Some dogs need routine and frequent professional grooming because of their coat type, like a shih tzu and poodle.
Other dogs, such as labs and huskies, don’t require haircuts but will benefit from a complete brush out and scrub to eliminate extra undercoat and reduce shedding in your house.
If you have a dog who doesn’t enjoy bathing at home, working with a professional dog grooming business in Minneapolis could help them learn to love their “me time.”
Preparing your dog for their first grooming session is critical to guaranteeing your pet’s experience is stress-free.
Grooming is crucial for your dog’s health. However, it can be a trying experience for them. Good preparation can ease nervousness and help make the grooming appointment pleasurable.
Choosing a business that specializes in highly professional dog grooming in Minneapolis allows for an anxiety-free experience for both you and your dog. Here is some advice on preparing your pet for their first appointment.
Tips for Preparing Your Dog for the Groomer
Booking Your First Appointment
You might be surprised to discover that dog grooming appointments can fill up months in advance. This is particularly true during the holidays when most owners want their pets to look fresh and clean for family events.
Therefore, plan at least one to two months in advance for dog grooming appointments. Bath and brush appointments are usually easier to book. However, if your dog’s groomer is well-liked, you might still want to schedule your dog grooming appointment further in advance.
If your dog needs consistent grooming, schedule appointments ahead of time, so you don’t have to make appointments at the last minute.
Moreover, routine grooming helps avoid matting which could be painful for your dog and may create skin problems if not managed. Be sure your dog is current on required vaccinations. Numerous grooming salons will request proof. Talk with your vet regarding what vaccines they suggest.
Also, make sure to tell your groomer of any medical conditions your pet might have. This way, they can:
- Be very careful with sensitive spots
- Eliminate parts of the grooming process that could cause unnecessary stress
- Ensure that dogs get much-needed breaks
If you’re wondering, “How long will my dog’s appointment be?” Well, the amount of time depends on what type of dog grooming service you request. Furthermore, it depends on your dog’s breed, coat type, and hair length.
Brush Your Dog Daily
If your dog doesn’t like being brushed by you, it will probably dislike a stranger doing it as well. But in reality, regular brushing is vital to your dog’s complete health. It eliminates matting, gets rid of debris, and circulates natural oils, resulting in healthy skin and coat.
An excellent way to make your pup more acceptable to brushing is to pick the right type of brush, which eventually depends on your dog’s coat. Short-haired dogs require short bristle brushes. Dogs with long hair need longer bristles. Make sure to brush your doggie’s coat in the same way that the fur grows. Stroke steadily but not so much that it’s painful and finish with a shedding blade to gather dead hairs.
It’s critical to highlight periods of sitting still and good behavior. This will help your dog feel relaxed and get used to professional grooming services.
Get Lots of Exercise
One of the most significant tips before your dog has their grooming appointment is to get lots of exercise, such as enjoying some playtime or taking a walk. This will help your pet exert some pinned-up energy, helping to make them composed and ready to obey instructions from their professional groomer.
A tip: take your dog for a walk before their appointment. The less additional energy they have to get rid of, the better they will act on the grooming table.
Do Not Brush Out Matts
You shouldn’t try to brush out matts before your appointment. Your dog shouldn’t have any matts if you are following a routine brushing schedule. Sometimes, though, matts can happen anyway.
If you do see a matt before your appointment, don’t try to brush it out to please your groomer. This will only produce pain for your pet, which in turn could cause them to have a bad connection to brushing which won’t be a positive in the long run. Just leave any matts to your Minneapolis dog groomer to fix. They do this for a living, and they can get rid of the matts with as little pain as possible.
Hold Your Puppy’s Face & Paws
Dog groomers use a face-holding procedure while trimming and brushing around your dog’s mouth and eyes to stop them from moving around and injuring themselves.
Try to practice the face hold before giving them a treat and asking them to stay.
Put your hand under their chin and lightly hold onto your dog’s fur. If they remain still, give them a treat. You could repeat this until they’re willing to sit for 30 seconds. Then rub their face in between their eyes with your finger and the end of a comb to simulate a pair of scissors.
You’ll also want to get your furry family members used to having their paws handled. Try to have your dog sit and lift one of their paws. Play with it by massaging lightly between the paw pads and all around the nails. Give your dog a treat before returning the paw to the ground. Be careful: your loving doggie might get upset and attempt to bite you. If this happens, stop massaging their paw and firmly say no.
Handling
As pet owners, one of the main jobs we can take on is to get our dogs used to being handled. Handling means going beyond petting and getting up close and personal.
A big part of what dog groomers do to keep pets healthy and safe by:
- Clipping their nails
- Brushing their teeth
- Trimming their private areas
- Cleaning their ears
As a dog owner, you can eliminate lots of the anxiety and stress your dog is sensing by imitating what the dog groomer will do and getting them accustomed to the experience.
Gently touching and massaging your dog’s feet helps them to be less irritated with trimming their nails. It’s critical to remember not to force a pet to let you handle their feet since most dogs don’t like it. Therefore, you need to use positive support, which necessitates speaking confidently, patting their fur, and handing out treats for good behavior.
Brush Your Puppy’s Teeth
Brushing your dog’s teeth can:
- Stop bad breath
- Protect against tooth decay and gum disease
- Reduces plaque
Furthermore, brushing your pet’s teeth regularly will aid them in becoming acquainted with a procedure that’s part of professional grooming.
To slowly get your dog used to it, put a dab of dog toothpaste onto your hand and circle it around their nose. Next, open their mouth and put it on their teeth. If your dog starts to bite, stop what you’re doing and quiet your pet down.
Once they’re accustomed to the toothpaste, use a doggie toothbrush on their teeth too. It could take some effort, but sooner or later, you’ll both get there. Just make sure to keep rewarding your dog’s good behavior. Never, ever use human toothpaste. Some brands contain artificial sweeteners which are lethal for dogs.
Visit the Grooming Salon
Before taking your dog to their first grooming appointment, you should plan a visit. This visit will give you an inkling of how things work at this dog grooming business.
Choose the Right Groomer
Look for experienced and skilled Minneapolis dog groomers, possibly ones that focus on your dog’s breed. Arrange a visit to the dog grooming salon ahead of time to help your pet acquaint themselves with the setting.
Not all dog groomers are equal. How experienced, skilled, and patient your groomer is could impact how your dog responds. Get recommendations from your loved ones or check online reviews, assessing groomers in the Minneapolis area cautiously before picking one for your dog.
Once you’ve found a groomer that you have confidence in, develop a grooming routine that matches your dog’s needs. Based on the lifestyle, breed, and coat type, your dog might need grooming services every four to eight weeks. Regularity in the dog grooming appointments helps stop matting and sustain their coats.
Reward Your Dog Post-Appointment
After their dog grooming appointment, give your pet their favorite treat to let them know they behaved well.
We Care About Your Dog’s Health and Well-Being
Wagmore offers professional dog grooming services and works to make sure your dog has the best time with an ample amount of tender, loving care from our dog groomers. Contact us to learn more about preparing your dog for their first dog grooming appointment. If you’re ready, go online and book your appointment with us.
With our dog grooming services, your dog ends up clean, groomed, and happy.