Pet parents know that dog grooming is an essential part of caring for your pup.

What many people don’t know is that grooming should start at an early age

. Practicing grooming habits early will help him or her become accustomed to the routine. If you start when your pup is young, by the time he has his adult coat, grooming will be an enjoyable experience

To prepare your pup, take these five tips into consideration.

• Start young

It’s never too early to begin grooming your pup. Begin stroking your pup with a soft brush. Pick up her feet, examine her ears, and play with her tail. Make all of the handling associated with grooming pleasurable. Start the first day you bring her home.

• Make it fun

Grooming should be an enjoyable part of your dog’s life. Associate grooming with things she loves, like treats or other rewards. After you trim a toenail, offer her a treat. Play with toys in the bathtub. Add warm water in small amounts so that bathing becomes fun instead of frightening.

• Keep it short

Make your grooming sessions short. Puppies have very short attention spans so trying to make him endure a long grooming session will be no fun for either of you. Brush him for a minute then allow him to go play for a bit. Trim one nail a day instead of trying to trim all of them at once.

• Make it familiar

Introduce the tools that will be used to groom your dog. Grooming tools can be worrisome to some pups and downright terrifying to others. If your pup’s adult coat will require the use of dryers and clippers or if you plan to grind your pup’s nails, prepare him for this experience by allowing your pup to examine the tools before turning them on. Let him become familiar with the sight, smell, and sound of this equipment before you begin to groom him with it. Again, take it slowly. Don’t plan to make him love the nail grinder in a minute or two.

• Visit the groomer frequently

If you plan to have your pup professionally groomed, start his visits early. At his first appointment, the groomer may do nothing more than put him on the table and feed him treats. His next visit may be to have his nails trimmed. Regular short visits to the groomer will help your pup become comfortable with the grooming routine. Your pup will thank you for this effort and so will the groomer!