Grooming Time Line

YOU GOTS ME WET!

I get asked all the time as a groomer in the shop when should I get my puppy/kitten their first grooming appointment and introduce them to baths and haircuts?

Short answer with in the first weeks of receiving your puppy or kitten. That first week is for you to start bonding with your pet but also crucial for them to start learning the "Ins and outs" of what it's like getting groomed and teaching positive experiences so they are less stressed and afraid when they come to the groomers.

The longer answer: Normally when you get a puppy or a kitten its usually at 8 weeks of age which is to young for them to receive their rabies vaccine. Taking them to a grooming salon will verry with how many dogs/cats are in the shop when you bring your puppy/kitten in. On rare occasions some smaller salons will offer one on one where no other dog or cat is present while your puppy/kitten is being served. More common with an extra fee your pup/kitten could be worked "straight through" and reduce risk of exposure to other dogs/cats.

The risk you are taking bringing in a puppy/kitten with little to no shots you are risking exposure to the same thing you are trying to prevent. That's why most vets say keep your puppy/kitten inside until a few weeks after rabies. By that time with the rest of the boosters and other yearly shots your pets immune system is ready to take on the world (for the most part)

How to safely introduce grooming:

This is where mobile grooming can come into play. Though it is a higher price point to have your groomer come to you it is also a session of convenience. You can keep on with your giving me a small moment of your time of expectations of first services and what the end goal may be for you and your pup/cat. You don't have to adjust your scedual to much to accomadate you leaving home or work to drop your pet off at the salon and again to pick up when finished.

Having the groomer come to your reduces exposure massively with one on one care. You have the ease knowing that all equipment and everything touching your pet is clean and sanitized killing most major transferrable germs. Knowing this you can safely schedule your pets first grooms with in the first seven days you bring your pet home.

What to expect:

Once answering your door for the groomer you will introduce your new baby letting the groomer give him/her a treat to show that we are friendly (food is a great motivator. For introducing new people and learning new things). If you have time for your first appointment with Paws Gone Pretty you can see what the environment looks like and see how clean and safe it is for your pet building trust. The more confident you are the more confident the pup/kitten will be. Pets really do feed off of our energy so if you are angry or scared so is your pet making the groom more challenging.

If your pet requires a haircut we will talk about what your hopes are and what to expect for first grooms. Half of the time we can jump right in to hair cuts the other half we need to wait for the second appointment. The millage varies form pet to pet and we don't know exactly what we are able to do until the service starts.

If your pet is a little shy and afraid of the clippers during the initial introductions to them through pad shaving and sanitary clip then we will stick with just a nice bath and brush letting them get used to the feeling of the clippers on and around their bodies. If they will take the treat we will offer it during the learning and exposure to the clippers. But don't be alarmed if your baby refuses the treat because there is so much going on around them they may have no interest in it. Some babies require up to 3 sessions before we can move on to haircuts other just one.

Set up for success:

After the first 48 hours (playing, cuddling, basic training etc...), Grab your human clippers or a clean electric tooth brush and rub the body of the device gently along your babies bodies. Offering a first a high reward treat showing them that it's a safe thing to be around. When they are not wiggling or trying to run away from the clippers if they are a little to scared you are offering them that treat.

So:

• Wiggly and trying to run away = No treats and vocals only such as "Shhhh.... It's ok." and "who's being so brave" or "your just fine" depending on your prefrence of course. but stay confident and calm within your ownself.

• Staying calm and mostly still = for the first few months high reward treats gradually moving down to basic treats to maybe no treats during the process and relying on praises (all depending on the babies personality) . It's ok if treats say a consistent thing too.

These two things hold all the same for nail clipping as well when it comes to holding the paw and gently applying pressure on the pad where the nail sits. Doing this will set your baby up for better success in grooming and can achieve your goals for grooming in the long run. We look forward to working with you and your new addition to your family.