How you introduce a puppy for grooming will either prepare them or break them...
Puppies are not blank canvases which means that not all of them are going to be the confident, bouncy little hair balls we envision them to be prior to picking them up and bringing them home.
Some puppies are incredibly sensitive, some puppies lack in confidence, some puppies suffer terrible health defects causing them considerable pain and some puppies can display aggressive behaviours from as young as a few weeks old.
This means that we ought to be mindful when considering how best to care for a puppy to ensure that their very specific needs are met and since I am a groomer I would like to cover three important tips to get you putting your best paw forward.
#1 - Prepare Well
There used to be a common misconception that grooming need not be thought about until a puppy is around 6 months of age however a 6 month puppy is actually a hormonal teenager, and by waiting this long you will have all but lost the window of socialisation crucial for successful preparation!
The truth is, grooming is something that presents itself to a puppy from the moment they are born - their mother will perform a range of grooming behaviours on her pups to clean them and make sure they are comfortable. As the pups grow, they will instinctively begin to perform allo-grooming behaviours on one another as well to bond with one another. Understanding what grooming actually is might help us to appreciate this tip more.
But grooming introductions should be a constant activity in a puppy's life irrespective of whether aesthetically, they are in need of a good trim because it will help to get them used to being handled, being health-checked and eventually, being groomed and styled.
Grooming should be incorporated into any physical handling of a puppy by breeders, carers and other pet professionals throughout the very early stages of a pups life. For example, an ear check here and reward, a mouth check there and reward, a stroke down the front leg and reward, a stroke of the paws and reward, and so on.
Finally, introduction to the professional grooming environment should be pre-planned well in advance so that a puppy is able to visit at least a few times before any strenuous grooming tasks are required (this is as early as a puppy is safe to venture outdoors). You can learn how to choose the right grooming establishment for your dog here.
This leads me on to my next tip...
#2 - Secure Base
Puppies are quite like children. Mainly because they too, rely on feeling safe in the environment around them.
In grooming terms, creating environmental safety can be as simple as allowing a puppy to explore the grooming space without expectations while both groomer and dog carer sit back and observe. In psychology terms, the dog carer is a puppy's 'secure base' which means having carer present for the initial sessions can help make the session less threatening to the pup.
These sessions can be set up from the perspective of a dog by preparing an ACE Freework session which can really help to encourage the puppy to use his limbs and nose to dig, forage and rummage through various obstacles providing mental enrichment.
Once a puppy has successfully decompressed to the environment around them, the groomer can progress onto the next step of the desensitisation process through the introduction of various grooming-related tools, objects and sounds ready for the next step.
#3 - Start Small
When a puppy has been carefully introduced to the various devices used in a typical grooming session, they can be gradually introduced to the process of grooming and how it all pieces together.
The most important part of this step is to start small - failing to take time initially will result in various problems long-term including unnecessary stress. It is imperative that a puppy is given the time needed to process the process and learn for themselves that there is nothing to fear.
Splitting up a typical grooming session into smaller, more manageable chunks through weekly appointments will help to do this effectively, and many holistic groomers now integrate 'puppy introductions' into their salons because of how great they are at achieving cooperation.
Basically, it is unwise to throw a puppy in the deep end and expect them to withstand an entire grooming session from beginning to end until they have build up enough positive experiences with being handled in that context.
Keeping in mind that puppies have shorter attention spans, weaker bladders, teething problems and tend to miss their dog carers more due to their vulnerability.
References:
To learn more about puppy grooming why not look at my 'Steps for Cooperative Puppy Grooming' webinar.
For read more about ACE Freework for dogs click here.
To learn more about holistic grooming protocol why not check out my book, 'The Magic of Holistic Grooming' available to buy on Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and Dogwise Book Publishers.
To learn more about 'Secure Base' check out this amazing study here.
Comments