I just groomed my first dog

Ok, so it wasnt actual grooming, it was a bath and a brush and an attempt with a low hairdryer (which didnt work anyway)

My neighbours have just got a 9 week old Shih Tzu puppy, she arrived from the "breeder" with knotty fur and looks as if she's been kept in a crate or something where they are allowed to stand in their own mess - UGH!

Sadie woulodn't sniff her or have anything to do with her which is highly unlike her so I took a tip my Uncle gave me from when he bred OES's, which was that if you were bringing a puppy in that already had a household with a dog - to bath them to rid of the scent of the mother etc, so as well as washing all the UGH off her fur, it also (after she was dried) got Sadie a bit more interested and she was playing with her - back to the old Sadie

And then as they were having a card game round at my neighbours, a relative piped up "she's too young to have had a bath" well sorry but I think I'll take the advice of my uncle who has bred and shown his dogs for near enough 30 years She got wrapped in a towel and has a fan heater/cooler on the crate I lent them for her so the blower was on whilst she slept and dried, then she woke up so I brushed/combed her, her fur was still damp so I tried the hairdryer on a low setting but it scared her so got put straight away. But after I'd done - it looked like a professional (now my head wont fit through the door)

Lol she's not my first dog that I've groomed, the otehrs just dont get as much attention - quick shower of water, shampoo then water then towel then out.

I always bath my pups and do nails and ears before they go to new homes. So it won't have done any harm.

I know - we even bathed Louie at 8 weeks - I ignored her, she may be into her 80's and probably has had a few dogs in her time but I do know a fair bit about dogs

Blu got bathed, dried and shaved from weeks old and no harm done. He did need the grooming from a young ago because of his breed. Jack is the same but he hadn't been done for 3 weeks before I got him. Not long after getting up yesterday he was in the bath and then dried Got kissies the whole time.

Well she was made to give me kisses I love puppy breath!!!

LOL she needs to get used to it, I mean I know on the otehr thread murf said something about upkeep of fur and that, but I cna bath her and brush her etc, I just cant cut her - well I can try but it wouldnt be a pro job

The only reason they say not to bath pups too early is because it takes away the natural oils n they are more likely to get skin problems - but by the sounds of it SLB this dog was in serious need for a bath - they only say try not to bath them too early or too much (not dead set No unless they are younger than 6-8wks).

I have the messiest pup in the world - he is 16 weeks now but up until last week he would poop and pee in his crate - sit in it, roll in it, eat it and anything you couldn't even imagine - and because he had tummy problems it was important to make sure nothing could be passed to my other dog. I'm sorry but this pup had to be washed almost every day (sometime twice) from bout 9 weeks - I didn't want to but if there's poop on my dog they are getting clean!

Now at 16 weeks (out of the poop fest phase) he gets a bath after muddy walks every 1 or 2 weeks n he's fine

I half washed my 10 week shih tzu today in the bathroom sink. I say half because I wimped out doing her head, she wasn't really enjoying the bath as it was, and I didn't want to upset her since we are still on day 1 with her (tips on cleaning her head welcome) So please feel free to pop over and give her a grooming session too
Shes been well brushed from her breeders, but was pretty stinky of wee (she seems to think her training pad doubles up as a playmat )
I just towel dried and cuddled her in for a bit, the heating was on too.
Planning on de-sensitizing her to hairdryer by drying my own hair in the next room and eventually move into same room etc.