Nervous and Anxious Dogs

When I first decided that I was going to open my own salon, I had firmly decided - no big dogs, no aggressive dogs, no anxious dogs.

However, I took bookings for them anyway. It's easy to think that I only did it for the money, or because I was scared of getting no bookings as a new business, but its not. I just couldn't say no.

All the salons I've worked in previously have been multi-groomer and very busy. Sometimes over 10 dogs coming in at one time. It could be absolute chaos. There was plenty of nervous, aggressive and anxious dogs, and this environment was wrong, wrong, wrong for them. At the time, I didn't notice, my job was to get the dogs in and out as fast as possible and move onto the next. The anxious dogs got more anxious, the nervous dogs, got more nervous, and you guessed it, the aggressive dogs got more aggressive. "Why won't they settle down??!!" I'd think to myself as a cockapoo screamed bloody murder as I gently touched it's leg.

Of course they wouldn't settle, who would in an environment like that! Imagine you went to the hairdressers. You walk in the door with ten other customers and there's only three members of staff. No one says anything to you as you're grabbed and took the the sink immediately. Someone catches a tat, so you grab their arm and say "sorry but that's sore" and all they do is brush you off and keep tugging the tats, grabbing your arms, blowing air in your face. No ones paying attention to you asking them to slow down so you start screaming and shouting, maybe even hit them. This is what is feels like when a dog is ignored in the groomers.

I've had several extremely anxious dogs in my salon since I've opened. I'm so proud of how well they got on. It's only me, I'm the boss and I can take as long as I like. The dogs get breaks, the salon is quiet. There's treats and cuddles aplenty and what do ya know, they respond so well to it. For example, dear Lola. She came in this week and wouldn't let me touch her at all. Not aggressive, just squirmy. By the end she was standing like a superstar. Or little Waffle the poodle. She is aggressive, but only because she is scared. Even though she had to be muzzled for the entirety of the groom, she didn't really get aggressive at all. For her next groom, she will only need to be muzzled for working on the front legs, and given time, hopefully the muzzle won't be needed at all. There was also Phoebe who gets aggressive with her nails. I was able to just about get them done without stressing her out and she's coming back this week so I can get a little more off them.

And of course, our good dog of the week, Chip! A little old man, who could be over 20!! He had his second ever outing in the car, and walked bravely into the salon. He had got his nails clipped at another salon previously and had to be muzzled. I did his back legs, without too much fuss and muzzled him for the front. There was a little resistance, but nothing crazy and certainly not the worst I'd seen even that day!

I'm honestly so proud of all the anxious and scared dogs I've had in so far. And I've been so surprised by the amount of owners that have said "Are you happy to have them back?" Of course!

I've found a new calling. Yes, grooming dogs has always been the dream, but working with dogs like these is so fulfilling. I can't wait to see how they progess.

Leigh-Ann xo