07/29/2026
Is your dog reactive to new strange noises and tools?
Has your dog had a bad grooming experience?
Is your dog reactive to being physically handled?
Is your dog reactive in general?
I am someone who is big on advocating for your dogs even if it makes your life as the owner a little harder. Taking the extra few steps to ensure the safety of your dog is something that can change their life forever. Sharing as much information with your groomer about their behavior and past experience can help set them up for success
As a groomer that works HANDS ON with multiple dogs a day, I cannot express enough how CRUCIAL it is to disclose all behavioral concerns with them.
❗️Not disclosing information can put the groomer and your dog in a very risky situation. If we know their triggers and what to watch out for, this will help us work through whatever stresses them out. Sometimes it takes months or even years to help correct or overcome any issues.
If your dog is reactive and has any sort of nipping/bite history, you should be looking for a groomer that is equipped to handle them. This is physically and mentally, dogs feed off of the emotions of the people they are surrounded with, learning how to work with reactive dogs is not easy it takes practice and A LOT (cannot stress this enough) of patience.
Finding the right groomer for your pup takes time, most dogs don’t enjoy the bath and drying part so helping them overcome that and simply getting through the groom in a positive environment is what you’re aiming for. If your dog is reactive or fussy during the groom, please don’t get upset at the groomers if your dog doesn’t look perfect!
Also here to mention, different grooming salon environments have different impact on them. Some dogs are good with bigger salons with multiple dogs at a time while some prefer private one on one with less stimulation and some dogs even prefer the groomer come to your house since they know they’re in their safe place!
Find what works for your dog and advocate for them because they cannot!!
❗️this also applies to dog daycares, trainers and veterinarians❗️
