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Nervous Pup?

One of the unique qualities of one-on-one grooming is that special considerations can be taken for each dog. Dogs who are nervous, sensitive to touch, or anxious to the grooming process can develop bad behaviors because they are forced to do things too quickly. If you have a dog who struggles with grooming and handling, you've found the right groomer. With my background in the pet industry with veterinary and training, I use techniques learned in the field as well to apply to the grooming process. I also access body language throughout the process to gauge how dogs are doing and how we can be successful with grooming in the future. 

Taking it Slow

If dogs show signs of discomfort, fear, or stress, I will slow things down. This includes pausing the groom for a moment, moving onto another piece of the grooming, split down the procedure, and using treats to counter condition the procedure. In a busy salon environment, groomers don't have enough time to slow down for a nervous dog and either push through the groom or observe an undesired behavior and "black list" the dog because they cannot be handled. 

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Some dogs will simply handle the process and internalize their feelings toward grooming. Others can develop undesirable behaviors which can continue to escalate as no one is "listening" to them when they give distancing signals that they are uncomfortable. Either way, having a kind approach to the process is within the pup's best interest to keep them happy and confident. 

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Desensitization is the process of slowly introducing sounds, touch, processes, tools, etc. to dogs to help them feel more comfortable with them. For dogs that truly struggle with grooming, we can split the process down into bite sized pieces and use training to help them feel safe with the process.

Training the Grooming Process

For dogs who struggle with grooming, the approach is similar. Body language is watched through the process and adjustments are made along the way. In some cases, the procedure is too scary in the moment. To build confidence and help them learn the grooming procedure for the future, this may mean that using desensitization will be necessary.

Woof Yeah dog grooming 2023

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