dandelos
Well-known member
Im veering off subject slightly here,but only because its related. Im wondering A) when I should give Teddy his first bath, and B) when I should give him his first claw clip (not me personally, im not brave enough).
As he is a puppy, would it be better to give him a bath soon so that he doesn't feel nervous about it in the future (he is taking everything in his stride and is not a nervy boy, but you never know). I don't intend to give him regular baths, just when he is filthy or overly sandy if necessary, but he will be bathed a handful of times a year. Also his nails, when should he have his first pedicure?
Experiences will no doubt vary, but if I recall correctly, our breeder gave our Skippy a bath the day we picked him up (8 weeks old), and then we gave him his next bath when he was 11 or 12 weeks old.
As for nail cutting, I usually cut his nails every 5-6 weeks, when there is around 0.6-0.7 cm of length between the start of the pink 'quick' and the ends. I probably let his nails grow out longer than most before cutting, and don't cut them too short, because like you I'm afraid to make him bleed...
For us the other sure sign he's in need of a nail trimming is when we can hear him go 'clack clack clack' on our hardwood floors at home.
Edit to add: For both activities we've 'bribed' him with treats since his very first bath and nail trim, in order to have him associate the activities with something positive. Also make sure to introduce any foreign objects (e.g. nail cutter, shower hose) gradually, to give your pup time to recognize they aren't threats. It's worked for us at least, as he's never protested or struggled during either activity.
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