Why You Should Groom Your Puppy From An Early Age

Dogs like predictability and routine. So, the sooner you get them used to activities they're going to experience regularly, the better.

Grooming is an essential element of puppy care. It benefits all breeds by removing loose hair, dander and grime. Regular brushing helps to bring out the natural oils in your puppy's coat too, giving it a healthy sheen.

Read on to find out when to start grooming your puppy and the benefits that grooming from an early age can bring.

A World of Strangers

Experts suggest starting to groom a puppy at home when they're as young as 3 weeks old. They should not be taken to the groomers until they have had all of their vaccinations, usually after 12 – 16 weeks, so ensure you start at home to get them ready for these interactions.

Puppies and dogs are going to come into contact with all sorts of people in their lives, from vets to groomers, to friends and neighbours. Puppies can learn from an early age that all this social interaction is part of everyday life.

Getting Your Puppy Accustomed to New Environments

Grooming has the extra dimension of touch. When you start entrusting your puppy to another person who brushes their coat, you're going to make your puppy less nervous when they get older. That's ultimately going to make your life easier.

There can be a lot going on in a salon. There are unusual noises to get used to and the opportunity to introduce your puppy to bathtime.

Experienced pet owners will often start getting their puppy used to grooming tools such as brushes and combs from a very early age. They'll also begin to gently handle their puppy by regularly touching the ears and paws, for example. This helps them to get used to grooming more quickly as they grow older. This is imperative when considering puppy care.

Checking for Health Issues

Another key benefit of grooming your puppy is that it gives you the chance to spot any abnormalities. These include skin issues from ticks or fleas, dry patches or problems with nails, teeth, ears and eyes.

Spotting the early warning signs of potential health problems straight away makes treating them far easier, with less likelihood of complications further down the road.

When a dog's nails are too long, it can adversely affect their posture. Getting your puppy's nails checked and trimmed ensures they'll be walking and standing correctly during their formative years.

Reducing Anxiety Later on

The bottom line is that ear-cleaning, nail clipping, washing and brushing need to become second nature. As soon as the pup is old enough and fully vaccinated is time to formally introduce your pup to your groomer.

In their first few months, puppies develop the capacity to learn by association. That helps to build confidence. It's the most important time for bonding with humans and so frequent opportunities for socialising are important.

The aim of early grooming is to let your puppy gently experience new aspects of the process of puppy care and get used to whatever you and the groomer previously introduced. The key to puppy training of any type is positive reinforcement. This means using plenty of praise, touch or high-value treats.

It's particularly important to introduce long-haired breeds to grooming from an early age. Their long hair will need longer grooming sessions that may be more intense compared to those of short-haired breeds. They, therefore, need to learn to stand still from a young age.

Start Grooming with Plush Puppy

Plush Puppy has a range of luxury, easy-care products that no groomer or owner should be without. All of our shampoos are suitable to use on puppies as they are full of natural goodies and therefore gentle on the skin and coat.

When owners see Plush Puppy products in a salon, they know their pets are going to get the best possible care. Check out our “Let's face It,” gentle facial shampoo. It's the perfect accompaniment to a first puppy visit to the groomer.

We also have over 90 breed articles to help you and your puppy on the perfect coat care journey for your individual breed.