What to Expect When You’re Expecting…a Puppy

So, you’re getting a puppy…how exciting?! I’m sure you’ve been researching everything you’ll need, from collars and leashes to kennels and pee pads to food and treats; I know I did when I got my puppy. It can get overwhelming with so many things to think about. Not to mention, on top of your puppy’s first few vet visits, you still have to schedule their first groom! Let me take some of the guesswork out of the equation for you.

You’ll want to schedule your puppy’s first groom for after their first or second round of shots, typically when they are around 12 weeks old. But, they won’t get a haircut their first time at the grooming salon. Instead, they’ll get what we at Blossom Pet Salon call a Puppy Introduction, or Bath & Tidy. This is a great option for their first professional experience! It allows them to be slowly and positively introduced to the new stimuli of the grooming process. The groomer will introduce your puppy to the bath, the dryer, brushes, clippers, nail trimming, and more! And we know that hair by their eyes grows fast, so we make sure to trim that up, as well as the hair around their feet and sanitary areas. Most puppies need one or two Puppy Introductions before they are ready for their first big kid haircut! Schedule their second Puppy Introduction or their first haircut 2-4 weeks after their first grooming appointment.

You’ll want to make sure that professional grooming becomes normal and consistent as your pup grows. This sets them up with the best chance to be confident and successful with grooming. Plus, grooming for well-behaved, confident pets often costs less than grooming for pets who develop behavioral issues due to infrequency! We recommend monthly grooming as your pup is growing. Then, when they are about a year old, talk with your groomer about what haircut fits your lifestyle and desired look. While most dogs should get groomed every 4-8 weeks, your groomer can help you craft a schedule customized to your goals, whether that’s a certain haircut length or budget restrictions.

Now that we’ve set up a schedule for professional grooming, let’s talk about what you can do at home to set your puppy up for success. Whether your dog is at the vet, the grooming salon, or daycare, they will need to be handled. Handling can involve touching, moving, or manipulating any part of your pet’s body. For example, the vet may need to lift your dog’s lips to look at their teeth; the groomer may need to pick up a paw to trim a nail; a daycare attendant may need to grab your dog’s collar. My goal is to help you learn how you can normalize handling for your puppy, so when it happens in the real world your pup isn’t surprised or scared, but confident and comfortable!

Training and desensitization with puppies is best in short sessions. Grab some treats, toys, or something your pup loves and set aside just 5 minutes. You can practice these short sessions just before their evening meal, while you’re watching TV, or whenever works best for your schedule. Start by petting them and touching them all over their body, rewarding them as you do so. Then move on to touching and rubbing their ears, feet, and tail. Don’t forget to reward them! You should be rewarding any neutral or positive reaction your puppy has to this handling. As your puppy gets for comfortable, start rubbing in between the toes, by the face and eyes, and even lifting legs and holding paws.

At this point, your puppy has probably started nibbling on your hand. That’s ok! Puppies investigate and explore things with their mouth. Your puppy might also be feeling some frustration with all of this new handling. Have no fear, you’re there to help them work through those big feelings. If you’re rubbing a paw and your puppy starts biting, stop rubbing, but keep holding the paw. You can try to distract them with a treat or simply wait a few seconds to see if they will stop biting on their own. Once they offer the behavior you want—in this case, they would stop biting—reward them by letting go of their paw. After all, that’s what they were trying to communicate with their mouthy behavior, they wanted the rubbing of the paw to stop.

Practice handling different parts of their body in short, frequent sessions. Over time you can build up the duration of how long you handle a certain body part. The next step will be to introduce tools into the handling experience. You can use brushes, combs, a spoon, or even an electric toothbrush (to mimic the sound and vibration of a clipper). Follow the same steps as above and go slow. Remember, we want neutral or positive reactions from your pup. Introducing too much at once can cause a lot of frustration in your puppy, so always check in and pay attention to your dog’s body language. If you’ve had multiple failed attempts in a row, you might be going too fast. Slow down and take a step back. Maybe you can’t touch them with the electric toothbrush yet, but you can have it near them while you pet them.

Soon enough you’ll have a dog who is comfortable and confident with being touched. And you’ll both be handling pros! So next time they go to the vet or the groomer, it will be more familiar to them. They’ll have so many positive instances of handling, that the once scary vet visit or grooming appointment will be a piece of cake! Frequent repetition is the secret to brave, confident dogs; and the process starts right at home with you and your puppy.

Book a Puppy Introduction today and get started on a confidence-building journey! Or reach out to us with any questions you have!

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