Starting off on
the Right Paw:
Grooming & Your Puppy
....................................................................
It is so exciting to bring home a puppy!
With all the focus on house training, socialization and teaching basic obedience and manners, it is easy to put your pup's grooming needs on hold for the first few weeks ... but it is not a good idea!
Whether your pup is a breed that will need professional grooming every six to eight weeks, or if it has a short coat and will only need an occasional bath and a nail trim, your pup will benefit from visiting the groomer before it reaches three months of age.
Why? Because it is not about grooming, it is about experience! Your pup needs to learn that the groomer is a great place and groomers are even greater!
At Dodge City Grooming we go to great lengths to ensure that your pup's first visit to our salon is a positive one.
Consider booking an introductory appointment, rather than a full grooming, one week after you bring your puppy home.
Puppy's introductory appointment will include:
- Lots of treats, kisses and positive re-enforcement
- A brief introduction to the tub, grooming table, clippers and other equipment
- Gentle handling of the paws, ears and face, to help teach puppy to stand still on the grooming table
- Advice on the type of grooming tools you will need and how to properly care for your pup's coat as he or she matures
A 'Heads Up!' With Regard to Vaccinations:
Please note that if your puppy is under 12-weeks of age, and has not received a full series of vaccinations, it is best to carry it from the car into the salon, and back again. While we do sanitize the salon between appointments, many infectious diseases for which your pup will be vaccinated against are airborne and you do not want to put your puppy at risk by walking them anywhere large numbers of dogs frequent.
We believe that your pup's first grooming experience can set the stage
or how it reacts to grooming for the rest of its life.
Make sure that it is a positive one!
The longer you wait to visit the groomer, the more difficult it is
to get them used to the sounds of clippers, blow dryers and other equipment.