Puppy First groom

khalessi · 12-09-2021 12:17pm #1

Hi my puppy has had all his shots and needs a groom. Any recommendations of groomers or advice to make his first groom a positive experience. Nth Kildare Dublin area Thanks

mary 2021 · 12-09-2021 7:47pm

Puppies do not need to be groomed in the first year as it upsets the coat developement a wash & shampoo is ok but clipping & trimming is not a good thing.

Knine · 13-09-2021 11:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117882187#Comment_117882187

I don't agree. It is a great idea to get puppies used to being groomed while very young. It makes the groomers job a lot easier & a lot more pleasant for the dog. My puppies have a little groom before they even leave their litter mates. Their nails are first clipped at a week old.

Not everybody is able to maintain the long coats of many of the popular small breeds & a coat trim as a puppy is far kinder than a matted adult dog who needs to be muzzled to be groomed

.42. · 13-09-2021 11:50am

groomed is a generic word.

do you mean washed and nails cut or their hair been hand stripped or clipped?

khalessi · 13-09-2021 5:28pm

I just meant a very gentle wash and nails cut. No he doesnt need hair cut maybe a gentle brushing. He is a mixed breed hair not too long blond dachs x cross and ever so tiny

tk123 · 13-09-2021 7:17pm

If you plan on having him groomed as he gets older then introducing a puppy groom now is a great idea. My own pup runs away with the brush if I try to brush him lol 😂

SillyMangoX · 13-09-2021 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117882187#Comment_117882187

Nope nope nope.

get the pups in to the groomers ASAP as soon as they're covered by vaccines. Early socialisation is so so important, especially if they have a lifetime of grooms ahead of them. If you wait til they're a year (why some breeders advise this I’ll never know) you’ll end up with an absolutely petrified dog who will have more of a chance of having a bad first experience of being shaved down short (depending on the breed) due to matting.

I always advise getting in at least two “introductory” grooms before going for the haircut just to get them used to the sights, smells, sounds and feels of being groomed. The difference it makes to their future grooms is night and day if they’ve had a gentle introduction to the process.

As for cutting hair too early, there’s no such thing. Poodles are clipped (face and feet) from tiny babies to keep their shape and it doesn’t damage the hair at all. This old wives tale seems to stem from people clipping their dogs hair around 6/8 months of age and it growing back in different, which it would anyway because that’s the adult coat. Puppy coats can absolutely be trimmed but it may not be as neat as the hair is softer and shows clipper marks easier, plus they’re more wiggly, but it doesn’t damage the coat. Of course this all depends on the breed, certain breeds should be hand stripped and yes clipping will change the coat texture but that would happen at any age you do it, not because they’re under a year. If you were to wait that long for the a lot of the popular breeds around, Bichon, shih tzu, poodles and all the various -oodle / -poo/ -chon crosses, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Ill step off my rant now, apologies to the OP, and my advice would be to research groomers on the IPDGA website :)

anewme · 26-09-2021 10:05am

I didnt know there was IPDGA. Thanks for this information. Ive been sending my little man to a groomer and I did not feel he was done properly. does not help he is wriggly puppy. Hopefully someone from this list is taking on new clients in my area.

MissShihTzu · 15-10-2021 5:09pm

Try leaving a Shih Tzu ungroomed for more than 3 months! Not good...

Grawns · 26-10-2021 11:15am

I'm way to cheap the pay a groomer as I cut my own hair and my families so new standard poodle puppy got his first trim yesterday and a follow up today. He's 13 weeks today and he accepted it pretty quickly. Food and praise. I've been brushing him, touching his teeth, his ears, his eyes, paws etc showing him clippers turned on so that he would be ready for his first groom at a groomers when he's fully vaccinated, 2nd shot due this week. Then i decided feck it, I'll do it myself😂. I'm waiting to do his face now but I've pretty much done the rest so when I do ever eventually take him to a groomers he won't be freaked out. It probably will never happen though.

Grawns · 26-10-2021 11:19am

Before

Grawns · 26-10-2021 11:21am

After

Grawns · 28-10-2021 9:57am

I did his face today, no more what kind of oodle is he! He was nervous but he trusts me and I didn't let it go on for too long. Praise and treats and YouTube videos.

Grawns · 28-10-2021 9:58am

A tangle teaser is marvellous for brushing his coat.

Grawns · 02-12-2021 9:52am

Aged 4 months now. I did his face just now. I try to do a bit every few days to keep him used to grooming. He doesn't really mind his face but he doesn't like me doing his feet. Probably ticklish 😁 I scissored around his head and ears to get the traditional poodle look.

Grawns · 13-01-2022 10:20am

Aged 5 and a half months. Such a good boy. I'm letting his ears grow and just trimming his face and feet lately although he's due a big trim. His feet are important as he would slide all over the kitchen floor without the hair between his pads being trimmed. He's surprisingly quick to dry off after a bath or a splash on the beach with towels or a hairdryer so I'm not in a hurry while it's cold out. He definitely doesn't need a dog coat anyway.

Grawns · 31-01-2022 2:06pm

6 months now, not growing as fast. He had his big trim over the last days. I really think I'm going to have to invest in some fancy clippers as it's quite a chore. I lopped his afro, everyone dismayed! I left his chest, ears and tip of tail. He's a very patient puppy. Face and paws next.

Grawns · 01-02-2022 11:18am

Besties

Grawns · 05-02-2022 1:58pm

Face and front paws shave, will go after bits I missed in a day or so.

Grawns · 07-03-2022 7:23pm

Just gone 7 months now. I use a scissors mostly as I still haven't bought a serious clippers and his coat is very thick and curly but so soft. The guards on the clippers just fly off and he ends up getting an unplanned landing strip😂 Just using clippers on feet, belly and face. Curly hair as I know myself is very forgiving of amateur efforts.

