Sending Dogs Home

This week, I had to send home my first unfinished dog. I was gutted. The dog was washed, but would not tolerate anything else, so went home wet. I've been worrying and stressing about it ever since, since the only person that's really going to suffer in this instance, is the dog!

I am a lone groomer. I have had my fair share of nervous, anxious and aggressive dogs. I can handle this up to a certain size, however, once they get past that, there's only so much I can do! (Even though I am strong ;) )

On top of that, the aim of my salon is to be a calm, relaxed, holistic style environment. I will not force dogs kicking and screaming to do things they do not want to do.

Here are my top tips to ensure your dog loves the grooming process, and doesn't get sent home either unfinished or traumatised.

• Get them groomed from the moment they are allowed out. Do not listen to breeders that tell you not to groom them until they are past a certain age. Yes, if you really want, they can not be clipped etc, but that doesn't mean that they can't be bathed at the salon! It's so important to get puppies used to the salon if you own a breed that needs groomed regularly, otherwise it is traumatic and will be very difficult to train them in the ways of the salon. Doodles, poodles and other poos etc MUST be groomed every six to eight weeks. Not doing so leads to year old puppies coming in for their first groom, pelted with mats and this is not an enjoyable experience for anyone.

• Get them used to it at home. Brush them (correctly) play with their feet, get them used to their faces being held, use the hairdryer on them. It's important to not let this become a game however. This is how your dog loses a toe to the scissors.

• Never shout at them or become aggressive. Positive reinforcement always.

• Don't show nerves and anxious while at the groomers. Your dog will pick up on this.

• If you have an adult dog that's not coping with grooming, they can still be trained. Organise sessions with your groomer where they can come in and get used to everything. If you have a large dog that is having problems, ensure you find a salon that has the means to cope with this, e.g more than one member of staff.

I know this won't be the last time a dog will be sent home, but hopefully this prevents even just one dog from hating the groomers.

Until next week!