How Soon For Groomer?

mmphelps · 12-02-2012, 09:03 PM

I'm wondering: does anyone have an opinion as to what age is right for the first trip to the groomer? I've been bathing and brushing regularly, using the hair dryer on low (which he's not crazy about) and generally trying to get Tino accustomed to the routine. How do you prepare properly for it? I don't think I prepared our last Hav very well--he hated going to the groomer. I would like to do a better job this time.

Also, can anyone recommend a good groomer for Oakland/Berkeley CA?

Thanks as always!

TilliesMom · 12-02-2012, 10:22 PM

why does he NEED to go to the groomer?? A lot of us have learned to do all of our havs grooming at home. It is easy, saves a ton of money and stress for the dogs and is a bonding time between us. Just a thought...

tokipoke · 12-03-2012, 01:29 AM

If you want to continue grooming him yourself, you are on the right track! And even if you want to use a groomer, you are doing all of the right things to prepare for the groomer. I offer Puppy Packages from second round of shots to 6 months. The cost is less and it includes bathing, blowdrying, brushing, ear cleaning and plucking (by request), nail cutting and filing, sanitary trim, and haircut. I also offer weekly baths at a reduced rate. I have a client, althougth the dog is not a puppy, she is on a weekly schedule. She just gets a bath, blowdry, and brushout every week, and the 4th week will be a bath, blowdry, brush, ear cleaning/plucking, nails clipping/filing, sanitary, feet trim. Then continue with the weekly baths, and the 8th week will be a full groom. This puts the dog on a regular schedule, and the client is trying to grow out her dog's hair so the baths help. I say a dog is never too young for grooming - of course most of the time, for puppies it's just getting them used to handling and noises of the grooming process. If you want to use a groomer, ask what they require, how young the puppy can be etc.

mmphelps · 12-03-2012, 04:37 PM

Thanks for your feedback! Tillie's Mom, it's awesome that you are able to do your own grooming. With our previous Hav (rest his precious soul), I tried to learn how to groom him, and while I'm generally a capable person, I might as well have been trying to hang drywall. Lol! Thank heavens for the professionals!

Ewokpup · 12-03-2012, 07:00 PM

I took Bama to a place that has a puppy special, as well as self grooming stations. Since it was the first time, I had them wash and dry her, with me assisting so I could get the hang of it. Since then we have bathed her at home. She gets her nails done at the vet. I trim around her rear to avoid 'poopy butt' incidents. I recently also trimmed her bangs.

This might change as she gets older and we figure out her adult coat. My dog bathing experience up until Bama was bathing my family's yorkie. There was a stationary tub in the laundry room. She would get haircuts while standing on the washing machine. Sometimes my mom would do it (especially when I was in college). She doesn't always have any kind of official yorkie cut. Sometimes she has puppy length, sometimes she has a lion face. And then when she played Toto she had a Toto cut and more frequent baths to look good on stage.

So to make a long story short, I probably will take her to a groomer in the future to show me the best way to groom her. I'm also curious for a groomer to help me figure out if her fur is more hav or Pom.