Specialized Appointments for Puppies:  Between the ages of 8-16 weeks, puppy brains are like sponges, absorbing every experience and stimuli around them. This is the perfect age to get them use to the grooming process to ensure they are comfortable with it for the rest of their life. While it's important to expose your puppy to as many positive experiences as possible, it's equally important to not overwhelm or stress them out. Short, frequent, and positive sessions are key. So, we like to set up our puppy package in a four part session over the course of four weeks; First session: We bring the puppy into the trailer where we let them free roam. They will get a chance to explore all of the smells and textures of the floor, grooming table, and bathtub. During this session, we will sit with them and provide them abundant treats and positive reinforcement every time they take initiative to explore. This also helps puppies gain confidence when being separated from their owners. This session will only last about 15-20 minutes. Second session: We will do everything again that we did in the first session, then we will add in physical sensations. We will trim their nails, clean their ears, brush their coats, and let them free roam the trailer while we let them listen to the sound of the water pump and blow dryer. being turned on and off. This session will last about 30 minutes. Third session:  We will do everything again that we conducted in the first and second sessions. We will then have another dog (either one of the owner's or ours) go through the entire grooming process while the puppy free roams in the trailer and watches. Letting the puppy watch the process, without being restrained/involved, helps them feel safe and in control of their body. Having another dog who is comfortable with the process, helps the puppy feel reassured and not alone. Fourth session:  We will do every thing again that we conducted in the first, second, and third sessions. We will then start the process of bathing and blow drying your dog. We will also have another dog in the trailer to provide your puppy with emotional support. Depending on how your puppy handles the blow dryer, we may just towel dry them and address the blow drying at their fifth appointment.  Homework for Puppy Owners: We cannot stress enough how crucial it is to desensitize and socialize your puppy to the world. The more you get your puppy *outside of the house* and encourage their curiosity, the less chance they'll have at developing serious behavior problems such as anxiety and fear aggression as adult dogs. The experiences they make as puppies will help them build the skills they need to gain confidence and understanding in navigating the world. Otherwise, sheltering your puppies from things they are scared of will only increase their fears and dangerous reactive coping mechanisms. Remember, short, positive, and frequent sessions will always be key. Let your puppy experience different types and ages of people, different animals, different objects, different textures, different things touching them all over their bodies, different noises, and different smells. Basic obedience such as sit and stay, will also greatly help your puppy learn self control and focus. And make your training sessions fun by suing lots of treats, play time, and praise! Always reward them when they make the effort to be curious and act calm in the face of high stress situations. Otherwise, praising them when they act scared and want to cling to you, will only reward and encourage their negative behaviors. We are always happy to refer local veterinary behaviorists and in home trainers to help puppy owners understand and utilize training methods.