First grooming Questions

[ColbyJack]

First off, sorry if this is the wrong area I'm sorry. I'm on a mobile device and can't find a grooming section.
It is way past time for Colby's first grooming but I'm unsure how to proceed. I originally wanted him in a puppy cut but his facial structure is not best suited for that type of cut. I made the decision to let him grow out. I already brush him out daily. My question is when to go and what do I ask for at the groomers to do if I want the traditional look. He NEEDS hygiene grooming bad. But what else? Colby is my first yorkie, and solely my own. So I'm kind of that annoying newbie that asks tons of questions but I won't know unless I ask. Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

[buddybear]

The first groomer I went to only gave me derogatory remarks about my puppy. He had never been groomed before and was almost 4 months old. I returned to the same groomer 3 times. After discussing her comments my friends said get a new groomer!!!
I went to a new place and found a groomer that was very willing to work with a new puppy. She has been patient with him and we're making great progress. He's 10 months old and we always do the puppy cut.
Good luck finding that groomer that is willing to work with you both!

[ColbyJack]

Thanks, Colby is 14 days shy of 4 months. My family has always used one groomer with little to no complaints. I just don't know what or when. Maybe I'm over thinking it and need to call them. I just want to not mess this up. I think I sound silly but I want him to look as good as he can!!

[maxdog]

Originally Posted by ColbyJack

First off, sorry if this is the wrong area I'm sorry. I'm on a mobile device and can't find a grooming section.
It is way past time for Colby's first grooming but I'm unsure how to proceed. I originally wanted him in a puppy cut but his facial structure is not best suited for that type of cut. I made the decision to let him grow out. I already brush him out daily. My question is when to go and what do I ask for at the groomers to do if I want the traditional look. He NEEDS hygiene grooming bad. But what else? Colby is my first yorkie, and solely my own. So I'm kind of that annoying newbie that asks tons of questions but I won't know unless I ask. Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

I would suggest you search the internet for a picture of the cut you want and take it with you. Different people might have different ideas of "traditional" A picture paints a thousand words!

[ShowGirlLola]

He needs to finish his puppy shots before going to the groomer.

Anyway if you want to grow a full coat he'll need: sanitary trim, cut around paws and between pads, and tip his ears. Tell them don't cut the hair near his eyes, it lays better when it's long and is easier to maintain.

His puppy hair might not be suited for a full coat, his adult coat might not be either. If that's the case you can always keep his face long and body short.


My yorkie is technically my second dog, but she's my first as an adult. She's 2 now and I've learned a lot thanks to YT.
Lola usually has a full coat and I do all of her grooming, I just cut it shorter for the summer.

[ColbyJack]

Oh yeah I didn't think about the paws. Does a sanitary trim rid him of the long excess belly hair?

[ShowGirlLola]

Originally Posted by ColbyJack

Oh yeah I didn't think about the paws. Does a sanitary trim rid him of the long excess belly hair?

No, sanitary would just be genitals and butt. You can have his belly shaved with a full coat though, a lot of us also shave the armpits.

He really shouldn't go to the groomer until he finishes his shot, most require a rabies shot anyway.
If he needs a sanitary trim it's really not hard, just get some scissors with rounded tips and cut it.

[mimimomo]

Originally Posted by ColbyJack

Oh yeah I didn't think about the paws. Does a sanitary trim rid him of the long excess belly hair?

Yes, for boys...sanitary trim consists of trimming their armpits, underbelly, inner thighs, privates & poopie hole. Every groomer is different, so make sure you request them. Like someone mentioned, take pictures of the cut you want & show them.

Complete vaccines are mostly for the grooming facility's liability issues....you can find a groomer that will take your puppy & not keep him in the crate. Or you can always get a mobile groomer, no waiting. The vet's office can also do sanitary & paw trims for you.

[ShowGirlLola]

I had to show proof that Lola had her rabies shot before the mobile groomer would groom her.

With the dog flu going around I wouldn't want my tiny, unvaccinated puppy in a public area anyway.

[ColbyJack]

Oh Colby is now 3.5 months old. Had all the shots. And he is going to end up much bigger than I expected now. He's already 6 lbs!!!

