# Puppy's First Groom - Nervous mom!



## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

Sending my 9 month old Westie to the groomers for the first time. 

I haven't send one of my dogs to a groomers in a long time, about 4 years ago I bought my own clippers and stared clipping my oldest Westie myself because he had a bad groomer experience. He was putting the breaks on and shaking madly going into the groomers so I stopped taking him. I can't imagine what happened there. Just in the last 6 months I began using a coat king on him and its a look I love for him! ... Lily not so much. She is more a "fluffy" westie and has never had a great wire coat. She also doesn't care for being brushed but that's a work in progress. I just don't have the time to fully groom her myself using clippers, scissors etc. so I am sending her to a groomer.

I chose a groomers just outside of town that has a good reputation from one of the bigger animal hospitals in that area (great animal hospital so I'm trusting their recommendation). We're lacking good groomers in the area... The only thing I am iffy about is its a cage free environment and Lily can sometimes have a lack of confidence with other dogs. She has been getting better and gaining more confidence with other dogs (especially bigger dogs) so it should be okay. 

I am going to ask if I can stick around since its her first visit, just to make sure its an environment that will be okay for her (her crate will be in the car just in case). I understand if they are not okay with this and I will just stay close by but I stayed for McDuff's first two as a puppy so it can't hurt to ask right? Not that I plan to go too far anyways. 

I'm debating about asking them to NOT bath/dry her because of this since I don't want her first groom to be overwhelming. I can do that before the appointment myself. Just a simple clip and trim to make a good experience. She has a fear of blow dryers that we are still overcoming. We're using clicker training to make good experiences for her and she is getting better with the blow dryer but I don't want to go back a step or two. 

I know I'm a veterinary technician, have sent dogs to the groomer before but I am still a nervous mom! LOL 

Has anyone here used a groomer that had a cage free environment? I'm not sure how I feel about this yet.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Its ok to be nervous.  I like to see puppies for the first time about 4 months old, becuase its less stressful as a young pup to go thru the grooming process. Its harder on them to have to have the full haircut, bath, etc for the first time when they are older. Personally, I wont do a groom without bathing. Bath first, then clip. Dirty hair ruins grooming tools. I am not a big fan of cage free salons, because a groomer is busy grooming, not watching the "doggy day care" running around. However, many clients and groomers alike, love it. Just not for me, nor would I take my dogs to a facility like that unless there was someone who was doing nothing but watching the dogs. 
You can certainly ask to stay and watch, but its likely to cause more problems than be of help. Dogs need to concentrate on us, the groomer. Not on mom or dad over there, and trust me, they know you are there, whether they can see you or not. ;-) If there is an issue, the groomer should have your contact info to get ahold of you immediately so you can come pick her up, however, I am sure all will be fine.


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm normally not one to wait so long for a puppy's first grooming visit, with other dogs they have always gone by 6 months because it makes grooming them at home a lot easier for me as well but I waited simply because of Lily's personality, she was always an insecure and fearful puppy. It has been a lot of work right from day one of bringing her home. I spent that time building her confidence and working on 'scary' things using clicker training. She has made big improvements in the last 5-6 months. It's been a long slow road but she is becoming a much more confident little dog. I've slowly gotten her use to the dryer, clippers, nail trimmers and a little to scissors. 

I bathed her at work today and blow dried her on the treatment room table and she was not phased by it, she could see her buddy that was in a kennel and another that was wandering about. She sat like a good girl and let me blow dry her. Lots of praise and lots of cookies. That is a huge improvement for her compared to 5 months ago where if air was blown on her or near her she just flipped right out, running to hide, shaking, urinating on floor/table etc. I think I'm so nervous about it because of her personality and that so far I have been the only one able to do these things. We are going to continue working on it things up until her grooming appointment (the dryer) and hopefully some co-workers can try and see how she does it with. 

I think she will be okay to go through a full grooming - or at least a bath/dry and trim vs. a full westie cut. I'm certainly not pushing for all of it to be done in one grooming, I am more then happy to break it up if its getting overwhelming for her. I have a very flexible work schedule and I want to make only good experiences for her. I've worked very hard to help her get to where she is now I certainly don't want to undo that in any way. Seeing how she responded to things tonight outside of our home made me more comfortable to the idea of me leaving her at a groomer. I plan to stay close with my cell just in case they need to contact me. Never mind the dog having separation anxiety being away from me ... that's my issue being away from her! LOL


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

Good luck! Try and stay calm and positive thoughts! .... Please be sure to post pics of the new groom!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Sounds like you have worked hard at home. I am sure all will be fine.  Let us know how it goes!


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

I am getting before and after grooming photo's, will be sure to post them!


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

Lily had her first groom, she looks really good! She's snoozing under my bed since we got home so I haven't gotten pictures yet. 

The only downside to this groomer? I dropped her off at noon ... they couldn't give me a time frame of when she would be ready and said they would call. I didn't think much of it but 3 and a half hours later I hadn't heard from them. I called because I was concerned and my dog was still being worked on. It was another half hour before I could pick her up. This just seems ... excessive? That was a long time for her to spend at a groomer for her first ever experience but at the same time I am thinking they didn't rush her through anything? My McDuff never spent anymore then 2 hours at a groomers. Maybe it has something to do with their cage free environment? I don't know. I asked how she handled everything and they said she was great - so I'm assuming she wasn't difficult, she is generally good at home (and aren't they worse for their parents? lol). That was the only thing I wasn't happy about and maybe because I am not use to a grooms taking that long. I spent time in a groomers and I don't recall a dog being there that long and the groomer never rushed through anybody (always quality work).


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I am thinking maybe they are a super good groomer ... and they made sure Lily's first time experience was a great one!  I can hardly wait to see pics!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Well I can assure you she didnt spend all that time being worked on. Even a slow groomer can easily do a quality wash, dry and groom on a westie in at least 2 hours, straight thru. Many groomers have a sort of assembly line type of setup. Dog is washed, dried, then given a break while another dog is clipped. Then a dog is washed and dried, and the dry dog is groomed, etc. So if a dog before yours took a bit of time to finish, it adds to the time for your dog, etc. Being its cage free, she was playing with the others while waiting. I guess you could call if free doggy daycare. ;-) If you would like a quicker time back, making her appt the first of the day usually helps, unless they take all the dogs for the day in the morning, some do. She should be good and sleepy.


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

That's what I'm hoping! Like I said, maybe I'm just not use to it lol


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