Calming pet grooming sessions
Pet grooming sessions, if not done right, might sometimes prove to be nerve wracking for both the pet groomer and the pet parent. Additionally, if the pet themselves are not comfortable then it might result in a lot of mishaps during the pet grooming sessions. A lot of breeds need an abundance of trimming – they tend to grow long coats and more often than not pet parents love to have a specifically shaped coat for their dogs. While this can prove to be quite a challenging job for you as a pet groomer, it can be just fun to do it. As a professional pet groomer, when you are dealing with small dogs, you might have to exercise extra caution since the sudden movements of the animals might not be that easy to anticipate because of their small size. Additionally, controlling them if they panic during the grooming session might prove to be a little easier than that of big dogs, but the level of harm that might be caused due to the equipment lying around might end up being the same. Here are some tips that might help in combating this issue of keeping small dogs calm during pet grooming sessions –
Contact – Unlike large sized dogs, small dogs can be held more easily both by you and the pet parent if necessary. Sometimes the dogs might self soothe after they get to know the pet groomer and realize the process but sometimes on bad days this might cease to happen. In those cases, you can let the pet parents keep physical contact with their pet baby whilst they are being grooming. This is also one of the reason why at-home pet grooming services work best – it brings familiarity with respect to the environment the pets are being groomed in and it brings in a sense of security for the both the dog and the pet parent which makes it easier for everyone involved in the process to do their jobs. Since home is a familiar place for them, the pets are more likely to trust the people you are allowed inside their human’s house.
Familiarize the pet groomer and equipment – If necessary, this step can prove to be a game changer in calming the pets down. Ensure that there is no harmful equipment laid out and let the pets sniff and familiarize themselves with the tools if the need arises. You can also socialize with the cute little pet babies a little before the actual session starts so they gauge that they are comfortable with you. This way, they don’t have to feel like they are being handled with unknown things and might not react badly to it. Sometimes just letting them be around you for a little bit (without trying to befriend them actively) can also work in your favor in establishing that you are nor a threat in any way.
Rewards and commands – Whether it is the pet parent itself or whether it is you, make sure that you are constantly reaffirming and positively reinforcing the pet whenever they display good behavior. This way it is easier for them to gauge what behavior is expected of them when a professional pet groomer visits them. It also becomes easier for you during your pet grooming sessions to ensure that you can perform every service required by the pet parent without too much hassle. You might need the assistance of the pet parent in knowing what the dog’s favorite treats or favorite form of reinforcements are and then use them to your advantage during the pet grooming sessions.