Can Your Dog or Puppy Love Dog Grooming

We have already talked about the fact that all dogs require proper grooming no matter the breed, coat type, or age. They all need to be groomed on a regular basis. Whether or not your dog or puppy can learn to love or enjoy dog grooming largely depends on when you start to introduce them to grooming.

If you are adopting an older dog then it will depend on if they were exposed to a grooming routine before you brought them home. If they weren’t, grooming may be a bit of a challenge, but you can still at least get to where they will tolerate being handled and groomed. It just requires effort and patience on your part.

If you have a young puppy, then the key will be to start teaching them about grooming as early as possible.

No One Size Fits All in Dog Grooming

There are so many factors that can make dog grooming different from dog to dog, such as size of the dog, the dog breed, their coat type, long coats versus short coats, and so on. But basic dog grooming remains pretty much the same for all dogs. No matter what type of dog you have they will need a bath, regular brushing and combing, ears cleaned, teeth brushed, and nails trimmed.

True, if you have a long-haired dog you will spend more time grooming, and getting your dog or puppy to enjoy grooming will be more of a challenge, but just remember that there are definite benefits to dog grooming. You will just need to practice more often .

Because there are tasks that you will have to perform on a regular basis, and because of the benefits, it is important that you introduce your puppy or your adult dog to grooming as soon as you can. The experience will be much more pleasant for both of you if you start early.

Groom Your Dog or Puppy Every Day

To create a positive grooming experience for both you and your dog or puppy, you must introduce her to the process slowly and often. Allow her to become familiar with all the different dog grooming tools by showing them to her one at a time.

For example, show her one of her brushes and let her sniff it for a couple seconds then reward her with a treat. Next, gently touch her with the brush and reward her with a treat again. Once she has fully accepted the brush, start by brushing her with just one stroke and then give her a treat. Repeat this process another two or three times.

She will soon realize that the brush creates a pleasant sensation for her, not to mention the treats she will be receiving. However, you will want to start phasing out the treats once you see she is allowing you to brush her without any fuss.

The key is to break down any grooming process into small steps and allow your dog or puppy to associate a positive experience with each step. Patience and repetition is important.

Another example would be bath time. Take her to where you will be grooming her and allow her to just get comfortable with being in that area before you begin.

Start a couple days before giving her a bath. Put her in a tub without water and throw in a couple toys and give her a favorite treat. Do the same thing again the following day, but this time add some water. Allow her to get used to the idea of getting wet. Then move on to getting her entire body wet and so on, and so on.

The same process can be applied to other grooming tasks. Follow the same ideas for the nail clipper, the toothbrush, and other grooming tools.

So, can your dog or puppy love dog grooming? They may not necessarily love the idea, but they can certainly learn to tolerate grooming and create a much more pleasant experience for both of you. Just spend the time getting them used to all the different tasks you will be routinely performing.

Dog Grooming Advice is an in depth series of articles about proper dog grooming. Move on to the next article, Dog Grooming Tools, or go back to the previous article, Why Groom Your Dog.

Best,

Omar Reyes

p.s. Grooming your dog requires a good set of tools. Read the article on Chris Christensen products to see why I think you should invest in a couple of their dog grooming products.