Groom Your Fearful Dogs

The problem

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Regular grooming is not just about keeping your dog looking good—it’s also about maintaining your dog’s physical health. Dogs with hair need to be groomed every 6-8 weeks. But regular grooming is expensive and can be challenging if you have a fearful or aggressive dog that hates being groomed.

 

Let’s face it, most dogs do not enjoy being groomed--the process is even harder for fearful dogs. Fearful dogs dislike loud noises, sudden movements, and strange hands coming at them. They especially dislike having their faces and paws touched and their nails trimmed. Fearful dogs can become severely stressed during grooming and some snap or bite.

 

Some groomers use force and physical restraint—like muzzling or having an assistant pin the dog down—when grooming “difficult” clients. This just reinforces the dog’s fear of grooming. Many groomers will simply refuse to work with dogs that snap or growl during grooming. The risk of being bitten is just not worth the money. This leaves dog owners with limited options. They either have to “groomer shop” continuously to find groomers who will put up with their difficult dog, or take the dog to a vet to have grooming performed under sedation, a costly and medically risky solution. In extreme cases, dogs are put to sleep due to their aggressive reactions to being groomed.