Month: January 2023

Have you noticed unpleasant behavior in your dog during car rides and trips going to your local dog groomer? For many dogs, stressful situations can result in naughty behavior. However, there are tactics you can work on with your puppy–and dog training is one of them.

Time spent on puppy training will be beneficial for both you and your dog. Good puppy behaviours will help your puppy have a good relationship with other animals and people that interact with them. A properly trained puppy will cause less stress when visiting their local dog grooming professional. This training will help make your furry friend a more enjoyable companion and make your time spent together a positive experience.

Best Tips and Practices for Training Your Dog

When you bring home your new dog or puppy for the first time, there are several key resources you should secure to help your new family member live a happy, healthy life.

You will need to find a dedicated vet clinic or hospital, dog training resources, and a dog groomer near you. From about the eight-week age mark, you can begin basic obedience training at home. Professional dog trainers can certainly support your pup’s training; however, you can begin with simple commands and exercises on your own.

Here are some tips to consider as you get started:

• Keep sessions short: Aim for training sessions that last for approximately 15 minutes in length each day. When your dog is young, you can break this up into a few short sessions and keep them fun for your furry friend. You need to stop the training if you find that your dog is distracted or tired. Try an alternate time for your future training sessions.
• Reward positive behavior: Your puppy will learn through the consequences of their behavior. If their actions result in receiving a treat, they are likely to continue with this behavior to keep getting rewarded. To enforce this, ensure your family members all react to positive behavior in the same way for consistency.
• Use simple commands: When working on commands with your dog, keep them clear, short, and easy to understand. Once your dog gets the hang of a specific command, practice it in various locations, around different people, and in unfamiliar situations—like dog grooming—to reinforce the behavior.
• Practice patience: It is completely normal to experience setbacks during your dog’s obedience training. Patience is key to ensuring you and your dog do not get frustrated with the process. Remember to take breaks and keep training sessions short, so that they are an experience you both enjoy.

Proper Training Is Just Part of a Good Life for Your Furry Friend

Keeping your dog happy and healthy is a multi-faceted responsibility. An effective training schedule is just one of those facets. Proper diet, regular vet checkups, and consistent dog grooming are all important as well. If you are looking to help your dog look and feel its absolute best, connect with us at Smoochie Pooch. We offer salon grooming, mobile grooming, and skin therapy treatments that focus on quality care for your pet.

Reach out to us to make an appointment.

If you are looking for help when it comes to grooming your dog or cat, but cannot visit a salon location, rest assured that an alternative is available. Local mobile dog groomers and cat groomers will bring their expert services directly to you.

What Are the Benefits of Mobile Dog Grooming?

If you need help keeping up with regular grooming for your pet, here’s why mobile grooming services are an excellent choice:

1. Time saved: When you are looking for a way to get more out of your weekly schedule, you have to find places where you can get hours back to devote elsewhere, even if it is just to taking care of yourself! Mobile dog grooming in Valparaiso, Plymouth, Portage, Schererville, Crown Point, and the surrounding areas saves you the hassle of driving to your local dog groomer when you do not have time to go into town. It also keeps you from having that in-between time from drop-off to pick-up. With a mobile groom, you will be right there when the groom is done.
2. Fewer car rides: No need to make your car’s interior a mess or full of dirty dog smells. Let our local mobile groomers come to you. That way you will not have to clean your car or deal with unpleasant pet odors.
3. Reduced stress on your pet: Trips in the car can be a source of stress and/or anxiety for many pets. With mobile dog grooming and cat grooming, your furry friend will receive one-on-one attention at your home, providing peace of mind for both you and your pet.
4. Complete service—without the salon: Dog and cat groomers who provide mobile grooming services are equipped with the training and tools needed to groom your pet. They will have everything on hand to ensure your dog or cat receives the same professional treatment and care that they would receive in one of our Smoochie Pooch salons.
5. More Personalized: Your pet is the center of your groomer’s attention. While your pet enjoys the excellent grooming services that Smoochie Pooch prides itself on, there will not be interruptions from other people or animals. Your mobile grooming experience also gives you a chance to get to know your pet’s groomer or understand their process better. We love getting to know our customers and helping them get a clearer picture of how we work, so do not be shy if you have questions!
6. Easier for older pets: Depending on how aging has affected your pet, just getting to the salon could be a difficult and painful experience. Bringing the salon to you eliminates a lot of steps that could make your older pet’s salon journey less than stellar. The only experience we want for both you and your pet is an outstanding one, so we may even recommend mobile over in-salon depending on your pet’s needs.
7. Healthy environment: Different dogs and cats have different health needs that could dictate a need to not be around other animals at all. Certain pets may have allergies to products that work fantastic for other pets, or they could have a weakened immune system which makes it unwise to have them around other animals unless necessary. Our salons are held to the highest standard of health and cleanliness for all pets and would be perfectly safe for most pets, but some dogs and cats need isolation from other animals, and that simply is not possible in a salon.
8. Avoids the Age-Old “Cats and Dogs” Dilemma: Whether it is a Himalayan, a Maine Coon, or an American Shorthair, most cats don’t get along with most dogs unless those cats were specifically socialized with some canine friends for part or most of their lives. For this reason, a lot of cat owners looking for that personalized groom experience for their feline friend may prefer an at-home groom.
9. Keeps Territorial Behaviors in Mind: Some dogs can be quite territorial, and most cats are inherently this way. Your pet’s temperament may dictate the need for mobile pet grooming, or at the very least such temperaments could make a mobile groom an easier choice for everyone involved.

Connect with Smoochie Pooch for Mobile Dog Grooming

Smoochie Pooch offers trusted, quality pet care and grooming services in Indiana. Our fleet of mobile grooming vans is fully equipped to deliver personalized grooming service right to your home. We service:

• Schererville
• Valparaiso
• Plymouth
• Portage
• Crown Point

The above list is just the highlights of our service area, we cover a sizable portion of northwest Indiana.

Our services add time back into your day while providing your pet with the best grooming services possible.

Connect with us to book a mobile grooming appointment and get started.