Preparing Your Puppy
Simple at-home tips to set your puppy up for a happy first groom.
A dog's experience in the grooming salon starts well before they step foot in the door. It starts at home — with a little training and some gentle desensitisation sessions that help your puppy learn that being handled, and hearing grooming sounds, is nothing to worry about.
⏰ Start early
It's important to get your puppy groomed at an early stage — ideally at around 12–16 weeks of age, once they've completed their vaccinations. A puppy's first experiences at the groomer shape their relationship with grooming for the rest of their life, so early, positive exposure is essential. A puppy who learns young that grooming is safe and rewarding grows into a dog who's relaxed and happy on the grooming table.
🦴 Treats, pats & rewarding calm behaviour
Positive reinforcement is the key to every tip below. Keep treats close by and reward your puppy with lots of pats, praise and positive affirmation whenever they stay calm. Approached the right way, your puppy will soon start to associate being handled — and the sounds of the salon — with good things. Always work at your pup's pace, keep sessions short, and finish on a positive note.
Touch and inspect
Get your puppy used to being handled all over. Lightly touch between their toes and on their paw pads, and gently hold their paws. Touch their face, lift up their lips, and handle their ears and chin. Run your hand along their tail and touch their nails. Keep it light and playful, and keep sessions short — a minute or two is plenty to start with.
The dry pasta trick
Nail clippers make a sharp chopping sound that can startle a puppy. Try snapping or cutting pieces of dry pasta near your puppy's face so they get used to that sound well before their first nail trim.
Getting used to the dryer
Grooming dryers can be loud, so help your puppy get comfortable with salon sounds by running a hair dryer as close to them as they're comfortable with. That might mean starting with the dryer in the next room. Over days or weeks, gradually increase the intensity by making the dryer louder and/or bringing it closer. Only go as far as your pup can handle — we never want to push them to the point of freaking out, as that can lead to long-lasting fear.
Clipper practice with an electric toothbrush or razor
An electric toothbrush or electric razor is a great way to replicate the sound and vibration of grooming clippers. Turn it on close to your puppy first. Once they're calm, run it side-on (so it can't nick them) along their back and body, then on their head and paws. If they're still relaxed, try gently touching it to the pads of their feet.
Got questions about your puppy's first groom? Get in touch — we're always happy to help.