If you are a pet parent, there are a few things that you will need to go through with your pet(s) on a regular basis. While there are some fun activities like getting to play with your puppy and seeing them grow up into a great dog, there are also some not-so-fun activities like taking them to the vet and having to see them in pain. While grooming inherently is not a painful activity, because of the factors involved in it, it may end up arising anxiety in your dog(s). Grooming involves your dog needing to trust that the “stranger” that comes up to them will only end up helping them in the long run. Some dogs might not take well when they need to socialize which becomes worse because while being grooming they need to be handled physically. Dogs might get a little (or a lot) anxious depending on the situation and as a pet parent, these situations might get a little too taxing on you. You might feel helpless and be at loss about what you can do at these times since grooming is a necessary part of your dog’s life. This is why it is important to know a few techniques that might assist you in helping your dog feel better during dog grooming sessions –
Happy place – Do not treat your dog differently on the day they are supposed to get groomed. Do not do any actions that are out of the ordinary that might have your dog thinking that this is a session that they should be scared about.
Identifying stressors – As a pet parent, you know your pet baby quite well. This is why it becomes your responsibility to know what part of the grooming process is stressing your dog out so you can fix it for the next time. If noises bother your dog, make sure to limit them (or preferably completely avoid them), if the excessive usage of water bothers your dog too much, find out if the dog groomer can use facial wipes instead for some places. There can always be a milder and easier alternative found to ensure that your dog’s anxiety is not provoked in the worst way.
Muzzle – This is something that you can consider if your dog is extremely agitated. Sometimes, putting on a muzzle can be the best thing that you can do for your dog because a lot of the time the dogs are confused about how they can react to them getting touched at various intimate parts. They might have to deliberate between their natural instinct to fight or bite and also listen to you or the groomer telling them to stay quiet and remain harmless. During these times, putting a muzzle on them really helps drive home the message that they cannot bite or throw a tantrum while they are getting groomed
Avoiding the ride – The ride to the groomers might end up being daunting for your pet. This is because your dog might already be anticipating the visit to the groomers and might be disliking the visit for various reasons – the place, the groomers, or their previous experience that might not have ended well. The best part is that now can avoid this altogether! You can make sure that you don’t have to go to the groomers with your dog, risking their anxiety, and instead can just call dog groomers to your home! This will alleviate a lot of tension and anxiety for both you and your pet and additionally, you also get to save the time that is wasted in commuting to the groomers.
Getting handled – It is important to make your dog used to getting handled. Grooming involves getting your dog touched in a lot of places, some that might end up being uncomfortable. Start getting them used to being touched and handled gradually.