I have a 13 week old Standard Poodle puppy. When should I take him to his first grooming appt. He has had 2 sets of shots, but should I wait until his third set in a week? Also, I do not want to just drop him off...I want to make sure he has a good experience.

What do you suggest? A private groomer in their house or a busy regular groomer. Do I stay if possible?

Where I work, we usually suggest that the owner not stay and watch the puppy being groomed because it makes the puppy a little upset, since they think that they want to be with you all the time. You could take him in at 13 weeks, just to get a bath and a little trim on his face, feet, and tail. It will just get him used to the experience. Make sure that the groomer that works on him understands that this is his first time being groomed so they will be sure to be extremely patient with him. When I have groomed little puppies, I let them have a good sniff of all the tools that I use on them and use gentle shampoo and low water pressure at first. I also give them lots of breaks and try not to use the blow dryer too much so they won't become scared of it. Especially with a Standard Poodle, he should be groomed often and brushed at home daily. I cannot tell you the number of times that people have gone out and gotten a Labradoodle puppy that is essentially as much work as a Standard Poodle, and said things like "We didn't know he had to be brushed!" and their dog (big surprise. Not!) is matted all over its body and we have to shave it down. They just think that the dog doesn't shed and that's all. Anyway, that's a rant for another day.

I do about the same as OperaChick. I like to start puppies at 12-16 weeks with just an introduction to the grooming experience. Don't expect perfection. Puppies stress easily, and it's better to stop if they're getting stressed and try again next time.

Don't be surprised if your puppy suddenly starts acting fearful around 6 months of age. It doesn't mean the groomer did anything bad to your puppy. It's just a normal stage many dogs go through. Don't force the issue, and he'll get over it in due time.

And watch out for that coat change from puppy coat to adult coat. They can mat up on you overnight. Some poodle owners find it easier to zip everything off and start over when they start going through their coat change.

It depends on the labradoodle. I have two -- NEITHER one mats even though one of them is fairly curly in areas and wavy in others. I groom him myself. But they are both first generation, which in general have fewer grooming issues. The doodles you've gotten in are probably from breeders who hadn't a clue. I knew what I was getting into with both dogs...read, researched, KNEW my curlier one would need regular grooming. A lot of dog owners (of whatever breed) just don't read. And many may understand a dog needs to be groomed but not have ever heard of Line Brushing and various combs and tools. I hope you spend time explaining how they need to brush/comb their dogs...a lot of owners mean well but don't take the time to research...a little education goes a long way =)

Adina
DoodleKisses.com