Prep Your Puppy For Grooming
Written by Vania Velotta of K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming and adapted for use for Sandy's Grooming Spa by Sandra Seaman.
I want grooming to be as stress-free as possible. To that end, I’ve compiled a list of things you can do at home to make grooming less strange and frightening to your puppy.
1. Never let go.
This is the cardinal rule of puppy prep. When you decide to hold your puppy’s feet, ears, tail, chin, or whatever, do not let your puppy jerk out of your grasp. Never release your hold when your puppy is arguing or fussing with you. Use your other hand to add more control so he doesn’t pull against you so hard he hurts himself, but always wait until he is calm before you release him.
Your puppy may struggle, pull, scratch at you, yell, or try to bite you but you must be strong! If you let go on their terms, they will learn that fighting works. If you hang on, they’ll learn that fighting does not work. And pretty quickly they’ll see that nothing bad is happening and they’ll stop fighting your touch. How much your puppy is likely to fuss will vary, but how you deal with it will make the difference between a future of calm, happy grooming experiences and frustrating, scary ones.
2. Hold your puppy’s hand.
I mean this quite literally ‘all dogs are instinctively protective of their feet. The more you handle your puppy’s paws, the more comfortable she’ll be when it comes time to groom her feet and nails.
You’ll also want to play with her ears (most dogs enjoy a nice ear massage), poking your fingers around, rubbing, and tugging gently. If you have electric clippers at home, try to get her comfortable with their noise. Turn them on in the room while she’s eating her food or playing or doing other fun things. Start with them far enough away that they don’t startle her and slowly move them closer as she gets used to them.
Get your puppy used to having her chin hair held, too. Groomers do this while they’re working around the face and eyes to help keep the dog’s head still so they are less likely to by injured by sharp scissors or clippers. Feed your puppy tiny bits of something she really likes (tic tac sized bits of cheese work well) so that she will be less likely to try to pull away and start to associate the chin-holding with a nice treat. If she does fuss, blowing gently in her face can sometimes distract her enough to stay still.
Remember Rule #1. Never let go! Wait until your puppy is calm and still before you release her.
3. Learn the language.
Teach your puppy to stand still as soon as possible. Hold your hand under her belly and say the word, ‘stand.’ Simply hold her there until she stands calmly for a few seconds. Then release her and tell her she did a good job! Many puppies will instinctively try to lay down when you put your hand under their bellies. Just hold them there gently but firmly until they put their feet down and stand on their own without wiggling or trying to walk away.
I also like puppies to know the word, ‘relax.’ It’s easy to teach. When your puppy is being calm and quiet say, ‘good relax’ in a soothing, relaxed voice. When you think she’s made the connection between the word and the state of mind, trying using the word as a command when you want her to calm down. I also use the word ‘settle.’
Another great word is ‘focus.’ That means I want the dog to look at me and pay attention. Sometimes I say it waggling my pointer finger in front of my eyes to show them what I want. When they look at me, I say ‘Good puppy!’ in a fun, squeaky voice.
4. When in doubt, do nothing.
You can teach your puppy bad habits if you are not consistent or improperly using these techniques (remember rule #1). If you’re not sure you’re handling your puppy the right way, or if she seems to be getting fussier instead of calmer, let the professionals handle it. Don’t handle her feet, her ears, brush her, or make her listen to the electric razor.
Just enjoy her company and let the groomer handle the training. If your puppy sees her groomer monthly and isn’t taught any bad habits at home, she’ll learn quickly enough to accept grooming in a calm and comfortable way for life.
5. Be the boss.
All of the above rules apply to bathing, brushing, and combing. Be calm, be kind, and be consistent. Do not let your puppy decide when your grooming session begins or ends or how it will go. The less nonsense you accept, the happier your dog will be in the long run; confident, comfortable, and calm.
6. Don’t train fear.
Never comfort a puppy that seems anxious. It might be counterintuitive and maybe even seem mean, but comforting is the worst possible thing you can do! You wouldn’t reward your puppy for peeing on the carpet. Don’t reward your puppy for being afraid!
Comforting an anxious dog reinforces their anxious state of mind.
Comforting trains a dog to be afraid. Some dogs are naturally more anxious or calm than others, but you can help her by resisting the urge to kiss and cuddle her when she is nervous about something. Whenever you take your dog somewhere like the grooming shop, the vet or the boarding kennel make as little fuss as possible. Be calm. Be confident. Don’t comfort your baby and make her think something horrible is going to happen to her! Say, ‘goodbye, love ya, have fun!’ and let her ‘relax!’
Written by Vania Velotta of K9 Design Dog and Cat Grooming and adapted for use for Sandy's Grooming Spa by Sandra Seaman.
Sandy's Grooming Spa specializes in dog grooming and cat grooming
serving pet owners through out Rockingham County.
