10/14/2026
🐶✂️ **WHEN SHOULD YOU START BRINGING YOUR PUPPY TO THE GROOMER?**
As soon as possible! 🐾
We generally recommend starting puppy grooming visits after their second round of vaccinations, but the first few visits don't need to be about getting a full haircut.
In fact, we'd much rather spend some time teaching your puppy that the grooming salon is a safe, normal and even pretty fun place to be.
Their early visits might look like:
🛁 A bath
✂️ A nail trim
🪮 Some gentle brushing
🐾 Getting used to standing on the grooming table
👂 Having their ears, feet and face handled
🔊 Experiencing the sights and sounds of the salon
🤎 Being handled by someone other than their family
😴 Learning how to settle and relax somewhere new
One of our favourite things to tell puppy parents:
"Their appointment is an hour, but leave them here for two."
Why?
We want puppies to have time to experience the salon without everything being rushed. They can hang out, take a break, meet people, observe what's happening around them, have some cuddles and simply learn:
"This place is okay. I'm safe here."
Those early experiences can make a HUGE difference as they grow.
No, your puppy does not need to behave perfectly. They're puppies! 😂
They may wiggle. They may be nervous. They may try to eat the comb. They may decide the dryer is clearly an instrument of evil. That's okay.
The goal of those first grooming visits is to send home a puppy who thinks:
*"That wasn't so bad. I can do that again."* 🐾🤎
If you have a new puppy at home, don't wait until they're desperately in need of a haircut to introduce them to grooming. The earlier we can make grooming a normal part of their life, the better!
📩 Have questions about when your puppy is ready for their first visit? Send us a message. We'd be happy to help you get them started on the right paw.
