# When to start grooming?



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

It is pretty tough to do much grooming on a young pup. It is good to keep doing it yourself in short sessions of a few minutes to get the pup used to being handled. It is also good to handle the paws to get them used to it for when you need to trim the nails. I don't think I would take a dog to a groomer until they are at least a year old.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

I'd start him now so that he will learn to be comfortable and have a good experience. Find a groomer who will bath, brush, time nails, and tidy feet.


----------



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Mine has never been to a groomer and she is 8 years old. I trim excess hair around her toes, some around the ears, and have the vet trim her nails. I will do some nail trimming as needed. I bought an electric hair clipper at Walmart for $25 and it does a pretty good. Of course I brush her a few times a week and that helps.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

msdogs1976 said:


> Mine has never been to a groomer and she is 8 years old. I trim excess hair around her toes, some around the ears, and have the vet trim her nails. I will do some nail trimming as needed. I bought an electric hair clipper at Walmart for $25 and it does a pretty good. Of course I brush her a few times a week and that helps.


 
What do you use the electric clipper on?


----------



## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

I'll start taking them to a groomer at a young age to get them use to being around noisy machines. Shelley got her first grooming experience by a proffessional at 5 months old.


----------



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> What do you use the electric clipper on?


She has very fine hair on top of her ears and it does a good job of cleaning that up. The clippers has extensions so it's just like combing her hair and cuts at the same time. Similar to what some barbers use. And I use it sometimes to thin out her hair under her ears as that area gets a little thick and messy looking. Also helps to cut the hair around ear canal so her ears can breathe better. Sometimes the vet does this. And the clippers help to clean up excess hair on top of her feet. 

I don't cut a lot, just enough to give her a cleaner look. I can't say it looks as well as groomer would do, but she sure gets a lot of compliments from the average person on the street.


----------



## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

msdogs1976 said:


> She has very fine hair on top of her ears and it does a good job of cleaning that up. The clippers has extensions so it's just like combing her hair and cuts at the same time. Similar to what some barbers use. And I use it sometimes to thin out her hair under her ears as that area gets a little thick and messy looking. Also helps to cut the hair around ear canal so her ears can breathe better. Sometimes the vet does this. And the clippers help to clean up excess hair on top of her feet.
> 
> I don't cut a lot, just enough to give her a cleaner look. I can't say it looks as well as groomer would do, but she sure gets a lot of compliments from the average person on the street.


 
It sounds like you are doing with clippers what I do with thinning shears.


----------



## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Pointgold said:


> It sounds like you are doing with clippers what I do with thinning shears.


Maybe so. Mine is something like this.

http://wahlanimal.premiumstore.com/details/15107-2258/Wahl-Home-Pet-9160-503.html


----------



## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

Gilmour is starting to develop his Golden Coat on his body, but his head and ears are all still fluffy puppy stuff.

I'm trying to get him used to brushing, but he's having none of it so far. All he wants to do is play and use the brush as a new chew toy LOL


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

If he's unruly at home during grooming, I'd fix that w/ training before handing him off to someone else. You want grooming to be a good experience. The goomer's job is to get it done; they don't always worry about the dog's take on the "experience." I hate to see dogs being man-handled by groomers, but that often has to happen when the dog hasn't been taught to enjoy (or tolerate) grooming and the groomer has a schedule to keep.


----------



## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

Shelley use to think of the brush as a chew toy too all i did was everytime she went to chew on the brush while i was trying to brush her i would tell her No then continue brushing. It took a few weeks but she finally stoped trying to chew the brush and started enjoying it.


----------



## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

Figured I would revive an existing thread rather than start _another_ new one.

At what age do you find the brushing/bathing at home gets easier? Our puppy is 3 months old and while he "tolerates" bathing.....doesn't love it yet (he's only gotten 2 so far) but he usually lets us do what we have to do. Even drying isn't that bad, we will just wrap him up in a big towel and go dry-crazy....he thinks it is a game. 

My most sever problem is.......he *despises* the brush. I can't get it anywhere near him without him wanting to bite it!

I know this is just because he is a puppy - yet I want to get him used to the brush now while he is young. When do you find that your pups started to like the brush? At this point he just doesn't know any better.....i'm hoping at some point when he is more mature he will be able to settle down and realize "oh wow, that feels good!" I'm just not sure when that happens LOL

Thanks
Tom


----------



## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

Start as young as possible. When they are babies get them used to the bathing, brush and having their nails clipped. Teach them to stand and stay with a possitive experience....treats, rewards. If you are not going to do it yourself find a groomer that you want to use. Ask them if you can just stop by for a few minutes and put them on the table, reward, brush, praise and end the grooming. Just as it is said to stop by the vet once while for a possitive experience you can build the relationship with the groomer in the same manner. Just make sure they have all their shots to visit a groomer. I would also find a groomer that is not scissor happy. Don't let them clip you dogs beautiful coat or feathers.


