Grooming the Schnoodle Puppy

When the puppies were just 4 weeks old they got their first nail trimming.  This was to help Dixie not get scratched by the puppies while they nursed. 

Last Saturday I did some more puppy grooming.  I always exhaust the puppies first with a good romp outdoors so they will be less squirmy when I groom them.  Then I went to it...

1. Clipping the fur on the Pads of their feet

I'm only 7 weeks, but I am getting pretty fluffy!

It is important to clip the fur around the pads of the puppies feet.  Long fur collects dirt and germs, plus it is prone to getting matted which can be rather uncomfortable.  The puppies feet fur was already long and thick.  I trimmed it down around the nails and between the pads of their feet.

I spent all my energy in playtime, so I am pretty relaxed right now.

2. Clipping Toe Nails
After clipping the feet fur, I was able to see the toe nails quite visibly.  I used specially designed dog toe clippers to trim each toe nail on the front and back paws.  When you take your puppy in for his first hair cut, you might want to ask the groomer to show you how to clip the nails.  Their are also a lot of good instruction online. You have to be very careful not to clip the wick or you will cause the dog to bleed.  It is advisable to keep Styptic powder on hand as it will stop the bleeding of a toe nail.  Happily, I have never needed it.

Mom gives me tummy rubs to reward me during grooming.

3. Trimming the Fur around the eyes
It is important for your puppy to be able to see, and we also don't want excessive fur to be a breeding ground of bacteria around your puppies eyes.  Today I trimmed the fur that was at the corners of their eyes and cleaned away any goop that had accumulated.  I used a pair of round nose scissors, especially for cutting fur, so I wouldn't risk any injury.

4. Trimming the Anal area.
It is also important to keep the fur trimmed short near the puppies anus, so that the fur in this area won't trap feces.  If puppies get a dried poopy butt it is unsightly, unhygienic and very uncomfortable for the puppy.

I am a good puppy even for grooming!

This was all the grooming that was necessary for the 7 week old puppy.  But it will be good for you to continue to do these same grooming activities with your puppy.  The puppy will need to be groomed all his life, and he better get use to being handled early on, or he will be a problem for the groomer.

Look!  You can see my eyes!

As the summer heat sets in, your puppy will also need his body fur trimmed.  The groomer will also routinely pluck fur from inside the dogs ear canal.

Do you like my manicure?

Grooming your puppy is not just to make them look good.....it is a NECESSARY aspect of your Schnoodles health.    Ear infections and overgrown toenails are very painful.  Allowing a dogs fur to get matted is cruel because matted fur pulls at their skin and is very uncomfortable for a dog.   Please take the grooming requirements of your Schnnoodle seriously.

Even if you take your dog to a regular groomer, it is a good idea for you to get use to some of the minor grooming in between visits.  I love a freshly groomed dog!  You can see their beautiful eyes.  They look cute and everyone wants to cuddle with him.  And as the primary house cleaner in my home, I just feel better knowing that our dog is fresh and clean enough to sit on my couch.