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PUPPY
GROOMING
If
you think you might end up taking your dog to the
groomer at any stage in your dog’s life send it to a
groomer as a puppy. I
recommend that you take your puppy to the groomer from 8
weeks of age. Puppy training and socialization classes
start from that age to take advantage of the
developmental stage of the dog. Between 4-16 weeks is
the critical period of
socialisation,
where the dog is open to learning, what happens during
these weeks can greatly affect the behaviour of the dog
when he/she is older, be it good or bad. Puppy grooming
programs need to start then to set them up for a happy
and confident time in the salon. Puppies will have a
degree of immunity to disease, passed on from the
vaccinated bitch as well as having their booster shots.
You are taking a similar risk going to a puppy class at
a veterinary surgery, where sick dogs go, as you are
taking them to a grooming salon. Check with your vet
about how high the incidences of Parvovirus, Distemper,
Hepatitis, etc are in your area so you can make an
informed decision. Confining a puppy from the outside
world for the first few months will be detrimental to
your dog’s development.
First you
need to find a suitable groomer. Groomers that are
members of the Pet Industry Association of Australia
(PIAA) have a national code of practice and a code of
ethics to abide by. Members can be found listed at
www.piaa.net.au or call PIAA on 02 9659 5811.
Groomers that have passed a twenty five point audit of
their salon, or mobile grooming unit can become
accredited members. These audits are implemented by PIAA
executive staff and are re-audited every three years.
Dog owners can have confidence with leaving their dogs
at these businesses. Accredited members can be found at
www.piaa.net.au/page/accredited_member_listing.html
Not all
groomers have an understanding of dog behaviour and
training, in particular a puppy’s needs, nor are they up
to date with modern positive techniques and tools. Some
groomers simply don’t have the experience. By choosing a
PIAA member you have a groomer that agrees to prevent
mistreatment of animals in their care and protect them
from undue stress or discomfort in clean and safe
premises.
There are
steps you can take to prepare your puppy for the
grooming appointment. Start by handling, brushing and
combing your puppy at home yourself. It is important to
handle your puppy’s feet and nails in preparation for
nail trimming. Holding their ear flaps while you look
inside helps for future ear cleaning. Open their mouths,
feel their muzzles and lift their lips to look at their
teeth will prepare them for taking medicine in the
future. Small breeds like the Maltese and ShihTzu need
to be used to having their head held for the safe
scissoring around their eyes and nose. When holding
their heads you can pretend that you are holding a
hamburger, that you don’t want the beetroot to fall out
of onto your brand new white pants. The more you touch,
stroke and restrain your puppy, the less fearful and the
more accepting of grooming they will become. Remember to
keep sessions short and often, make sure there is
something in it for them, like a treat, play time, a
walk or dinner. Once your puppy is happy with that, ask
other people to do the same. Have your puppy familiar
with being on a table for grooming, standing or lying
down to be brushed and combed.
Your puppy
needs to be used to a collar and lead, try not to carry
them everywhere and walk them confidently into the
salon. Your puppy may have started puppy preschool, do
your homework and train those basic commands. It’s
important to involve children in the grooming of their
pet; these sessions should be enjoyable but not have the
atmosphere of a game. Please do not let anyone tease or
“ruff up” a dog with their hands, groomer’s hands are
their livelihood and we don’t like being bitten or
mouthed. If you must rev up a dog use a toy as the tool.
Don’t change your dog’s diet the night before a grooming
appointment; this can have disastrous effects, apart
from being messy, your dog can be off
colour.
Don’t feed your puppy just before the car trip, in case
of car sickness. Try to toilet and exercise your dog
before the appointment. Groomers don’t want the puppy
panting and exhausted but sometimes it helps if some
energy is burned off beforehand. I encourage owners
to bring their puppy’s
favourite
treats, a toy, blanket or something that smells like
home to help them settle in new surroundings.
Firstly,
owners are welcome to see the salon, this gives them
peace of mind knowing where there precious furry family
member will be and what will be happening to them. I
like to know where they purchased their puppy. I find
that pet shop puppies and rescue dogs need more time
allocated and sometimes can’t be completely groomed in
one session. I can’t always do a perfect trim on a puppy
because I would rather aim for perfect grooming
behaviour in the future. Some puppies are sensitive and
groomers need to know when a cry means that they are
nervous, scared or frightened. Some puppies are bold;
they throw tantrums or scream as though you are hurting
them to get out of doing what is asked. I’m sure some
pet shop puppies have learnt to scream and carry on so
that they don’t have to be handled and are put back in
the window box. Either way, don’t be bossy and don’t try
to be dominant, whatever they didn’t like, try it again
just more slowly and gently. Hold them firmly but not
too tight and sometimes you just need to start from the
beginning and insist on simple tasks that they already
know.
My puppy
program starts with a complimentary session of 10
minutes. In this time the puppies have their nails
trimmed and are brushed and combed. They are handled,
kissed, cuddled and have time just sitting on the
grooming table just watching the surroundings and
hearing the sounds of a salon in action. They get treats
and lots of praise while their owners wait outside and
get a taste of leaving their puppy alone somewhere.
Your dog
too can experience a normal happy relaxed time at the
groomers or doggy day spa. Jumping in the bath or up on
the table with tail wagging to be groomed. I have
client’s dogs that have jumped out of the car window
metres
down the road to get to us, they love us so much.
Yours in
Grooming,
Charmaine
Bright
Printed in The Canine Journal March
2006
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