Chantal Taylor works at Bark & Fitz in Kanta,alongside fab grooming partner Kim.She graduated with honours from the internationally accredited JKL grooming academy in British Columbia.Married, mother of two beautiful children. Alexus 13 and Bradley 6.She has two golden retrievers named Jenny and Caleigh and a little French Bulldog mix named Gabee.

Those adorable little puppies...so cute,so soft and so innocent. Little bundles of joy whom like children, will grow up to be rebellious teenagers if we let them. So funny but so very true. I think the important thing to remember while contemplating when to bring your puppy to a groomer for the very first time is that it's not so much about the groom as it is about the experience. I am certain that very few groomers would disagree that it is extremely important to introduce grooming to your little puppy at a young age in order to get him accustomed to being bathed and brushed by someone other than a family member.

Once your little puppy is up to date with his vaccinations (usually around four months of age), then it is time to introduce him to his first bath and tidy. A bath and tidy is simply a bath, nail trim and touch ups around his face and feet.It is very simple, should not be rushed and a perfect way to introduce your little guy to the world of grooming.

Many coat types need to be professionally groomed every six to eight weeks so a bath and tidy will help him feel so much more comfortable and confident in the grooming salon before he has to start getting regular haircuts.It will also be so much easier on your little guy if brushing and combing are done on a regular basis at home. Not only will this help him get used to being brushed, it will also help reduce the chances of matting and will make his grooming experiences so much more enjoyable...especially before that silly teenager phase begins!

Take the time to meet a few groomers in your neighbourhood and choose the one that you feel will take the time to make him feel comfortable being groomed while you're away. Trust is key to a happy and healthy relationship with your groomer. Find one that you feel is honest and you can trust. There are an abundance of very good groomers out there but I recommend shopping around first.

Ideally, you would want to brush your dog's coat every day but realistically,I know that it's not always possible. I've got kids and a full time job so I totally understand!

I think that once or twice a week is much more realistic for the average busy household and will most certainly help cut down on the time it takes to clean the house if you have the type of dog that sheds a lot.

If you do have the type of dog that sheds or matts easily and find it difficult to keep up with the brushing, I highly recommend bringing her in for her grooming appointments more often. Not only will your groomer help keep your dog's coat in good condition and looking her best, you'll also be thanking your lucky stars that you don't have to clean those mammoth sized fur balls under your living room couch.

Well, that's a tricky question because there are a few different coat types and some need to be washed and conditioned on a regular basis and some maybe once a season. Most importantly, it really depends on your dog's personality!

I know there are guidelines as to how often a dog should be bathed but sometimes rules just need to be broken.I mean, if you have the kind of dog that loves to roll around in the cow pasture or run through the bush and bring home unidentifiable dead things to your back door, then I would say that you may want to purchase your shampoo by the gallon. There are many mild shampoos out there that will do the trick and make your dog smell nice again... at least for a couple of days.

If you have the type of dog that doesn't like to get his feet wet out in the rain and would rather sleep on the couch then go for a nature walk, then you could probably wait until your next grooming appointment. Either way, if you do decide to bathe your dog at home, please remember to brush out your dog's coat first before the bath. Sometimes matts are not always easy to see or feel but if he has any matting under all that fur, then getting the coat wet will make the matts much much worse.

I have yet to meet a dog that actually enjoys getting his nails trimmed. Some do very well at tolerating the procedure but in most cases...they absolutely hate it. They dance, they squirm, they go in circles and roll around, pull their paws away and in some cases, they may bite.

As my wonderful grooming partner Kimberley says, sometimes it feels like "crocodile wrestling"! Nonetheless...nail trimming your pet on a regular basis (about every 2-3 weeks) is very important to help prevent the quicks (veins) in your dog's nails from getting too long or in worst cases, your dog's toes from becoming painfully splayed.

My best advice for trimming your dog's nails? Use the buddy system!

At work, I find the best way to trim a large dog's nails is to have him stand up on all fours, lift one of the back paws up and trim the nails bottom side up. This method is great because not only are you taking a bit of the balance away from your dog, you also have a better view of where to stop before cutting too close to the quick. As soon as you see a little black dot (or if poochie has white nails, a little pink dot) in the middle of where you have trimmed, then you should stop because you're getting close to the quick. Continue trimming all the nails using the same method. If your dog still has a tough time with this, then that's when you need a buddy to help you out. While you are trimming your dog's nails, your buddy will be hugging and talking to your pet to calm him down. If this still does not work, then I would highly recommend using tasty treats to distract him. While you're at one end trimming, your buddy will be at the other end feeding him and completely distracting him from the whole procedure. Before he even notices, you'll be all done!

Now if you have a smaller dog, you can still use the same method used for a large dog but it would be much easier if you could find a higher surface like a table to work on so you can see what you're doing. Again, if he moves around a lot, have a buddy help you out to distract or relax him. Another method that can be used with a smaller dog is to have him sit on your lap while your buddy trims the nails. Again, lots of talking, cuddling and feeding. Every dog is different so try different methods to get the job done.

P.S: Purchasing some styptic powder before trimming your dog's nails is a good idea just in case you accidentally cut the quick on one of your dog's nails. If by chance you don't have any handy, you can always use some flour to help stop the bleeding.