Happy Paws with Sue - Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Dogs

14/06/2026

This week I saw a video of two groomers "desensitising" a dog to having paws trimmed. Unfortunately, the technique they were using was actually flooding rather than desensitisation.

This is one of the biggest problems in groomer training, there is very little dog behaviour and training knowledge included. There are techniques we are taught to "desensitise" or "show them there is nothing to worry about" and even holding on the legs and chin fur until they "give in". Whilst these techniques may work for the groomer, they absolutely don't work for the dogs emotional experience of the groom, which is when problems start to occur that can be difficult to manage.

I did think that I could put out content to show how desensitisation should be done, but this process needs to start long before the dog even gets onto the table if we want to use any type of training technique successfully.

The biggest question we have to ask ourself is "does this dog feel safe"? This is a very different question to "is he safe" he has to feel safe, otherwise learning will be negatively impacted.

Let's slow down with our salon introductions, make sure the dog has time to process the sounds, smells, people, etc, so that he can feel safe otherwise we are not doing our best.

Instead of posting a video of desensitisation, I am posting a link to my FREE webinar on how to introduce new canine clients into the grooming salon in a way that enables that feeling of safety to be achieved.

Rethink how you welcome dogs and their humans into your grooming salon with behaviour‑informed, welfare‑first introduction strategies. Build trust, reduce stress, and create smoother, safer grooming experiences from the very first hello.

30/05/2026

https://takingthegrrr.newzenler.com/courses/taking-the-grrr-out-of-grooming-dogs-1-day-seminar

One Day in person seminar on Sunday 19th July in Huncote, Leicestershire.

This one day workshop will give you skills to

* Understand why dogs “misbehave”
* Recognise when dogs are anxious
* Techniques to make your job easier
* Reduce stress for yourself and your canine clients

The Seminar will be held at Leicester Animal Aid, 10 am - 4.30 pm.

£85 including light refreshments (please bring your own lunch)

Click on link to purchase your ticket.

One day seminar sales page

24/04/2026

JUST 7 DAYS LEFT TO GET £150 DISCOUNT OFF MY TAKING THE GRRR COACHING PROGRAMME

https://takingthegrrr.newzenler.com/

The final 7 day countdown to get a massive £150 off my 3 month Coaching Programme has started.

This may be the best decision you make this year. By the end of this 3 month coaching programme you will be able to:

Stop certain dogs turning every groom into a battle -
Learn what to do when a dog thrashes, pulls away or refuses parts of the groom so you’re not just wrestling through the appointment hoping for the best.

Spot when a dog is about to kick off - Recognise the early signs that a dog is becoming overwhelmed so you can step in before things escalate into growling, snapping or panic.

Make grooming easier for the dogs that normally fight you -
Simple changes to how you handle and work with dogs that reduce the struggle on the table and make the groom calmer for both of you.

Handle the dogs that currently make you feel out of your depth -
Instead of dreading certain dogs in your diary, you’ll have practical ways to approach grooms that normally feel impossible. Know what to do when a groom starts going wrong.

Cope when a dog refuses part of the groom or things suddenly unravel - You’ll have options instead of feeling stuck or forcing your way through it.

Deal with owners when their dog struggles - Learn how to explain what’s happening in a way that owners understand, without feeling defensive or like you’re making excuses.

Feel more in control - So the dogs that used to leave you exhausted and stressed start to feel far more manageable.

Create a calming and safe grooming environment - Learn how to put together amazing grooming introductions to prevent future grooming sensitivities.

What's not to want about that. With over 10 years grooming experience, with the majority of those working with dogs other groomers have referred to me for aggression or extreme anxiety, I will share my extensive grooming behaviour knowledge with you.

And even after the 3 month coaching programme you will have another 9 months access to the educational videos and the support of a Facebook Group of likeminded professionals to support you.

As this is 1-2-1 coaching, it will be adapted to support you as an individual, whether you are a 1 on 1 groomer, multi-salon groomer or even a caring guardians who wants to groom their own dog.
Book a discovery call today either by following the link on my website or email [email protected]
Can't start immediately? No problem, just pay your £100 before 30th April and name your starting date for the price to be held.

Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Dogs is the place you come to learn how to make our canine companions grooming experience less stressful, both in the home and in the grooming salon.

22/02/2026

I know this post will be controversial, but this is something I feel very deeply about. Currently, groomer training rarely contains enough canine behaviour. I get it, with just 15-30 days hands on training there is little time to deliver anything but specific grooming content.

However, the problem with this is that it leaves many newly trained groomers without the critical knowledge they need, especially when it comes to the more sensitive dogs. Lack of knowledge about canine communication; trigger stacking; how dogs learn; training techniques; multisensory processing; impact of pain; different age groups; the list goes on....

I would advise anyone thinking of a career in dog grooming to think about studying dogs behaviour first, or at least alongside their groomer training. It makes a MASSIVE difference, both to the groomer and to the dogs they groom.

My latest programme provides all this "missing" knowledge. If you would like to discuss your current level of behaviour knowledge and how I can help you, comment MENTOR below and we can arrange a chat.

