If you decide that grooming your reactive pup at home isn't right for you, there are definitely lots of caring, dedicated professionals out there who are ready to take on the task. You'll want to do your research, though, and make sure you take your dog to a groomer with experience working with reactive dogs.
Some solutions are muzzles, medications, or special anxiety reducing jackets. Muzzles: If your dog tends to snap and bite during grooming, putting the muzzle over it can make the task easier. Some muzzles are padded to avoid discomfort for your dog.
Get your dog used to being handled.
Work with your dog at home to get him used to being handled before you take him to the groomer. Pair a predictor word, like “ears,” with a gentle touch on that specific area; reward your dog with a treat during or immediately after giving the cue and handling the area.
Bringing your pup in every few weeks for a light grooming session can help them get used to being handled by another person and become more comfortable with being groomed overall. You can also desensitize your dog at home by doing light grooming or body handling yourself!
Pet parents should try to find a dog groomer who will accommodate an anxious pet. Some groomers are more experienced with anxious or aggressive dogs than others. Your vet may also be able to prescribe medication that helps your pup stay calm during their grooming session.
Separation Anxiety—they may not want to have to leave their owners. High velocity blow dryer noise is loud. We use something called a Happy Hoodie that wraps around their head and covers their ears, but the noise can greatly affect dogs that are sensitive to loud sounds.
Use positive reinforcements.
Positive reinforcement plays a role in training and can be a staple in grooming as well. Giving a treat before visiting the groomers (or before an at-home grooming session) may help keep them calm. You may want to give another treat for sitting patiently during their bath and grooming.
Some dogs simply hate being groomed. They may find it uncomfortable or have negative associations from past experiences. Generally, if a dog is being difficult during grooming, it's due to anxiety; however, there are plenty of ways to help ease your dog's anxiety and change his response to grooming.
You might not need a muzzle if your dog is calm during grooming sessions. However, if your dog is anxious or aggressive, a muzzle can help to prevent bites. Do choose the right size. The muzzle should fit snugly around the dog's snout, without being too tight.
Start by stroking your pet to make them feel relaxed and comfortable. Let your pet sniff the brush you intend to use, so that they can start to identify with it and understand that their smell is associated with it. Then, softly, start to groom them in an area they like to be stroked.
For most dogs, follow the direction of the hair growth with your clippers. This gives a more natural textured look. Depending on the dog's coat direction, for most dogs that means going from the head towards the tail, down the sides, and down the legs.
Acepromazine. Acepromazine causes sedation. It's commonly given as an injection as part of anesthesia (one of a combination of drugs) for surgery. The drug may also be sent home as an oral medication and given to a dog 20-60 minutes before events like grooming, a vet visit, or car travel.
Desensitization involves gradually exposing the dog to the thing that triggers the aggressive behavior, starting at a level that does not elicit a response. From there, the level of exposure is gradually increased until the dog is no longer reactive.
No groomer should administer sedatives to your dog unless a vet prescribed the drug for that particular animal. Doing so is in breach of the law!
A fully sedated, unconscious pet cannot be safely bathed or fully brushed because it will be lying on its side, so the groom will not include a bath, a full brush out, or a breed-specific haircut. What can be done is a complete shave down, a nail trim and an ear cleaning.
Slowly start introducing brushing his coat in the more difficult areas first. These include around his face and ears, his paws, and his tail. Give him plenty of praise and treats to reward him for getting it right. Turn the clippers on if you are using them and let your pup get used to the noise.
Poodle hair is notoriously hard to groom. Whether you're going for an elaborate grooming style or not, their naturally curly fur demands near-constant brushing, clipping, and trimming. Neglecting a proper grooming regime for your poodle could land you at the veterinarian treating painful skin infections.
In fact, each and every dog should get groomed by a professional groomer every 4-6 weeks.
They might be nervous, cold, bursting with anticipation, or having a really stimulating dream, but an underlying medical condition or an injury could also cause such tremors.
If your dog is aggressive and/or has bitten another dog or a person in the past, a muzzle can be used for safety. Even if your dog has no bite history, if you think the risk of a dog bite exists—for example, your dog lunges and barks at other dogs or people—a muzzle can provide additional peace of mind.
For the average dog owner who wants to exercise caution while training their dogs not to be aggressive or out for walks, the basket muzzle the most humane choice recommended by veterinary behaviorists. The best muzzle to use in terms of minimizing anxiety and fear is a basket-type muzzle.
1. Consider Safety When Grooming a Dog. The most important part of every groom is to make sure both you and the dog are safe.