Pet Parent Homework: How to Prep Your Pup for Mobile Grooming

Mobile grooming might seem like a simple process, but for your dog it can be stressful. In addition to being touched in sensitive areas, grooming also involves sights, smells, and noises that can be disconcerting. We as mobile groomers make every effort to gently introduce your pup to what is happening, and constantly reassure them that everything will be okay. Our goal is to have a happy doghanding out puppy kisses at the end of every grooming session!

We will work with your fur baby at every single visit. But you as a pet parent, can work with them much more often than that! There is much you can do to help your dog become accustomed to the ‘strange’ activities that are part of grooming. For example:

• Learn the “stand” command and practice it with your pet. Everyone uses “sit” & “down” are more commonly taught, but for grooming we need them to “stand”.

• Play with paws and toe nails, especially when standing. Work on getting them to let you lift each paw up while they’re standing (bending it gently backwards), that’s very much like what we have to do.

• Brush everywhere — especially on feet, armpits, between back legs, tails, ears, and under tails.

• For dogs with long hair, get a good metal comb and use it all over (especially in the armpits).

• Get them used to having the area around their back end touched. Dogs that want to sit or get panicky every time you touch their tail are prone to getting clipper burn, and may even sit on the clipper blade while the groomer is trying to clean up those private areas.

• Lift their lips so you can see their back teeth, to get them used to having their teeth looked at & touched. If you brush at home or use PlaqClnz gel, that’s fantastic!

• Get them used to loud noises like shavers, hair dryer and vacuums, and associate those noises with treats.

• If the pet is especially good with one member of the family, but not others, get different people involved in their daily care so they become more accustomed to others.

If in doubt, ask your groomer which of these activities will benefit your pup the most. Just a couple of minutes a day can make a big difference at their next mobile grooming appointment.

We’ve seen it happen over and over again, even with the most fearful of pets: once a dog knows what to expect, and comes to trust that only good things happen inside the mobile grooming salon, they relax and start to enjoy their grooming experience. Contact usto schedule your first mobile grooming appointment today!