Yesterday was little baby Deeps's first professional grooming experience. It went VERY well.
When I chose to bring a Papillon into my life, I knew grooming was going to be part of the package. I figured I could do most basic stuff by myself, like baths, nail trimming, and fixing little mats when they start. But I knew there would be certain things I would never want to do - like trim the hair around his eyes.
To prepare Deeps for a life of periodic grooming I spent time daily on body handling. Manipulating his paws, lifting his tail, moving his legs, holding his head, etc. I also worked some on desensitizing him to the hair dryer, which only partially worked. He doesn't freak out or run in terror, but he most definitely isn't excited about the experience. He was rewarded heavily for things like paw manipulation and baths. I wanted to make sure grooming wasn't a horrible experience for Deeps, or for the groomer.
(A side note on paw handling for grooming: being able to touch a dog's paws is good, but the groomer needs to keep a hold of the paw while he or she manipulates the pads and clips the nail. If you work on paw handling, also work on duration and manipulation. <3)
He wasn't perfect by any means, but I knew he wasn't going to ruin the groomer's day.
I read every single review I could on groomers in the area, and eventually picked a man who makes house calls. There were a few mobile groomers in the area, but this guy's reviews were over the top amazing. 100% five star reviews on Yelp.
More than anything I didn't want it to be a traumatic experience for Deeps. I wanted his first professional groom to be positive. The guy I chose swore up and down that he never pushes a dog past what that dog wants to do, and he uses treats to reward dogs for doing well.
He arrived in his vehicle, with his grooming trailer towed behind it. The way it works is he comes to your home, you walk the dog out to his trailer, and then he chills out there and grooms your dog in a climate controlled little room.
When he arrived it was love at first sight. Deeps was climbing all over him, giving him kisses, whimpering sounds of affection, and just generally overjoyed to be near this man. He excitedly followed him out to the trailer, pulling me along behind him. The groomer got down on the grass, played with Deeps, and made me feel instantly at ease.
The groom was supposed to take an hour to an hour and a half, but he was done in just 40 minutes. And when Deeps was all done, the groomer agreed to trim Bamboo's nails for just $10! Which we thought was a super amazing deal, since Bamboo is a little nightmare when it comes to having his nails trimmed. He doesn't bite, but he screams like he's dying, and snaps at everyone's hands.
The groomer was so professional and put us at ease immediately. Bamboo was throwing the largest shitfit ever on our front porch, and the groomer couldn't have cared less. He told us about the chihuahua rescue that he owns and how his little yapper will actually bite you during a nail trim. He spoke so calmly, and had no issue with Sashi holding Bamboo, me shoving kibble down Bamboo's throat to make the experience easier.
As for the Deeps's groom: I love it. I just got a basic sanity trim, since his tummy hairs are long enough that he keeps peeing on himself. Nothing cuter than a dog that smells like piss. The groomer shaved part of Deeps's tummy, and trimmed part of it. You can see in the picture where his tuck is more pronounced now - that's where the shaving and trimming took place. He also clipped around Deeps's butthole, the sight of which made me want to break into joyful song. Accidentally poopy fur be gone!
Deeps eats a raw diet so he actually has fantastic little hard, nuggets of poop (almost like rabbit pellets) so there's usually nothing to get onto the fur, but those days that his poops are a little softer.. wheeeeee shit fur! :(
The groomer also trimmed up his feet, clipping around his pads, so he's no longer fluffy footed. I was sad to see the fluff go, but it's pretty obvious he has better traction on the hardwood floor, and I'll admit he looks much spiffier with trimmed feet.
BUT! THE BEST PART! The groomer trimmed up the hairs around his eyes! NO MORE TEAR STAAAAAAAINS! Deeps has little hairs that grow in such a way that they sometimes poke him in the eyes. This irritates his eyes, making them water, which produces tear stains. Our vet pointed them out when we were concerned over him tearing up. We were told to brush them out of his eyes a few times a day, but every time we did, he just rubbed his face and put them back! Argh!
Our vet told us to have a groomer trim them when he's old enough for his first groom. I was so excited about this. It's the next day and I still don't see any watering from his eyes. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!
Captain Deeps is also softer than he's ever been before. It's like touching silk. I can't stop petting him.
Overall, an incredibly positive experience.
Deeps has very little problem with separation anxiety, and will happily chill alone for hours while we do things in other rooms, or out of the house. But after the groomer left, he cried long and hard at our front door. I can't wait to see the excitement on his face next time Mr Groomer knocks on our door. <3
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