----------



## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

MGMF said:


> Start as young as possible. When they are babies get them used to the bathing, brush and having their nails clipped. Teach them to stand and stay with a possitive experience....treats, rewards. If you are not going to do it yourself find a groomer that you want to use. Ask them if you can just stop by for a few minutes and put them on the table, reward, brush, praise and end the grooming. Just as it is said to stop by the vet once while for a possitive experience you can build the relationship with the groomer in the same manner. Just make sure they have all their shots to visit a groomer. I would also find a groomer that is not scissor happy. Don't let them clip you dogs beautiful coat or feathers.


Thanks MGMF

In your experiences, when do you find that your dogs started to accept and/or like the brush? 6 months? a year? never? LOL


----------



## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

I start them when they are babies. If they are home grown pups from us they are brushed or handled very little only a few weeks. I do nails every week until they go home. They are on the grooming table being brushed for a few weeks before they go home. I have never had one that doesn't love to be brushed. All my dogs here will push for attention if I have a brush in my hand. If my grooming table is up I will find my Riley sleeping on it. She loves her grooming time. If they are not from here I start as soon as I get them. Brushing becomes as good as a belly rub. You will find my whole family on the floor with a goldy on their lap brushing them....they love it.


----------



## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

thanks for the reply

I guess my pup didnt see much of the brush before we brought him home at 8 weeks. he thinks its another chew toy and wants to chomp chomp chomp right now. we are persistent and keep trying to brush him, with treats and positive vibes always nearby.

I hope once he matures a bit and settles down he will realize that the brush feels good and is not a chew toy. At this point EVERYTHING is a chew toy haha


----------



## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Most puppies do try to play with the brush.

Have your puppy standing. Pet his shoulder. If he's still, feed a treat. Pet a bit more. treat. pet a little more. treat. Repeat. pet down to his elbow. treat. pet a little tiny further down his leg. treat. If he's too wiggly at any point, stop and do an easier rep or try again at a different time of day. And thne repeat with the brush in hand. 

It's super easy if you know what you're doing. Maybe ask your puppy class instructor?

In the meantime, google search for "Tuckers Nail Trim" and use the same sort of process for brushing.


----------



## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

RedDogs said:


> Most puppies do try to play with the brush.
> 
> Have your puppy standing. Pet his shoulder. If he's still, feed a treat. Pet a bit more. treat. pet a little more. treat. Repeat. pet down to his elbow. treat. pet a little tiny further down his leg. treat. If he's too wiggly at any point, stop and do an easier rep or try again at a different time of day. And thne repeat with the brush in hand.
> 
> ...


hahaha "it's super easy if you know what you're doing" : Sorry I just found that funny

I'm trying to edumicate myself to the point where I at least _think_ I know what i'm doing lol. I like your technique, I will give that a shot. I'll talk to the instructor and see what she says too!

I kind of figured it was not uncommon for the pup to react this way, but hey I'm up for anything I can do to make it a less stressful process

Thanks!!!


----------



## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

Jaro, 6 months, is at the groomer as I write this. This is his 3rd visit to her. We took him first to meet and greet when he was about 12 weeks and she just trimmed his nails, let him walk around her place, hear the bad noises she makes etc and she did not charge us (we had been using her with our previous boy for 8 years). We plan on taking him to see her every other month, and the other months we go to the do it yourself dog wash at Pet Supplies Plus. Oh, like RedDogs said brushing is easier if you treat them while doing it, we usually use peanut butter on a spoon for brushing and nail trimming--but it does take two people one to hold the spoon and one to work


----------



## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Speaking of clippers, i have a set, i use on the dogs, they are made for humans, i see that they make them for dogs, but since i see them on line , is there really a difference. Also, what brand name thinning shears does every one use?


----------



## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

NuttinButGoldens said:


> Gilmour is starting to develop his Golden Coat on his body, but his head and ears are all still fluffy puppy stuff.
> 
> I'm trying to get him used to brushing, but he's having none of it so far. All he wants to do is play and use the brush as a new chew toy LOL


I know what that's like! Obie thinks the brush is fun, especially the little prickly bits and he tries to poke them with his nose, then jumps back and curls his lip up when it "pricks" him, and then it's all game from there. Zukes are always a good distraction.


----------

