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Questions
- When is your puppy ready for their first full groom?
- Caring for Your puppy's coat before their first groom
- Preparing your puppy for a positive first grooming experience
- Puppy’s first groom
Finally being able to bring your puppy home is an exciting time and there’s a lot to think about. You have to get started with toilet training and work on bonding with your little bundle of fluff. Plenty of things can feel like they’re still far away, like their first walk or puppy groom, but that doesn’t mean there are no preparations to be done. Like most things we expect our beloved pets to do, there’s a learning curve to it. Bathing a dog that’s never been groomed before and just plonking them in the bath rarely goes well, but puppies are great at learning new things. With a little bit of work, you can have them ready to reap all the benefits of a good groom by the time they’re old enough.Â
When is your puppy ready for their first full groom?
Sending your pooch to the groomers for a full groom is such a fun experience. The beautifully smelling and tightly trimmed pooch you get back barely resembles your own! Many dogs enjoy the process of being pampered too but getting them a full groom too early can be stressful. They need time to get used to a lot of the things that happen in a groom. From brushing to bathing, drying and clipping, there are a lot of experiences pushed into a short period that you need to make sure your pup is comfortable with first.Â
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You should not send your pup to a groomer before their adult coat comes in fully. This is usually between six and eight months but some larger breeds will take longer for their coat to mature. For large breeds, it could be up to a year before they have their adult coat but that doesn’t mean they won’t go to the groomers in that time. You still need to take care of your pup’s coat in that period before and get them used to a lot of the experiences. Grooming a puppy can be done at home with some trips to the groomers to get them used to the environment.  Â
Caring for Your puppy's coat before their first groom
Even before your pup can have their first full groom, there are still plenty of things you need to do to keep their fur in tip top condition. If you just let it be for six months and then take them for their first experience at a groomer, the groomer will have knots and maybe even some matting to contend with. This would make a negative experience for your beloved pet and they may not want to go back for another visit. You can get them used to many of the sensations of grooming at home. By the time they have their first professional grooming experience, they’ll already be an old pro! Â
Grooming your puppy at home ranges from getting them used to the bath to regularly brushing their coat. When you bathe your puppy, be sure to use a puppy shampoo that is nice and gentle like The Spa Puppy & Kitten Fresh Baby Powder Shampoo. You can remove any dead coat before their bath and help your puppy learn to enjoy a good brush. If your pup has never been brushed before, a nice and gentle brush like the Four Paws Magic Love Glove is very similar to stroking them while it removes dead coat. It’s not to invasive and very gentle. Once they’re more used to being brushed and they might even enjoy it, you can start to get out old coat with an Ancol Ergo Universal Slicker Brush. Â
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Take it slowly and use lots of rewards. You can try putting toys that they love to play with in the bath or feeding treats in between brushes. The experience should be an enjoyable one and the slower you go, the more chance you have at teaching them to enjoy the extra attention.Â
Preparing your puppy for a positive first grooming experience
If your pup’s first experience in a grooming environment is for their first full groom, they might be in for a bit of a shock. Groomers can be a busy environment with other dogs and lots of new experiences. Before your puppy is ready for their first groom, many groomers will do puppy introduction appointments. These are sessions that get them used to the groomers where they can have a little bath, a brush and usually lots of cuddles and treats. By the time your pup is ready for their first full groom, they’ll be confident and excited to go and visit their new friends at the groomers! Â
While they may not be ready for a full groom, you can still ask groomers to clip nails, trim around their faces and give them gentle puppy grooms to help them get used to it. Making the groomers a positive experience will set them up to enjoy their experience even more. Â
Puppy’s first groom
With patience and proper preparation, your puppy's first groom can be a great experience that sets them up for a lifetime of good grooming habits. Remember to focus on socialization, introduce grooming gradually, and partner with a puppy-friendly groomer. Â
For a fully customisable experience to suit dogs of any age, you can book a session with your nearest Jolly Groomer and get your puppy to love being pampered.