Preparing Puppy for grooming
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- Hold on
When you decide to hold your puppy's feet, ears, tail, chin, or whatever, do not let your puppy jerk out of your grasp. Don't 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. If he fusses while holding a paw etc. wait until he is calm before you release him. (3 seconds, 4 sec, 5 sec, of calm)
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. A good hint is to use a treat to deter their attention from holding their chin, etc.) I use holistic and healthy treats in my salon to train a pup.
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.
If you have an electric toothbrush at home, try to get her comfortable with the noise while she's doing something fun like getting a belly rub, or treats. Start with them far enough away that they don't startle her and slowly move them closer as she gets used to them. Once she is used to the noise bring it closer and closer to her, and eventually rub her back with it while the toothbrush is turned. When she realizes it doesn't hurt, rub it up and down her legs. This will make it easier for the groomer to handle her legs when clipping.
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.
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.
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 toothbrush. 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, 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 who 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 or 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!"
1- Hold on
When you decide to hold your puppy's feet, ears, tail, chin, or whatever, do not let your puppy jerk out of your grasp. Don't 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. If he fusses while holding a paw etc. wait until he is calm before you release him. (3 seconds, 4 sec, 5 sec, of calm)
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. A good hint is to use a treat to deter their attention from holding their chin, etc.) I use holistic and healthy treats in my salon to train a pup.
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.
If you have an electric toothbrush at home, try to get her comfortable with the noise while she's doing something fun like getting a belly rub, or treats. Start with them far enough away that they don't startle her and slowly move them closer as she gets used to them. Once she is used to the noise bring it closer and closer to her, and eventually rub her back with it while the toothbrush is turned. When she realizes it doesn't hurt, rub it up and down her legs. This will make it easier for the groomer to handle her legs when clipping.
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.
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.
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 toothbrush. 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, 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 who 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 or 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!"
