Poodle pups first grooming

Question
We have a 16-week-old standard poodle pup. Is he too young for his first trip to the groomer? (He is completely up-to-date on all of his vaccines.) If he is too young, at what age can he start? Are there any special instructions or requests we should give the groomer? We'd like the experience to be a positive one for him. Thanks!!

Answer
Hello Jane,
Actually, back when we were breeding, we would shave the puppies faces at around 4-5 weeks of age because otherwise, you have these puppies with very fuzzy faces.  Sometimes Show dog handlers will shave their puppies at a young age to cause their adult hair to grow in quicker.  
You will want the Groomer to be sure to pluck the hair out of the ears.  Puppies don't like this, but its very necessary to keep the ears clean and debris free.  Poodles are in the top 3 breeds of dog that get ear problems most easily, so ear care early is a must.  The groomer should use an ear powder that will make gripping the ear hair easier and less painful to remove.  
Also, remind or tell the groomer to be careful to not use a hot blade around the feet, groin, face or rear.  It can cause painful razorburn and cause the dog to not want to be groomed again.  

You can also set-up a meet and greet between you and the groomer a couple of days before taking your pup in for the grooming.  This way, the dog can get to know the groomer before being taken to get groomed.  You can have the groomer brush the pup a bit or do a light toenail trim just to show the puppy what to expect.  

You can also do some things to help your dog get used to being groomed or handled.  
Try the Puppy Exam on your dog.  
Lay him on his back in your lap and go over him.  Examine his mouth, ears, eyes and face.  Get him to where he will let you open his mouth, look in his eyes, play inside his ears and be able to touch and play with his feet without protest.  If he gets bitey, Grab his muzzle and tell him "NO!" in a firm voice and give his muzzle a gentle shake.  Praise him if he calms down.  Continue.  You will want to get him to where he will let you go over his whole body without complaint.  Be sure to check his toes and get him used to having his feet worked with.  Alot of dogs get foot aggressive and this can be stopped at a young age if you just let the dog know that they are really YOUR feet when you touch them and he has to let you handle them.  

You can also play a little game with him, where you tell him "Foot" and he gives you his paw, you check it over then praise him and give him a hug or a pet.  When he gives you his foot, only praise him if he gives you his foot willingly and doesn't try to take it back before you are done.  

Give these things a try and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim