Nervous & anxious dogs
They may not need a tougher groomer. They may need a different approach.
If your dog has struggled with grooming before, finding somebody new to trust can be stressful for you as well as for them. You may have been told that your dog is difficult, that they cannot be groomed or that they need to behave better before somebody can help.
At The Pet Studio, we prefer to begin with a different question: why is the dog struggling?
A growl, snap, attempt to escape or refusal to cooperate is communication. It does not tell us everything about the dog, but it does tell us that something about the situation is difficult for them. Our job is to understand as much as we can and decide how best to move forward.
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A calm, quiet moment with a nervous dog
Understanding changes the way we groom
Fear, pain, previous experiences, unfamiliar handling, noise and the grooming environment itself can all influence behaviour. Sometimes a dog may cope well with most of the groom but find one particular element extremely difficult.
Liza's experience working with anxious dogs, alongside her education in canine behaviour, has helped shape an approach that looks beyond the behaviour we see on the surface. We cannot promise that every dog will immediately become comfortable with grooming, but we can promise to treat their behaviour as information rather than simply something to overcome.
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Groomer giving a dog time to settle
There is no one size fits all approach
For some dogs, progress may mean shorter appointments. Others may need time to become familiar with the salon, particular equipment or certain types of handling. Some are more comfortable when the groom happens in a particular order, while others may need breaks before continuing.
There may also be occasions when the most professional decision is to stop rather than push a dog beyond what they can manage. Finishing the haircut is not more important than the welfare of the dog.
The Pet Studio
Building trust can take time
If your dog has had a difficult history with grooming, one appointment may not undo that experience. Building confidence can be a gradual process, and progress may look different for every dog.
Owners are an important part of that process too. We may talk to you about what happens at home, previous salon experiences and ways you can help your dog become more comfortable with handling between appointments.
Our aim is not simply to get through today's groom. Where possible, we want to make future grooming easier too.
BEEN TOLD YOUR DOG IS DIFFICULT?
Talk to us before assuming there are no other options. Tell us what has happened previously, what your dog finds difficult and anything you know about their behaviour around grooming or handling.
We can then have an honest conversation about whether our approach may be suitable and what the next step could look like.