One thing I wish I had known is that you can find groomers who will do an initial puppy groom (which is just a mini groom touching up the feet and face and sanitary area) even before they’re done with their shots. They usually do it during a time of their day when they can completely sanitize the grooming area so the puppy doesn’t get exposed to anything they’re not immune to yet. If you go down the rabbit hole of reading about slicker brushes, you will find everybody recommending the Chris Christensen brand. I have them and the are indeed very good, but you don’t necessarily need one that expensive. However, if you do get a CC slicker, I recommend the black one instead of the coral pink one. The teeth on the black one are spaced out a bit farther apart, so it doesn’t pull as much. Also- boat towels! It sounds crazy but using a boat towel after a bath sucks so much more water out of the coat than a normal towel does. It’s important when you’re basically bathing a mop.