not scary.

Once pup has had the treats you can start with the brush ( ideally something suited for them) , Holding he brush gently I would start with small gently strokes along the back, giving them a treat if they accept the brush on their back, ideally you will need to brush all over their body, and while they are still young/small you maybe able to do all over but as they grow it will be areas or if you have a large breed then you may need to start with areas.

Once you have brushed, the next stage would be to run a comb through the fur, again treat for accepting the comb as this will have a different feel to the brush, but as this will reach through the fur down to their skin better than the brush it will highlight any tangles that are forming and maybe missed with the brush,

Don’t get frustrated with puppy, just lie with the potty training they are not going to get it on the first time, patience, if they start to bite or misbehave put them down on the floor and do something else with them.

Do not let puppy play/eat the brush or comb, if they want to play give them a time out from the training and have a play with them – on the floor with their toys. This will help to reinforce the fact that grooming is not playtime but is to be treated as a training session. If you ‘play’ with them while you are trying to groom them, they will think this is acceptable as they grow and you will find that cute biting/playing when they were little has turned into nipping as they get older which could cause you to be turned away from groomers as no one enjoys being bitten.

If they are struggling with the 5 minutes break it down to smaller times, do smaller areas then give puppy a break, you want to keep puppy happy and engaged with you, this is a great way to build a bond between you.

Other things to use: -

A metal spoon is a good friend to you and pup, it can help puppy get used to having scissors around their face and eye area, (shiny and safe compared to scissors). Hold the spoon and gently rub the shaft along their nose towards their eyes and up and down no pressure required and slowly, this is to help them get used to having something ‘shiny’ near their eyes.

There are lots of dogs that struggle with having their legs/feet touched but by starting them young you are helping them to understand there is nothing scary, this will also help when they go and visit the vets. Run your hands down their legs, can include their feet, if they accept that you could move onto raising their leg slightly and hold their foot (loosely), a next step you could try would be to run the spoon down the legs over the foot and nails.

Nails can be another tricky area for a lot of dogs but by starting when they are young, they can be much more accepting that this is not a worrying experience.

As they grow you may want them clipped so they look their best, and one great way to get them ready for the clippers is by using an electric toothbrush! By running this along their body it helps get them used to the feel of the vibrations and noise to the clippers used when being groomed. Do this again like how you started with the brush, do in small sections don’t overwhelm puppy but this needs to be done all over their body, head and legs. And when you have them comfortable with their feet being held you can run the toothbrush over their paw pads as if they have hairy feet this will also need to be removed and this can feel strange to them or ticklish.

There is also a really great app you could download called ‘Sound proof puppy training’ it contains lots of sounds that you can play to your pup to help them get used to the noises in a safe and calm environment, ideal for getting ready for fireworks, but there are clipper noises on there, hairdryer which can be helpful for their grooming training as well.

I have a short haired breed or a breed that doesn’t need clipping I don’t need to do this I hear you shout!

Ok so they may not need clipping so maybe you could forget about the toothbrush exercise and metal spoon but all breeds benefit from some form of grooming even the short haired breeds and you will find brushes to suit their coat types, by brushing them you are stimulating their skin, which promotes better blood circulation and this helps to distribute any natural oils throughout the coat to keep it healthy and shiny, it helps to remove any dirt and dead skin as well as loose fur, which can help with shedding so hopefully less on your furniture or clothes, Having regular grooming sessions help you bond with your pet as it is just you and them it allows them to feel close to you and this can be something to enjoy together, also by touching your dog you can check for any irregularities, lumps bumps, parasites or irritations.

And what about a bath? – Im sure you would prefer a fresh smelling pooch to a stinker so getting them used to a bathing routine would help. Not many groomers actually ‘bath’ the dog it is usually a case of the dog standing in a bath and a shower is used, then you have the drier these have a lot more power than yours at home so starting them with a hand drier is a good way to go, never just direct it at their faces, and if you have a curly coated breed and wash them at home pat the coat rather than rubbing dry, this helps to stop the coat from getting tangled, and if you want to use the drier on them start with the drier on their back, maybe sitting with puppy on your knee, this can help them feel more relaxed and drying from behind them can be less stressful for them.

Hopefully this has given you a quick insight into how you can help your puppy cope at the groomers rather than thinking, oh they’ll just get used to it.