29/07/2025
How much of what we do to/with/for our dogs is based on our own egos rather than our dog’s well-being? 🤔
Yesterday, I did an on the table consult for a local groomer and one of our mutual clients. The dog had a previously bad grooming experience with someone else, but he’d always been relatively good for this groomer. Until recently.
Thankfully, they called me and I was happy to assist with some observation and a little training.
👀 What I observed was a little guy scared to death from start to finish with each step in the process pushing him a little closer to the edge.
By the end of his grooming session, 👏 He. 👏 Was. 👏 Done. He was doing the only thing he knew how to do to protect himself from anymore.
A few things I discovered…
👉 He really did not like being confined when having his nails trimmed.
However, if you simply turned him around the other direction, you could pick up his feet without reaching across him, and he was tolerant of that. The previous groomer claimed it took several people to “hold him down“ in order for him to be groomed. So you can see how this might be a pronlem for him.
👉 Next was face holds. He didn’t appreciate that either.
Using a clicker and some cheese, I was able to begin teaching him to voluntarily rest his head in the groomers hand while she trimmed his face and head. We did not perfect this in one session, but I will be adding this to his homework with his people.
👉 The final and biggest problem was the blow dryer. Not only is he afraid of it, but at this point, he had truly had enough.
I asked the groomer if he could just air dry. I’m a thick-haired girl, so I get that cradle cap can be an issue. This dog‘s hair is short, therefor that is not a problem.
The groomers response was, “He just looks prettier if I blow dry him.“
I smiled a crooked grin and said, “So this is about your ego and reputation as a groomer, not about this dog’s well-being? Because I promise you, he does not care if he is pretty.”
We had a good laugh and she agreed, even conceding that the parents probably didn’t care either. They didn’t.
So, for now, blow drying is off the table. We will be doing some training exercises at home designed to give this pup a little more agency, and with a few tweaks on the table, doing our best to make this a less miserable experience for him.
I am so happy 😀 to have other professionals in the pet care industry who are willing to be flexible in order to do what is best for their clients.
That being said, I really did like putting things on Henri’s head.