Grawns · 09-03-2022 3:23pm

He's growing up so fast 😍

Grawns · 06-04-2022 9:21am

He's just gone 8 months now. I did his face and back paws yesterday, about 5 to 10 minutes. And I'm just using a big kitchen scissors for the rest of him. He's at about 95% of his height now and has about 80% to 85% of his weight. He's certainly grown a pair but his behaviour hasn't changed yet. He sure is pretty 😁

Grawns · 06-04-2022 12:25pm

Finished his feet so no more sliding around for a few weeks.

Grawns · 25-04-2022 4:43pm

Coming up on 9 months. Gave him a big scissors cut just now. Spent about 15 minutes and he'd had enough.He goes and hides when he's feeling under pressure. I got most of it done and can can snip the odd stray over the next days😁. Had to cut a few tangles out of his ears as he's been on the beach and in and out if the water a good bit and it's getting harder to keep him tangle free. Have ordered the pet tangle teezer but his coat is fine no knots so far, it's just his beautiful ears I worry about.

Grawns · 20-05-2022 1:47pm

Nearly 10 months, he loves the beach so I think he'll be swimming soon. As soon as I go in he will keep going. Definitely better to start keeping his hair shorter as it gets warmer and he gets sandier and wetter! Feet head face body groin all trimmed. The pet tangle teaser is good but It's like any hair if you go to the beach it goes mad so now it's just his ears I have to worry about. His tail doesn't get tangley, I don't know why? Have taken to hosing him off after the beach to get the worst of the sand off and giving him a proper shower every couple of weeks. He doesn't snell doggie.

CrookedJack · 20-05-2022 1:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119090080#Comment_119090080

Love these pictures keep them coming - Do you just shave off the whiskers on his snout?

Grawns · 20-05-2022 2:15pm

Yep, I have just shave them off. He's very patient but he's not a fan. I'm going to keep going until his first birthday anyway 😁

CrookedJack · 20-05-2022 2:33pm

Ever thought of shaving his little afro? wonder what he'd look like?

Grawns · 20-05-2022 8:21pm

If its how his hair looks flat and wet. He'd look like a nerd in a dog suit 🤣

DBB · 20-05-2022 10:06pm

If I may make just a comment or 2 about cutting whiskers... I'm not sure it's such a great idea. I suspect it's uncomfortable for them to be cut because of the nerve endings and musculature at the whisker base below the skin... far more sensitive than normal hair.

I also feel that dogs have whiskers for a reason, and by removing them, we're taking away a sensory ability that we don't really understand, because we don't have them.

Other than that, I also enjoy the updates! Your dog is very handsome altogether 😊

Grawns · 01-06-2022 9:56am

I hadn't really thought about it as he arrived fully shaved. Have done some research and yes it doesn't hurt them but yes but it does stop them from having whatever function and senses the whiskers deliver There are definite prs and cons. I'll probably keep doing it for the moment until he's 1 anyway! as its impossible to trim around them and his face will keep growing hair at a crazy rate.

Grawns · 02-07-2022 3:40pm

IMG_20220616_123648__01.jpg

Hairy boy

Grawns · 02-07-2022 3:42pm

It's one month later and I haven't touched his hair. We went on holidays and he stayed with relatives for 10 days so he's 11 months and 5 days now😁

He's just had a shower so is wet and fluffy

Grawns · 02-07-2022 3:45pm

You can see whiskers!

apache · 03-07-2022 10:34am

You shouldn't cut your dog's whiskers as this can make him less spatially aware and have less confidence. They are there for a reason.

CrookedJack · 03-07-2022 4:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119283559#Comment_119283559

I'd love some evidence for that - it sounds a bit unlikely.

Grawns · 09-07-2022 10:19am

Loving being clipped/scissored

Grawns · 09-07-2022 10:21am

Part dog part rug😂

Grawns · 27-07-2022 6:31pm

I'm one year old hairy treasure😍

SuperBowserWorld · 27-07-2022 6:58pm

Yep, dogs and cats etc have whiskers for a reason. Cutting them is like putting ear muffs, or blinkers on them ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskers

CrookedJack · 28-07-2022 10:04am

I'm not sure the Wikipedia article goes that far as regards dogs, who have much smaller clusters of vibrissal hair. Certainly saying it's like adding blinkers, muffs or will make a dog less confident seems to be over-stating it.

That said I've not read the source studies so feel free to correct me if there are more specifics, I'm genuinely interested, not arguing for the sake of it.

SuperBowserWorld · 29-07-2022 4:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119398302#Comment_119398302

https://www.purina.co.uk/articles/dogs/behaviour/common-questions/why-do-dogs-have-whiskers

I can find loads of links advising against it. here is just one.

apache · 02-08-2022 8:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119404690#Comment_119404690

Just exactly what I said and was rubbished by Crookedjack. Thanks for posting.

CrookedJack · 02-08-2022 9:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119404690#Comment_119404690

Yeah, articles like that that have no references our sources are really just opinion pieces, and I'd be more inclined to trust your opinion than theirs.

I did have a chance to read through the sources on the Wikipedia article, and as I suspected they really don't have any information on canines or give any opinions on the effects of shaving whiskers in dogs.

Most of the science quoted there involves either rodents or marine mammals and highlights that they are quite specialised in their use of Vibbrissae. The only reference I could find to a study of shaving whiskers from a young age was in rats and suggested that the rats compensate using other senses. I'm not sure what can be inferred from that in Dogs.

I do not disagree with you exactly, in fact, I imagine you're broadly correct, I'm just curious as to the science behind it all.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119421349#Comment_119421349

I didn't rubbish you, I was sceptical in a respectful way.