[Nancy1999]

I suppose it depends where you get your puppy, Joey was freshly bathed and his breeder had a little bow in his hair, something I couldn't accomplish for another 2 months. I personally think moving is enough trauma, but if he needs a bath, be gentle, these early grooming sessions set the tone, and I found it was more important to make him feel safe, rather than to do great job grooming. This doesn't mean you should coddle or baby talk to them during grooming. That can even add to their anxiety, it just means that you should feel confident, and speak with authority. Proper water temperature is the most important; puppies can't handle hot water. Test on your inner forearm and error on the side of coolness; think tepid. Most important step is rinsing thoroughly after shampooing, and always use a conditioner, as it conditions the skin as well as the hair. I bath Joey in a plastic tub inside the kitchen sink. The counter is covered with a thick layer of towels, and I warm another towel to wrap him in after the bath, where he lays "unconscious" for several minutes with even his head covered. Even though we live in AZ, I blow dry him, because he seems to have a hard time being cold.



Don't take to a grooming place till your dog has had all its shots, this is really important. You don't really want your dog around any other dogs until then.