Taking your puppy to be groomed for the first time is a celebratory occasion. The first experience your puppy has at the groomers sets the tone for how they feel about the grooming process for the rest of their life.
You will want to make sure they are calm, collected and to enjoy the indulgent services that the day spa provides in treatments.
Puppies learn so much at a young age and it is during this young age you MUST give them these experiences in abundance, to improve their disposition in life. The Grooming Experience is one of these.
We recommend your puppy to start their first visit upon their second vaccination. Normally at 12 weeks of age. Consider booking the same day as the vaccination with your vet and with the day spa for a nice introduction Wash and Dry experience to the day spa. We love our puppies visiting us at this age.
What you can do at home prior a visit.
What you can do to help your puppy before their visit to the day spa is to give them some training at home. We suggest you make a daily training habit of;-
Handling techniques - Play with their toes, under pads and holding their ankles.
Inspect their ears, stick your finger in and wiggle around. Pluck a small amount of of the hair in the inner canal and give them plenty of praise and treats to reward good behavior.
Hold onto their chin and whiskers to keep them secure. This is to simulate when we have scissor around their eyes and we need to keep them safe and secure to do so.
Practice all these techniques elevated on a table. On the table is off-to-work whereas in your lap or on the floor is play time.
Get them use to the sensation of the wash. Start with washing in the sink with a bucket of water running over their backs. Leave washing their heads until they become comfortable with the process.
Very important to get them use to the blow dryer. Always start at the rump/bum of the puppy and slowly work your way closer to the head. The rump/bum is non threatening to the puppy, as they become more accustom to the noise of the blow dryer then you can work closer towards the head.
Getting the puppy use to the noise of the blow-dry is so important as this also desensitizes them to other noises that are out there in their environment. For example the vacuum, the lawn mower etc etc.
Brush, brush and then brush some more. Truly it is far easier to give your puppy a quick 2-5 minute brush each night than to save it till the weekend. By then the coat is stiffer and harder to straighten out and we all know you have better things to do on your weekend than a good hour of brushing.
Brush your puppy just prior their dinner. Plan just extra the 2-5 minutes it will take to give them a quick slicker. Then a big praise and rewards by giving them their dinner afterwards. This is a great way to train them into being brushed.
Most breeds will transition in coat texture. Puppy Fluffy coat is easy to manage and starts from birth up to around 8 months of age. From 8 months to 1 1/2 years is Adolescent stage and is a complete nightmare to maintain a longer coat. It is suggested to have a shorter haircut style during this stage to minimize the discomfort of knots, matts and tangles. From then on they will be in Adult coat which is much easier than Adolescent stage but not quite as easy as the Puppy Fluff stage.
THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS NO GROOMING OR LITTLE GROOMING and then send them to the day spa. There is nothing as disheartening as seeing a 8-12 month old puppy visiting the day spa whose hair and coat is beyond correcting, knots, matts and so tangled that all that can be achieve is a shave off.
BOOK NOW you puppies first visit to Puparazzi Day Spa
To help you with you needs, we offer info sheets on the importance of regular grooming and puppies first visit.
We welcome your puppy to start visiting us at a young age to become accustomed to the puppy grooming process. Baby steps slowing introducing them to each stage of the puppy grooming process.
Please call in or phone us to discuss.
We strongly suggest you enrol your puppy in a local Puppy Classes. There are many around you can choose from.
Some key points for Puppies 1st Visit - puppy grooming
Starting at a young age is crucial. 12 weeks of age is ideal.
Puppies learn the most during 6-16 weeks
Start with handling techniques
Train your puppy to be accustom with the Dryer, Hose, Clipper etc
Puppies will need their 2nd vacc prior visiting the salon around 12 weeks of age.
All services provided depend on Size, Temperament and Condition of Coat. We can only work with a dog that will allow the service to be done. Some Services listed below may not be applicable.
