What should my grooming regimen be for a 10 wk old puppy?
 

Hi, bringing home my new puppy very soon, and I'm wondering what my grooming regimen should be to get her used to it. Specifically,

1. What kind of brush should I buy to groom a new puppy?
2. HOW should I bathe her, grooming wipes or full-on shampoo and conditioner, at 10 weeks?
3. Do I need to buy a puppy formula shampoo?

Right now I got puppy wipes for wiping her clean in a big mess, a slicker brush that I don't think I can use yet..her hair is too short of course! and I have some leave-in conditioner spray. Should I give her a full bath at this young of an age?

Well you are correct on the slicker brush. Dont use probably ever. For puppy get a soft very soft bristle brush, get a small comb too.

Mostly you want to get her used to being touched all over. with your hands first. Ears, paws, belly, mouth/teeth, forehead, etc.

Hopefully she should come very nicely cleaned and bathed from the breeder. You will need a puppy sized pair of nail clippers.

I would wait at least 3 wks if you can before first bath. Then I bump up heat in house, have warmed towels ready. Try to make the bath time as short as possible, but be very sure you rinse out all shampoo. Put in conditioner wrap her in a warm towel and sit holding her for 5 minutes at least to let the conditioner work. Rinse out. Towel dry her very well, and either blow dry to finish, or wrap her up in a warm terry cloth sweater, and hold her again until she is bone dry. Also dry inside of her ears after cleaning ears with ear cleaner.

I agree with Gemy's great points. Work daily with your pup to get her accustomed to touch.

Ditch the slicker (a really good, soft slicker has its place, but it is not necessary for a Yorkie pup). Get a soft baby brush and small comb. I used a tiny flea comb on Max's entire body/head when he was 3 -5 pounds. :) Depends on the kind of coat your baby has.

I would bathe only as necessary until a few weeks older, and use a damp washcloth to keep the face clean. Use a mild shampoo, tear free for the head. There are lots of great brands available, including a few puppy formulas. You can also dilute regular formulas with water. Many people do this even for adults.

Avoid getting water in the ears. I use a measuring cup to rinse heads and I hold the ear flaps down.

Congratulations on your new pup. :)

I would suggest you use a metal grooming comb to run through your pet's hair daily. The ringside 6" comb is a good size to start out with. Later the mustache comb is very helpful for grooming the face.
toplinepet.com
A small pin brush is nice to have but you can get by without it if you have to.
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There are many dog grooming supply stores online or there may be a good pet store in your area to get supplies from.
A quick but gentle combing done daily will keep you pet accustomed to being groomed and it won't be a frightening experience. You will also prevent the mats that can occur. Grooming daily even though they don't appear to need it will create a good attitude in your pet and prevent painful grooming sessions.

:thumbup:
Make a point to run a comb through her and touch her all over, especially her face, paws, ears and mouth, so she is used to being handled. It only takes a few minutes per day, but this is will make future longer grooming sessions so much less stressful, and will also make it easier on the vet that examines her.

You have gotten some wonderful advice!! As far as the brush, I love my Madan brush that you can get at toplinepet.com. I also have the the comb that gracielove told you about. I don't know what I would do with out it!! I personally never liked the grooming wipes but since she is a young pup it may be best to use them. I use Yorkie Splash and Shine for shampoo and conditioner. I use the Yorkie Sheen for the detangler. Love it!! You can get it at Yorkie Splash and Yorkie Shine | Yorkie Shampoo and Yorkie Conditioner. I would not be bathing her yet if it was me. I would wait until at least 12 weeks old. Maximo also gave some great tips on how to handle the face area. I am also very careful around the nose as well as the ears.

Gemy gave you great advice on getting her used to being touched. My Rosie just sits and lets me brush her. Even her face. Mikki, who I got when she was a little over a year old, was not used to this at all. Brushing her is well lets just say a challenge. She is getting better but does not sit still like Rosie. Rosie also lets me put bows, scrunchies,etc. in her hair. Mikki it is a chore!! She just was not used to it.

I brush my girls twice a day. Rosie has the long coat and I do this to keep the tangles out. Good luck to you and your new baby!

Thanks for the advice, all! Very helpful and I've since got a brush that has one side pin cushion..without the balls on the end, and the other side is a kind of boar-bristle. I'm definitely gonna order the yorkie splash and shine. her coat is really important to me and I want to keep it long once it's grown out.

I don't think you need to do much grooming on a new puppy, but as everyone else has already said, it's a great idea to get your puppy used to your touch, mouth, teeth, around the eyes, brushing, paws, ears. If you do this it will be a lot easier to handle your dog when it really does need grooming or care.

Yes, because a difficult dog at a groomers is a difficult situation, I went through this before with my YorkiePoo years ago...very frustrating..