24/08/2026
Today I had Bear, a 65kg Caucasian Shepherd Dog who is truly a gentle giant booked in for a full groom and deshedding. He’s had a rough start in life and is now in his third home with wonderful owners who are doing everything right, working with trainers to help him manage his anxiety and leash reactivity.
We knew today would be a test, so his owners waited in the car while I tried to start the groom. At first, Bear was a superstar. Ten minutes in, he willingly stepped right into the hydrobath. But the moment I slid the side door shut to secure him, pure panic set in. Feeling trapped, his immediate reaction was to try and frantically chew his way out through the bath wall.
When a dog reaches that level of panic, his safety and mental wellbeing are the only things that matter. Muzzling wasn't an option since he's still in the middle of muzzle training, tethering a 65kg dog short enough to prevent biting wasn't practical, and pushing him through it would have set his anxiety training back drastically.
Before I could change tact, Bear decided to take matters into his own paws. With very little effort, all 65kg of him leaped right over the side of the bath pushing past me and headed for the door! (At 50kg myself, I certainly wasn't stopping that BFG when he made up his mind!)
While it’s frustrating not to finish, I refuse to compromise a dog's mental health for a haircut. Admitting "defeat" today was actually the best choice for Bear. He isn't ready for a full groom just yet, but he will be. We’re going to step back and work on a structured, cooperative care program, taking tiny baby steps to get him comfortable with the grooming room, the bath, and feeling enclosed.
Huge respect to his owners for being so supportive. Bear is a special boy, and we’re in this for the long haul! 🐾❤️
