Breeder hacks for making grooming a breeze for your litter!

Daily handling and desensitisation to grooming is important for future proofing, and we get to start this before our pups go to their new homes. Structured handling can make a huge difference. Daily touching of heads, faces, ears, paws, claws, legs, bottoms, and tails gets them used to this type of formal handling that will be required in the grooming salon and also at the vets! Making sure your puppies are comfortable with this makes puppies' future lives less stressful and builds confidence for situations many dogs struggle with.

 

Here is your step-by-step guide to socialising a young puppy to grooming:  

Step 1 - Daily handling including the holding of paws, ears, tail and looking into mouth.

Step 2 - Handle on a table, mimicking being on a groomer's table.

Step 3 - Introduce them to an electric toothbrush, the vibration and noise prepares them for clippers

Step 4 - Introduce them to a hair drier 

Step 5 - Get them used to being bathed.

 

Wondering how you can keep your pups happy while you practise these steps? Here are some hacks to help you reward your puppies while they learn! 

Step 1 Hack: Make sure you practise the handling when the puppy is tired, rather than trying to handle a lively wiggly worm! Manage the session, so it feels like a massage for the puppy rather than making it too formal to start. 

Step 2 Hack: A licky mat is awesome! Whack it on the wall or tabletop and your pupster will stand for ages, getting a fab reward for being handled. 

Step 3 Hack: Start them young, around the three-week mark, and start with the toothbrush at a distance so they can hear it before they feel it. Use a stroking motion and start on the less sensitive areas like the back and sides, before moving onto the legs, paws, and ears. 

Step 4 Hack: Puppies should be around 6 weeks old before you do this. Start with the hairdryer at a distance and don’t blow the air on the puppy immediately. Ensure the hair dryer setting is not too hot or too cold, nor on a super blaster setting. Over a period of a few sessions bring the hairdryer closer, making sure the puppy is comfortable and happy at each stage. 

Step 5 Hack: Start with a shallow lukewarm bowl, and gradually build up to a bath. Remember to avoid eyes, nose and ears. A second handler is useful, and don’t forget to ensure the water temperature is appropriate before wetting the puppy. Gentle water flow is also less alarming for puppies, so use a jug before you go for the shower! 

 

Integrating these simple steps can impact your puppies' future in a significant way. They will be more confident and ready to tackle the grooming parlour! 

If a puppy is happy to be handled, the whole grooming experience can be enjoyable for them, rather than stressful. Considering how often many breeds require grooming, the difference we get to make here is huge. 

Putting this time in now will pay huge dividends for the future of your litters and your owners will love you for it too! If you want to learn more top socialisation techniques to prime your puppies perfectly for the world they are going to be navigating, we have all the answers in our CPD accredited Puppy Socialisation Course for Breeders

This article is a guest post kindly contributed by Rebecca Walters of Pupstarts Breeders. Pupstarts provide dog breeding courses to help ethical dog breeders to breed, whelp and raise puppies responsibly, safely and with absolute confidence. 

Learn more at www.pupstartsbreeders.com/course