Why You Should Start Grooming Your Puppy Sooner Than You Think

Grooming training is sometimes overlooked, but it’s one of the most important areas of training to help puppies succeed in the future. One common mistake is waiting for a puppy’s coat to look overgrown before booking the first grooming appointment. Grooming acclimation training is an important part of a puppy's upbringing and should start as soon as possible, regardless of coat type.

Before Your Puppy’s First Grooming Appointment

Before bringing your puppy to a professional groomer, there are skills you can begin to practice at home. While a professional grooming appointment is very different from the at-home grooming process, it can still be helpful to begin at home right away. Regular brushing and teaching skills related to the grooming process can help prepare puppies for both grooming and routine vet care.

A few minutes of grooming acclimation training a day can make a big difference. Even if you don't work on the training daily, a few times a week is still great. Grooming can be broken down into its different parts. At a grooming salon, a dog will stand on a grooming table for drying and trimming, get into a tub for washing, and move between stations. Dogs will hear dryers and clippers. These are all things that puppies can be exposed to in a positive way to prevent fear later on.

Get our free mobile app

At home, you can begin getting your puppy used to standing still by training a stand stay. When the puppy knows how to hold a stay for a few seconds at a time, you can practice picking up each paw and then rewarding the pup. This helps get the puppy used to the standing and paw handling that will occur during grooming visits.

It can be helpful to practice handling a puppy’s paws at home and to touch each individual nail to help the puppy get ready for nail trimming. Many people will handle a pup’s paws, but find that’s not enough for training. When you can touch each nail, it helps the puppy take one step closer to being comfortable with regular nail trimming. You can use an electric toothbrush around the paws so the puppy gets used to the sound; since it sounds like a nail grinder or a clipper used to trim the hair between the toes.

Teaching Paw Handling and Nail Comfort

Another important grooming step is brushing and combing the coat. Petting puppies while holding a brush is a great foundation for brushing because it helps get them comfortable. When you can pet your puppy while holding the brush and easily touch the brush to your puppy, you can then begin brushing your puppy regularly. It’s important to use the right brush for your puppy’s coat type.

What to Expect at the First Grooming Visit

When it's time to book grooming, it can help to book a meet-and-greet first. The first time you bring your puppy to a grooming salon, there will be new sights and sounds that the pup hasn't experienced before. It's important to book an appointment as soon as possible. Exposing the puppy to the environment without overwhelming the pup is key. Whether you bring your puppy in for a quick visit or book a mini grooming session to start, the key is to hold off on a full groom.

The earlier you get your puppy started at the salon, the easier it will be to start with mini grooming sessions because the coat won’t be matting or in need of urgent grooming yet.

Sometimes young pups go through fear periods. If you notice your puppy is suddenly more nervous about new things or other changes, it's best to hold off on introducing anything new that might be overwhelming.

Building Lifelong Grooming Confidence

Puppy training isn't just about obedience. Real-life skills are what matter most. While there are many factors that contribute to how a dog turns out, such as upbringing and genetic makeup, your role in your puppy’s future is huge. When the goal is to safely bring a dog to the grooming salon and have others handle the dog without it being a stressful experience, a positive start in puppyhood makes a big difference.

Melissa Viera is the owner of MJ's Pet Training Academy in Acushnet.