First time getting groomed
 

I want to start getting Leo groomed now while he's a puppy, that way when he's older he'll be used to it. Question is, can puppies get groomed? I heard somewhere that it's not good to cut their hair while they're young. What kind of styles do puppies get when groomed? If anyone has a photo of their puppy groomed, please post. I want some ideas :)

Brush your puppy everyday, handle his paws and all over so he gets used to it. Run the clippers around him and let him get used to the sound and vibration so when he is old enough to get groomed ( and you will know it) he won't be afraid.
Just trim the ends right now if necessary. And paws. Let him hear the scissors snip and blow dryer run too.
Zoey is 7 months and all I do is her ears , paws , pads ,butt and too too.:)

Agree with the above post. Comb him at least once a day. More if possible. He needs to get accustomed to being handled. It is not easy at first but be gentle and praise him as you do a little at a time. Right now his hair is easier to manage so it is a much easier way to teach him how to behave.

You probably won't need to have him trimmed for a while if he is still real young. Five or six months is a good age to go for a little trim and nail clipping. If you have a good groomer they will do just enough to get him accustomed to going there and being handled by a stranger. It should only take a few minutes to bathe him and trim him a little where he needs it. Don't wait until he is all messy and tangled. Take him when he is just a little shaggy and make sure you have a good groomer that will be gentle and patient with the little guy.

Find someone who has a lot of experience doing that kind of thing. A lot of the groomers out there in the chain stores and some of the places that have popped up every where take people off the streets and give them some very poor training. A traumatic first experience at the groomer can cause your pup to be fearful for the rest of it's life.

Toki's first groom as a puppy just included a bath and nail trim...maybe her ears were tipped and she got a little bow. But it wasn't anything super involved...just enough to get her used to the experience. Be sure to post pictures of Leo when you do decide to take him to the groomer :)

He'll be 5 months old on January 13th. He has some small knots on his front legs and chest from snow being clumped in his fur. I did give him a bath, and I tried to brush him but he's afraid of the brush. I praised him when he did let me brush him. I also tried to blow dry him, but he was terrified. I should mention he's still very mouthy. It's hard to pet him without him trying to bite your hand. I have been trying though. I put my hands on him and play with his ears, face, and paws. I hope he gets out of his biting phase soon, he's been like this for 2 months.

Does he have all of his shots? If yes then he can go to the groomer.

A metal comb is a must have too, and detangler spray .

A metal grooming comb is very important. I never try to brush until I have gone through the coat with the comb first. Sometimes I don't even bother to brush if she is looking good with just a combing. Brushes can be scary to a pup and they can also be painful if there are tangles in the fur. If you have a mat that you can't get out sometimes it's best to just cut it out rather than struggle with him trying to get it out.

You want grooming to be an enjoyable experience for him so doing a quick comb through several times a day is a good way to keep the mats and tangles away while teaching him that the comb is a good thing. Always give him a nice healthy treat when you finish. Eventually you will find him waiting for that treat instead of running away.

I'm posting a link to the website of a member here who sells some good examples of the kind of tools you need to groom your pup. I have several items but he ones I use most are the 6" and 4" combs and my small Madan brush.
toplinepet.com

:thumbup:

We have a couple of the Madan brushes and the mustache comb...that comb is the best money I've ever spent! We use it to comb the entire body but it is especially perfect for small areas like legs and the face...love it!

One great thing I did with Gizmo before trying the trimmers or hair dryer, was a got a kids electric battery operated tooth brush and let him play with it by himself, while I watched :-) he loved it !!! When I finally did trim the hair on the back of his ears, he didn't even notice the sound because it was so similar :-). Now I have a mobile groomer that is a family business for 30 yrs, that comes to my house with a grooming van every other week, and he gets super excited every time he sees his groomer mike :-) that's what I love about my grooming company as well, is they always send the same groomer, so your dog forms a bond with them :-)