12/02/2026

https://takingthegrrr.newzenler.com/live-class/hacyxii/register
This coming Monday. This is suitable for both professional groomers and dog owners who struggle to brush/handle dogs legs,
Just £10 to understand some of the challenges dogs face when it comes to having legs handled and some techniques to help dogs cope much more easily, making our job less frustrating.

In this webinar you will learn why dogs find legs being groomed so difficult, and a range of techniques to help them cope more easily with leg grooming.

05/02/2026

Just a little teaser for our new service starting 14th February 2026.

Over the last year or so, we (Catherine Crawshaw and myself) - both admin of Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Dogs) have become more and more aware that giving advice on how to help dogs that struggle with grooming and handling is not a one size fits all approach. We need more background about each dog, what approaches have been tried, health issues, etc., to do this within our current set up is not feasible. This has left us feeling that we are not necessarily providing the best advice for each individual dog.

Facebook algorithms are also making it more difficult to get reach so that we can help more people.

This new service will fill that gap, our new Canine Grooming & Handling Community will give us the opportunity to dig a bit deeper, learn more about the individual dogs and their humans so we can give more appropriate advice and support.

The content within this new Community is going to be driven by the members rather than what we think you want, so the content will be more valuable/specific to you.

So that we can spend a little more time digging deeper this will be a paid community, and there will be an option for 1-2-1 mentoring if we think that is going to be more appropriate. Also, if we don't think we can help, or you would be better working with a different type of professional, we will advise you and provide the support to find the right person.

This is aimed more at Guardians/caregivers, rather than groomers, but groomers can join for support with their own dogs. If you are a groomer that need support with an individual dogs Taking the Grrr Out Of Grooming Dogs Facebook Group is still going to be active and supported, but we may also recommend 1-2-1 mentoring option instead or one of our other supported programmes.

So, who would LOVE to join our new Community - please let us know your thoughts below.

We will be releasing more details daily

04/02/2026

https://takingthegrrr.newzenler.com/live-class/hacyxii/register

? Does your dog or canine clients struggle with leg handling and grooming ?

? Are you forever fighting to leg legs groomed, or claws clipped?

? Are you frustrated before leg brushing is a constant battle ?

? or are you just interested in the reasons why dogs struggle with leg handling and grooming ?

Then this webinar is for you at just £9.99

One of the biggest struggles both canine groomers and guardians have is handling and grooming legs - whether that be for brushing, clipping, claws, paws pad tidy etc.

In this webinar on Monday 16th February @ 7 pm, I will be discussing why some dogs struggle with leg handling and grooming, and some techniques to help with overcoming these leg sensitivities.

In this webinar you will learn why dogs find legs being groomed so difficult, and a range of techniques to help them cope more easily with leg grooming.

03/02/2026

https://takingthegrrr.newzenler.com/courses/canine-individuality

Ever wondered:
* what makes a dog tick?
* what makes them all individual personalities, even within the same breed?
* why some dogs are more sensitive to grooming than others?

I am about to throw some light on some of these questions!

This morning I have added a new Module in the Groomers Behaviour Educational Programme. However, I am making this module available for anyone to purchase at just £40!

Observing the dogs we live and work with using the Family Dog Mediator(c) L.E.G.S. lens (Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self) we can start to unpack some of their behaviours, temperament, resilience, etc., and start to make better decisions for them.

The webinar for this module will be delivered this coming Sunday at 7 pm, it will be recorded and available to watch afterwards. In addition to the webinar, there will be a Case Study using L.E.G.S. on one of my grooming clients, plus a range of other resources.

This module is suitable for everyone who loves dogs.

This page includes price, course content, and instructor details

02/02/2026

A little tease of what is coming!

01/02/2026

I still have to pinch myself everyday knowing that I am finally following my childhood dream (well, sort of).

As a child I so wanted to be a dog groomer. It wasn't really considered a "proper" job back then, so I went into administration, but always felt the desire to work with dogs.

In 2015, having worked in administration all my working career, I finally got out of the rat race, and decided to train as a groomer. This time 10 years ago I was just about to start my training with the lovely Francine Bennett at .A. Spa & Groom. My first day with friend, Lottie Clarke saw me get soaked bathing a massive German Shepherd!!!

I never planned to go down the route of writing books, creating courses, webinars, education programmes, etc. I knew that I wanted to specialise in dogs that struggled with grooming, and that I wanted to do Tellington TTouch Workshops for groomers. It was during those first few workshop that I suddenly realised that I was well ahead of the game when it came to dog behaviour knowledge in the groomer industry. So, I had to expend my one day workshops to include some basic canine behaviour knowledge to the courses, including calming signals, trigger stacking and a basic understand of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

It was as a result of this lack of knowledge in the groomer education I put pen to paper to write the Taking the Grrr out of the Grooming Salon which then quickly expanded to include Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Your Dog. Little did I know how writing these books would change my life.

Although I like to think I have helped many dogs to cope with grooming more easily, the Grooming Industry hasn't really moved on that much in terms of Groomer Training. Still a massive focus on aesthetics rather than how the dog feels, still task driven rather than care driven, and still talking about regulation improving the industry standards (it won't unless the Groomer Training is changed to be more about canine emotional welfare, and less about perfectly groomed dogs).