Dog owners, 7 min read

Getting your dog ready for their first groom

By the PackDay team. Checked against the sources listed at the end.

A first groom goes best when your dog already knows that being touched, brushed and dried is no big deal. Here’s how to get them there at home, and what to tell your groomer before you arrive.

Start with handling at home

Grooming means a stranger handling your dog’s paws, ears and face, often with noisy tools. The more your dog has practised with you, the easier it gets.

AVSAB describes the first three months of life as the most important time for puppy socialisation, and says puppies should learn to accept handling of all body parts. Older dogs can learn too, with more patience.

The San Francisco SPCA uses a simple pattern: touch gently, mark, treat. Work through each area of the body:

1. Whole body. Stroke from neck to tail, then mark and treat.
2. Ears. Touch the outside, then lift the flap and look inside.
3. Mouth. Lift a lip to see the teeth and gums.
4. Paws. Hold a paw for a second, then touch between the toes and each nail.
5. Brushing. Show the brush, then do a few slow strokes on a spot your dog enjoys.

For each area, go from a light touch, to holding, to a little more pressure, to gentle restraint. Only move to the next level when your dog is completely comfortable with the current one. If a spot is sensitive, warm up with areas your dog likes, then work on the tricky spot in short bursts. If your dog seems really scared, stop. Do less and reward more often next time.

Cooperative care and consent cues

Cooperative care means teaching your dog to take part in handling rather than being held still. A consent cue lets your dog say “I’m ready” or “I need a break”.

The chin rest is a popular one. Fear Free trainer Mikkel Becker describes teaching a dog to rest their chin on a towel or cushion and hold it there while you handle them. A chin that stays down is the green light to carry on. A head that lifts means pause, adjust, and maybe stop.

1. Put a folded towel on a low stool or your lap.
2. Reward any movement of your dog’s head towards it.
3. Gradually wait for the chin to rest on the towel before you mark and treat.
4. Build up to a few seconds, then add a light touch on an ear or paw while the chin stays down.
5. If your dog lifts their head, stop touching straight away. Wait for the chin to return.

That last step matters most. A dog who knows lifting their head works has less reason to struggle.

Nail trims

Long nails are uncomfortable and can affect how your dog walks. The RSPCA advises trimming nails just before they start to touch the ground when your dog is standing or walking. If you can hear them clicking on hard floors, they’re probably due. Check dewclaws too, as they don’t wear down naturally.

How often depends on your dog. Texas A&M’s veterinary college suggests every six to eight weeks as good practice, adjusted for how active your dog is and the surfaces they walk on.

Inside each nail is the quick, which contains blood vessels and nerves. In pale nails it shows as a pink area. In dark nails you can’t see it, so trim tiny slivers at a time. Texas A&M also notes that if nails are left untrimmed, the quick can grow longer, which can cause pain when standing or walking and may injure a tendon.

If you do nick the quick, RSPCA Pet Insurance advises pressing a little styptic powder or cornflour onto the nail tip for a minute or two. Call your vet if the bleeding doesn’t stop.

Texas A&M suggests building up gradually: handle the feet, let your dog investigate the clippers, then trim with praise and treats.

Introducing dryer noise and clippers

Groomers use loud dryers and buzzing clippers. Veterinary behaviourists writing for VCA describe the method that helps here: desensitisation and counterconditioning. Start with the sound so quiet your dog barely reacts, pair it with treats, and only make it slightly harder after two or three relaxed sessions.

1. Show the dryer switched off and give treats.
2. Turn it on low in another room while you feed treats.
3. Bring it closer over several sessions, still pointed away.
4. Let a gentle stream of air reach your dog’s back legs for a second, then treat.
5. Do the same with clippers: switched off against the body first, then on at a distance, then on and briefly touching the shoulder.

The VCA authors say a dog who stops taking treats is a sign you’re moving too fast. So are panting, trembling or trying to get away.

Coat types and the shaving question

The RSPCA notes that double-coated dogs need daily grooming to prevent matts and build-up of dead hair.

Thinking of shaving a double coat for summer? RSPCA Victoria advises against it. Dogs naturally shed their undercoat in summer, and an undercoat growing back after a shave can make a dog hotter. The top coat also protects against sunburn. Shaving can permanently change the coat, often losing its soft texture.

There’s also a chance the coat won’t grow back for a while. A University of Minnesota dermatology handbook describes post-clipping alopecia, where hair fails to regrow after close clipping. It’s seen more often in plush-coated breeds. Regrowth usually takes three to four months, but can take 12 to 24.

The exception is matting. The RSPCA says clipping can remove matts and recommends a reputable professional for the job. Ask your groomer about de-shedding first.

What to tell your groomer

• Any health conditions and current medications.
• Allergies, including any reactions to shampoos.
• Skin problems, sore spots, lumps or recent surgery.
• Ear problems or recent ear treatment.
• What worries your dog: noises, being lifted, other dogs, their feet touched.
• What your dog loves, such as a favourite treat.
• How far your handling practice has got, including any consent cues.

What a good first appointment looks like

Keep the first visit short. A bath, brush and tidy-up is plenty. The RSPCA recommends starting grooming with short sessions and rewards, and that’s just as true at the salon.

A good groomer will let your dog sniff around first, use treats and take breaks. Ask them to call you if your dog is struggling, so you can pick them up early.

Signs of stress to watch for afterwards

The RSPCA lists yawning, lip licking, a tucked tail, ears back, avoiding eye contact, turning the head away and a raised front paw among the signs a dog is uncomfortable. If your dog seems more worried each visit, slow down and go back to practising at home.

When to see a vet

Ears. The PDSA lists head shaking, rubbing the head along the ground, itchy or painful ears, redness, swelling, heat and a smelly discharge as signs of an ear infection. A head tilt or loss of balance needs a vet the same day. Never use cotton buds in your dog’s ears.

Skin. Contact your vet if your dog is scratching or licking more than normal. The PDSA also lists bald patches, red skin or a rash, self-inflicted wounds, lick-stained fur and dark, thickened skin.

Sources

• American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: Position statement on puppy socialization
• San Francisco SPCA: Handling your puppy
• Fear Free Happy Homes: Chin rest challenge: how to use this cooperative care behavior
• RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase: Why and how should I groom my dog?
• Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine: Polishing up on animal nail care
• RSPCA Pet Insurance: How to trim your dog or cat’s nails safely
• VCA Animal Hospitals: Introduction to desensitization and counterconditioning
• RSPCA Victoria: Keeping pets cool in summer
• University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, Small and Large Animal Dermatology Handbook: Canine post-clipping alopecia
• RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase: What does my dog’s body language mean?
• PDSA: Ear infections in dogs
• PDSA: Itchy skin in dogs