I thought I’d write a short blog piece on puppies and the importance of getting them groomed from a young age. We get to welcome a lot of puppies at Hareloch and all act very differently depending on their nature, initial upbringing and previous experiences. Some breeds will need a lot more grooming than others throughout their life (so important to research the breed before hand) but it’s really beneficial to introduce ALL dogs to grooming whatever breed or size early on. So when is the best time to begin? Straight away! A bath is always a great start at home to see how they react, we bathed Kite ( our 4 month old retriever – featured above) on day two of collecting him and continued to do so every time he got a bit smelly (which was quite often at the start seens as he liked rolling around in his own wee!) We used a mild puppy shampoo at this stage.

Making sure you handle your puppy as much as possible is also key so touching their feet, paw pads and around face and ears, this really helps with their development in general not just grooming. You can also introduce a brush (check which brush is most suitable first) as early as possible too especially if your dog is long haired, again do this in stages, you can then reward them after with a simple ‘Well done’ or a treat (don’t over do the treats though)

So when do they need to go to a groomers? Again as soon as they are allowed out and have had all their injections, I would 100% advise them to be booked in for a puppy introduction first. This usually consists of a bath, blow dry, brush and nail trim. They also get to check out the salon. It’s really important to start them off positively and in small steps so they adapt to the process. You don’t want to scare them off on day one. In between groomer trips it’s VITAL you continue with grooming at home so handling your puppy lots, brushing if needed and even hoovering around them helps adapt to noises and eventually the groomers hairdryer. The more you do with them now the better, it will not only get them ready for their grooming lifestyle but also in their everyday life of training, socialising and becoming an adult dog. Even if your dog is short haired not needing regular grooming appointments its still really important and will massively aid in their training and progress. A simple nail trim shouldn’t be scary for your dog they should be prepared and not phased by it.

Kite already has had lots of baths at home and of course is in the salon with us every day. At first he wasn’t that keen on water and especially did not like the hairdryer but with time and persistence he now isn’t phased at all! I think even watching us groom other dogs is helping, to him it’s normal now and certainly isn’t scary. Obviously every dog is different and sometimes it does take time but your persistence and patience will pay off in the end so stick with it. The more time you put in to your puppy NOW the better equipped they will be for pretty much anything. Remember YOU’RE in charge, Good luck!

If anyone would like any tips, advice or product recommendations feel free to message us.