Grooming for every puppy is an absolute must!  Even though your new puppy cannot visit the grooming salon until after he/she has received all of their vaccinations you can begin to familiarise them with the feelings and sensations of being groomed long before this. 

Show your puppy his brush & comb. Let him sniff and play with it a few seconds. Brush his coat a few times and then reward your puppy with a small treat and verbal praise.  Do the same with the comb.  Each day increase the number of brush and comb strokes. After the first week, you should be able to do the brushing AND combing in a short period of time.

It is a natural instinct for dogs to pull their feet away when they are touched, which can make nail clipping and pad trimming very stressful.  To desensitise your pup’s feet make sure that you touch them and rub your fingers between the toes a couple times a day as part of your play/snuggle sessions.  This will make nail clipping and pad trimming easier and your groomer, your vet and in the long run, your precious pet, will love you for this. 

Play with your puppy’s ears, by touching them on the inside & outside. Afterwards, reward him with lots of praise and a small treat.  This is important because so many breeds require the hair be plucked from their ears and this is procedure is right up there with nail clipping on the doggy scale of ‘most hated’.

It is also very important to familiarise your pup with having fingers in and around his mouth.  Gently pull back your puppy’s lips and tell him what beautiful teeth he has, lots of praise! You can also gently open your puppy’s mouth and look down into the back of their mouth.  This will help with teeth cleaning and dental checkups.  Remember – do not allow mouthing or biting and praise calm behaviour.

Once your puppy has full vaccine cover I would recommend that they come visit us. Puppies naturally want to befriend new people and a quick visit to say hello and to stand on the table for a quick brush through and snuggle while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the salon is a wonderfully positive experience.  I do not charge for this service.

When your puppy is ready for their first haircut or bath we will organise a puppy pamper session.  This will be a very gentle introduction to the full grooming process.  This session will include a brush out, ears plucked and cleaned, nails checked and trimmed, then a warm bath with gentle shampoo, snuggle wrap in warm towels to absorb water and then a gentle blow-dry.  We will finish with a haircut and/or tidy up.  Throughout the process your pup will be snuggled and praised with plenty of loving and gentle encouragement.  I mean, who doesn’t love working with puppies!! 

The cost of this service is €35