[LunarBerry]

I feel blessed I kind of personally know my groomer, she knows my brother and some co-workers and me at least since high school. When I considered my furbaby's first groomer, I went with her even though I gotten a "puppy kit", which is really a coupon booklet from petsmart, and it had a free grooming session. I never used it and went with my first choice. Never regretted it.
I wanted to go with someone I not only trust, but also have a decent confidence in their skill and also someone that my little Kimchi will trust and be happy to go to. I also want to keep to the same person because I want my baby to feel comfortable with a friend. Also everytime I bring my little Kimchi to her salon, she gets all happy and shakes up her little carrier when we enter (I've never seen any other dogs do this when going to the groomers). Just knowing my little baby gets excited makes me happy ^_^, which to me is worth it, even with non-perfect haircuts. Also, at this point, they all know us just by her name (which is unique there, lol). Sorry I digress a tad ^^;;
So in a nutshell, go with not only your instinct, but also pay attention to your new furbaby's reactions to the groomers (if at first, allow for the first few times, to see. But otherwise, just keep note of their behavior). This is important, because they can give signals if they are happy or scared when they go to the groomers (or certain ones, at least). It's important to find a good compatible groomer for your furbaby for a happy match. I always take my girl once a month to the groomer (in between, I'll do some minor grooming myself). So keeping a consistent schedule will help spot any behavioral changes.

[dinkster]

Some groomers will automatically "express the anal glands." We very firmly say no to this. Dinky does not need it. It is painful for him.
I would definitely not have it done at the first grooming.
One thing to know is where the dog goes before, during, and after grooming. We also insist that Dinky is put into a crate. He is not playful with other dogs and often reacts fearfully, so no penned in play area for him.
I would also ask if dogs are EVER giving anything to calm them down. I understand that some dogs are too aggressive to be groomed without some sort of sedative, but I would not want my dog sedated just to make groomer's job easier.

[SirTeddykins]

I found a mobile groomer and it was the best thing I ever did for Teddy. He was going to a groomer who was very good (she breeds Irish Setters/Afghan Hounds and preps dogs at Crufts) but the staff there always told me that Teddy barked a lot every time I picked him up.


So, knowing that Teddy is a bit neurotic at times, I found a mobile groomer which is great because he gets one-to-one attention. He doesn't have to stress about other dogs and I know my groomers attention is on him only and not the other 50 dogs waiting to be groomed at the same time.


I always find pics of cuts on the internet which I show my groomer. She is great cuz she talks to me about what can be done and what will look good due to Teddy's coat type.


I am always nervous that I will opt for a bad cut but I haven't so far.. Of course, there are cuts I like more than others but fur grows back!

[Zeus is Loved]

Okay, I'm a newbie as well. Zeus is my first pet ever, and I'm in my late 40's. Here's what little info I can give you. The groomers wouldn't cut him until he was 7 months old, because he had not "blown his puppy hair." The groomer said if you cut their puppy hair before they "blow it," it can mess with the texture and color. Therefore, all we did was around his privates, eyes, and paws. We like the long hair on the tops of his ears and across the top of the eyes. Now that he is 7 months old, we decided to cut his hair ourselves. Both me and my husband cut our own hair (never have found anybody we're happy with), so we felt comfortable. What we did is cut his entire body short (we live in the south and it's getting hot), left his head long and his legs semi-long. This one is called the Teddy Bear cut. We found a Youtube video that showed us how to do it. We are very happy with it. Good luck.

[navillusc]

I have taken Brody twice, and Mia once to a groomer for 'mini trims' which include sanitary, paws, ear tips and simple trimming on face and body...no shaving or major cutting...and a topknot and bow. But, Brody had been to groomer at Petsmart with his previous owner on the day I got him at 14 months old, and I was unhappy with how he had been trimmed, so before I took Brody the first time, I had been in 'my' chosen grooming salon several times, talked to the groomer, bought some products from her, watched her with other dogs, and saw other dogs had happy reactions to being there, even one dog that hated to get his nails trimmed at home was very calm with the groomer.

I do all grooming at home now except for nail clips, but I grew out their hair immediately. I, too, didn't know what to ask for but wanted the traditional Yorkie look. I looked at lots of photos and the groomer looked up pictures online when I got there, finding the same one I found and liked. She did an excellent job and we loved her, but that groomer is gone now, but we are happy with the new groomer, too. Again, we have been there many times, have purchased products, talked to them, watched them handle the dogs and cats, and have seen that they are comfortable at the grooming salon.

I think it is important that you are confident with not just the clipping skill of the groomer but also with the skill with which they handle the dogs and the dogs' reaction to the groomer and just being in the salon. Mine were thrilled to be there at the first groomer, and are very comfortable at the second grooming salon as well, even though I am sure they didn't like the butt trims, etc. when they were much younger. LOL

If you decide to do sanitary, ear and paw trims at home, you will find lots of how-to's and it isn't difficult at all. Plus, you can do it a little at a time so your Yorkie gets used to being handled. Mine just lie on their backs in my lap while I trim hair out of paw pads...they get chest petties and belly rubs, too. LOL