Pet grooming is essential to keep your dog’s health and hygiene in check. However, some pups may get high anxiety at grooming sessions. In this article, you’ll find the best tips for preparing for your next grooming session below.
1. Set Things Up At Home
Before taking your dog for a grooming session, learning your pet's personality at home would be very beneficial to understand their anxieties and odd behaviors.
Try to handle your dog similarly as the groomer does. Set your canine friend on an elevated surface, such as a table, and practice the following tips:
- Pat your dog and cuddle it up and down its legs
- Fondle your puppy’s face, mouth, and ears
- Give your dog a firm brush over its face, legs, and body
- Be gentle on your puppy’s tail and give a massage to its toenails.
Using an electric toothbrush to emulate the same noise your pup will hear during a grooming session would be very helpful.
2. Be Regular With Your Pet Grooming Sessions
Don’t wait for too long before taking your puppy to a grooming session. Ideally, you want to groom your puppy before it reaches 16 weeks of age. Puppies of this age group are easy to train and well-behaved.
3. Continue With Your Pet Grooming
Once you’ve received your first grooming session, you should wait for 6-8 weeks before the next session. Meanwhile, you should follow these tips to set your puppy at peace in the next sessions.
- Regardless of its breed, brush your puppy twice daily to prevent shedding, reduce matting, and maintain its haircut. Brushing will save your puppy from getting expensive conditioning treatment.
- Clean your dog’s ears frequently, at least once every month. Take an ear-cleaning solution and put it on a cotton ball. Use the cotton ball on the outside area of the puppy’s ear before going to cleanse its inner folds.
- Trim your dog’s toenails before they touch the ground. Longer nails can put your puppy at risk of bad health and cause joint pain. If you’re afraid to trim your dog’s toenails by yourself, regular walks on a concrete surface will produce similar results.
The Bottom Line
The tips mentioned above will prepare your pet to get the next grooming session with ease, which will positively affect its health and boost your companionship with your puppy.