As a groomer, you most likely have had your fair share of difficult dogs to groom. You may have tried different loops, harnesses, and muzzles to control these challenging canines without much success. I would like to share some thoughts that might help you in your task of grooming an uncooperative dog.
The groom is not something you do to the dog, but rather something you do with the dog. I might say, today I will paint the wooden stool and I will groom the dog. Logically and grammatically, they sound the same. But, they are not. The stool is piece of wood, an inanimate object, that you can do with what you want. On the other hand, the dog is a living thing. Dogs have feelings. They feel touch, warmth, cold, pain, sadness, happiness, boredom, curiosity to name a few. And they possess intelligence. The dog may be sensing your mood or evaluating you for the level of threat it may perceive. How are you evaluating the dog? Are you really tuned into the sensitivities of the animal? When you have the dog on the grooming table, do you talk to it? Do you use the dog’s name? Do you treat it as an intelligent creature? Or rather, do you think of it as annoying object that you need only make look better?
A therapist who works with teenagers once told me that some of her clients didn’t communicate very well verbally. She said she became very good at reading body language. A dog doesn’t verbalize at all, but their movements can range from lying down sleeping to jumping all over the place. How well can you tune into everything in between and interpret the meaning of it? Remember, all dogs are different. Many people do not fully realize that fact. People will generalize: “Golden Retrievers are friendly: Pit Bulls are dangerous” and so forth. Generalization rules out observation. Despite breed or sub-breed similarities, they all have individual temperaments or “personalities.” What this means to groomers is that one approach will not work with all dogs. Yet, we usually go about grooming the same way with every dog we put on the table. Then we are at a loss when the loops and muzzles fail to contain the dog’s behavior.
You need to get a better read on the individual dog. Take some time to get to know the dog as a customer and as a living thing. Dogs have feelings! Pay attention to that. Are you contributing to or alleviating negative behavior? Some groomers have the attitude that you need to show each dog “who’s the boss!” Or that you need to be the Alpha dog or dominant dog. Maybe that works sometimes, but it can also be a big fail. Some dogs behave the way they do because of bad experiences with dominating and demanding (even cruel) humans. So, it is very possible that being too assertive will get you nowhere. Look closely at the temperament of the dog. It may be an emotional mess in the presence of strangers or in a strange environment or being constrained in a grooming loop. Talk to your dogs gently. Use the dog’s name. Move slowly. Be kind. Get the dog to look into your eyes (but not a stare down contest). Little dogs may need to be held, petted, or rocked to calm them down and relax them. Remember, animals fear injury and pain. That is natural.
Put your ego aside, be a human being--not a mere mechanic. Feel for the dog. Don’t just treat the dog as an object to be worked on while tied to a table. Give it respect as a living creature and not just an art project to be completed. Dissolve that space, that separation between you and the dog. My grooming students always tell me that they love dogs, but then show frustration and dismay when the dogs do not seem to love them. Yes, some dogs are friendly and gregarious, but others may only be loyal to their owners and look longingly for them to return. And to make matters worse, you are going to do things to it that it doesn’t like. Sometimes the only way to bridge this difficulty is to take your love for dogs up a notch to love a dog that is difficult and uncooperative. Don’t respond to the difficult dog with force but rather with kindness, calmness, and understanding. “But, it bit me!” Then bandage up and re-focus on the job. Why did it bite you? Why does it not know that you have a love for dogs? Why does it think you mean to harm it? Where did we fail to communicate? What went wrong? Are you showing fear or aggression or indifference? Did you hurt it? Remember, kindness and love need to be demonstrated, not merely talked about. Yes, some dogs have deep seated psychological issues (like people). Those dogs may need to be sedated by a vet and shaved down by the vet tech. But many can often be managed and groomed with a little bit of professional effort. Check your attitude. Ask, how can I relate to this animal in front of me? How can I dissolve this space separating us? How do we begin to move together harmoniously? How do we dance?
By James M. Connors, School Director, Dog Grooming School of Pennsylvania
Secure a career in an industry you’ll love when you obtain your dog grooming certification. In Yardley, PA, the professionals from Dog Grooming School of Pennsylvania offer the hands-on training, coursework, and certification you need to excel. The facility is also the only dog grooming school licensed by the Department of Education in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In just four weeks, you can enter the field with confidence. To learn more about what’s in store, visit the pet grooming school online or call today at (215) 752-1111.