Finding a groomer

I need to find a groomer for my Sammy. He's 14 weeks old and I would like to go ahead and get him introduced and start him out slowly with the groomer. I have been combing and brushing him here at home and have even been bathing him and blowing him dry. He's not ready to spend a full day at the groomers yet.


What kind of questions should I ask a groomer and what should I expect back from a good one?

Thanks!

you say hes not ready, but it is you who isnt ready. if he has had his second shots then there is no problem with him going. and if you find a good groomer, he will not be there "all day". he should be there no longer than 4 hours. if you keep up with the attitude that he is not ready, you will have a problem

hmmm... what problem will she have? I am still new so just curious. and 4 hours!! thats a long time I had no clue that it takes 4 hours to groom doesnt it depend on size..I would think no longer than 2hrs the most. I have a 14wk old and he does just fine getting groomed and your litte pup will get used to it. good luck in finding a groomer your comfortable with!

Most groomers for puppies for time will only do little touch ups. That should not take very long, though some people right away want a fancy hair cut it is better for the puppy to just have touch ups to get them use to it. Ask the groomer what she will do on the puppy. Try to bring him in every 2 weeks for a few times so he gets used to it, then you can ease of to every 4-8 weeks depending on your breed. Play with your puppies feet at home, get him to stand on a table. Look in his ears, touch his face.
Ask the groomer to demonstrate how to properly brush a puppy, a good groomer will gladly do this for free.
You can ask how long a groomer has been grooming but some people just pick up grooming so easily and quickly that that isn't always a good judge (and others are slow at picking it up, and others just suck, sorry to say)
Go to some grooming shops and watch for a while as they groom the dogs, see how they interact with them. Though remember, just cause a dog is trying to bite the groomer does not mean the groomer is bad, it usually means the dog was not introduced to grooming till late in life so doesn't know whats happening and some dogs are just aggressive dogs, but you can see how they deal with snappers. They need to be firm with the dog but obviously not screaming, hitting, being overly rough.
Anyways I am just blabbing here, good luck finding a groomer.
Also one last thing. though it can be very tempting for a mom to stay while their dog is getting groomed, a lot of the time that can make the puppy worse as they are trying to get to mom, and curl up with mom and such.

I am a groomer. We like to see pups as soon as they have had their shots...about 10- 12 weeks....their first experience at the groomers is the most important one they can ever get...it will either give them confidence or send them home scared....Im not saying this to upset you, just to encourage you to get your pup in early and to a good groomer the first time....at this early age(10 weeks), the pup is curious and willing to please...when they hit 5-8 months they are into their teenage stubborness stage....a very difficult time to start grooming....
you will want to drop in on different groomers without your pup and ask to sit and watch quietly. (just dont be a distraction, they have a job to do) If they are hesitant to let you watch that is a red flag. Watch for calm, fair and gentle handling and a clean shop. (Keep in mind that some firmness is nessessary with some dogs when they are being groomed...so they dont get cut with the scizzors etc etc....so dont be alarmed...some dogs are hyper and/or just plain unwilling to cooperate and some are biters and firmness is needed to keep them and the groomer safe.)
ASk what they do for a 12 week old pup the first time...not sure what breed your is...but for a coated breed we normally scissor trim the face, feet and sanitary areas....let clippers run near and against them to get them aquainted to the sound and feel and then brush them all over. They get a bath, blow dry and nail trim as well. All this is done in a calm and happy attitude to teach the pup to accept it and even enjoy it. We try not to have the pup stay any longer than 1 1/2 to 2 hours tops for its first visit.
The next visit should be with in a month so the pup can remember an the groomer can build on the first experiences the pup had. By The next grooming the pup is ready for a full body groom and we start using the clippers...

What you can do to help prepare your pup for the groomers: brush your pup daily or at least every other day with a soft bristled brush or comb. HAndling the feet is very important. Teach the pup to except it without any exceptions....that will make nail trims so much easier. HAndle the pups' face and ears every day. Do not let the pup resist your handling...this is important so you dont have a nippy pup later. The best time to handle the face and feet is when the pup is tired. Give the pup lots of calm soothing praise and even some treats to reward good behavior.
And most important if you have a coated breed: dont wait til the pup is matted to take him to the groomer.....that dooms your pup to a terrible experience of being shaved or dematted ....which can be very uncomfortable. Keep your pup mat free! And get him in early.
hope this helps. enjoy your pup!

Speaking as a groomer we PREFER you get them in at 10 - 12 weeks to start slowly introducing them to everything. DO NOT wait till his hair is so long it has to be cut. You do NOT want to do a full cut on a baby first time grooming. It is too hard and stressful on them. It is best to have him go in for a bath, feet, face, and sanitary the first 2 - 3 times and work up to the full grooming. Also where I work we try to get new first time babies in and out within 1 1/2 - 2 hours. You should NEVER have to leave your baby there for longer than that IMO if its just a feet face and sanitary to get used to grooming.

*edit * ALSO find a groomer you are comfortable with and stay with that person. Do not take your puppy from shop to shop and groomer to groomer if you can help it. They do much better when they can get to know thier groomer and thier groomer gets to know them. Alot of dogs have a tendency to act up with a new person to kinda "feel them out" and see what they can get away.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. A lot of good advice here.