20/07/2026
I love this 🐶💜
“Just get it done - the dog will eventually learn how to behave."
If I had a penny for every time I've came across this advice...
If I'm to be completely honest, there was a time when perhaps I did push a dog too far because in my head I felt it was "welfare" - and there definitely was a time where I believed a quicker session was always kinder than a slightly longer one.
But over the years I’ve come to realise that:
👉 It's not so "black and white" - every dog is different.
👉 Every grooming appointment leaves a lasting impression.
👉 Every interaction teaches the dog something about grooming.
👉 Every experience contributes to how well a dog feels overall.
I've realised that when we focus solely on getting the job done, we often compromise on the dog's comfort and overall welfare...
Suddenly, the dog:
🐾 becomes more anxious at every appointment.
🐾 starts resisting more, any form of handling and restraint.
🐾 learns that their communication is ignored and resorts to more obvious signs of distress.
🐾 eventually reaches a point where grooming feels too overwhelming.
And as long as each experience remains a struggle, the consequences will advance - appointment by appointment, experience by experience.
Until one day the dog appears to have "snapped out of nowhere"...
To prevent this, we need to think BEYOND what we want to achieve regarding the coat, and think more about what the dog in front of us NEEDS right in this very moment.
I've said it once, and I'll keep saying it until the industry has an industry-wide change of view, we shouldn't be asking ourselves whether we finished the groom as per our own expectations and desires...
We should always be asking:
“What is the dog learning from this experience, and is it helping them?”
