Pet Grooming – Training Your Pet for the Grooming Process

Is it possible to train your pet to like the grooming process? Well, maybe, but it is possible to train your pet to tolerate the grooming process without it stressing out. Pet grooming is such an important part of maintaining your pet’s health. By performing grooming on a regular basis, you can find many health issues quicker, which leads to a faster resolution. Health issues can quickly get worse if not taken care of quickly. Finding these problems early not only saves you money, it also reduces future pain and complications for your pet.

Puppies and Kittens – Start Grooming Young

You’ve probably heard or read that it is best to start training as early as possible with puppies and kittens. Of course, that is easier said than done. Puppies and kittens have really short attention spans. There’s so much out there for them to explore and they’re bouncing from one object or smell to the next constantly. Always keep this short attention span in mind when you’re trying to train. Start simple. Handle your puppy or kitten gently. Touch their paws, tails, ears and gently stroke every part of their body. Start out doing this for only a few minutes at a time, gradually building up the time. Use a soft brush and gently brush their coats. If your puppy or kitten gets antsy, stop for a while and let them play. You want them to enjoy your handling, so don’t get forceful or impatient.

Getting your puppy or kitten used to being touched and handled will make future grooming more pleasant and easier. It also has the added benefit of less stress during the visit to the vet. You definitely don’t want your kitten’s or puppy’s first exposure to paw handling to occur at your vet’s clinic. They may really put up a fight the next time they have to go there.

Puppies and kittens probably handle their first bath better than older dogs and cats that have never had a bath. Even so, be patient and take your time during the bathing process. Gently lather their coat up with shampoo and slowly work the shampoo all over their body. A water sprayer may cause them to panic so set the water so that the pressure of the spray is light or just carefully pour water over them until all the suds are gone. The same goes for toweling them off. Don’t rub the towel on them vigorously. Remember, they are very young and their bodies are sensitive.

Now for the joys of nail trimming. Of course, nail trimming is never fun. Not for you, and definitely not for them either. Try trimming just one or two nails at a time. It will take you longer to get all of the nails trimmed, but remember, this is a learning process for your pet. You don’t want your pet to get anxious during this grooming task. Wait a little while and then do another couple of nails. Eventually, you’ll have all the nails trimmed and the entire process won’t be too stressful on your kitten or puppy, or even yourself.

Making the Grooming Process Easier on Older Pets

Well, everything that you just read is great for puppies and kittens, but what about the dogs and cats that you may have adopted or maybe a pet that you’ve had for a while but never really groomed? It’s a little late for the kitten and puppy stage training. This is true, but the same methods can be used for older cats and dogs. Well, definitely dogs. Cats are another story, but it might be possible.

Adopted pets are excited to have a home, but they’re also unsure of their surroundings. Start out giving them lots of love and attention. They need to be completely comfortable around you before you start trying to groom them. Of course, they will probably appreciate regular brushing. This is a great place to start the grooming process. Your new pet will enjoy the attention and the feel of the brush. Nail trimming and bathing can be approached the same way as taken with young pets. Just take your time and be very patient.

Take Your Time

Remember, the key to grooming is to take it slow and easy when you start out. This is something new to young pets and to many older pets. Always be prepared to have a lot of patience during any grooming process. If you’ve had a bad day, kick back and relax for a while or have play time with your pet. You want to be calm before you start grooming. Pets can sense if you’re tense and will react accordingly.

If you start getting irritated or stressed while grooming your pet, stop for a while. Take a deep breath and relax a bit. There’s no rule that says grooming has to be done in one sitting or that everything has to be done that same day. Spread the grooming tasks over several days. Your pet will need to be groomed for the rest of its life, so you want to make this as enjoyable as possible for not only them, but also yourself.