When to start
Many groomers suggest a puppy's first proper groom once their full vaccination course is complete, since salons and vans see a steady stream of dogs and most groomers want to protect every puppy that visits. Check with your vet about timing and with the groomer about their own vaccination policy before booking. Coat type matters too: a curly or fast-growing coat (like an oodle's) may need its first trim earlier than a short-coated breed, simply because it mats faster.
Before that first professional visit, there's plenty you can do at home to get a puppy comfortable with being handled.
Socialising your puppy to handling, before the groom
Short, positive handling sessions at home make the biggest difference. A few minutes a day of gently touching paws, ears and the tail area, brushing with a soft puppy brush, and letting them hear a hairdryer or clippers from a distance (paired with treats and a calm voice) all help a puppy learn that being handled is normal and not scary. The goal is a puppy that isn't frightened by the sensations a groom involves, not one that sits perfectly still for an hour.
If your puppy is also going through daycare or regular walks with other dogs, that broader socialisation tends to help their overall confidence too, which carries over into how they cope with a grooming appointment.
What a groomer will actually do at a first visit
A good first groom is usually shorter and gentler than a full adult groom. Expect the groomer to go slowly, let your puppy sniff the equipment, and focus on a positive experience over a picture-perfect trim. A bath, a light brush-out, a nail trim and maybe a sanitary trim and face tidy is often the whole visit. Many groomers specifically offer a "puppy introduction" appointment that's about familiarisation rather than a full service, which can be a gentler way to start.
If your puppy finds car trips stressful, a mobile groomer coming to your home can remove one variable from an already new experience, which is worth asking about if you think it would help. Run a grooming business? See Pet Pro's for dog groomers.
Setting up future grooms for success
Sticking with the same groomer for the first several visits helps build familiarity on both sides. They get to know your puppy's temperament and coat, and your puppy gets used to a face and a routine. Keep home brushing going between visits so grooming never becomes something that only happens to an unbrushed, tangled coat, which tends to be less comfortable and takes longer.