A groomer should NEVER medicate your dog, especially a puppy just because he's wiggly. Puppies can be a challenge to groom but if you've been working with him at home it makes it so much easier. The biggest problem i usually have is ear plucking. Most puppies hate it. I always tell owners to stick their fingers in their ears and pluck a few hairs every now and then to get them use to it, or just to pretend to do it if they are not comfortable actually doing it. I also ask them to play with the feet, specifically the toes and get them used to being handled. also pet their chin a lot and gently hold the hair for a few second to get them used to that as well.
When dogs go on the grooming table they have a grooming loop secured around their neck and then attached to a grooming arm above them. With puppies and small dogs i do this loosely so as not to harm their neck, but secure enough so they can't get out or fall off the table. I always have a hand on them as well. You need to go slow with puppies because they are not used to having a clipper on their body, their pads, their rear, and their groin. its weird and tickles sometimes. everything is just a very slow process and has to be done gently so they aren't freaked out and traumatized. i absolutely do not demat puppies because it can hurt and ruin their entire grooming experience, so i always shave or tell them to go elsewhere. health and happiness before owners vanity.
When you go to the new groomer you can ask for a puppy cut but remember to specify how much hair you want left on the body, otherwise you may end up with a totally shaved pup. puppy cut just means same length all over. you can also tell them you want the body shorter and leave the legs to grow. And ask for a full round face so they don't cut it short with the body. And let them know if you don't want the hair under the eyes and on the nose trimmed because that is a standard thing to do.
__________________ Kellie  and  Morgan |