Do you have a pup that gets stressed when going to the dog groomer? In today’s Animal Behavior and Dog Training Tidbit video, “How Do You Get Your Dog to Like the Groomer” I discuss some tips to help your dog feel more comfortable and less anxious when it’s time to visit the groomer.

If you prefer to read about “How Do You Get Your Dog to Like the Groomer,” below is a lightly edited transcript from the video.

Hi! My name is Terrie Hayward from Positive Animal Wellness.

Thanks for joining us. Today I’m going to talk about a question that comes up often and it is, “How can I get my dog to like the groomer?”

I think this is a really important question because so many of our dogs need to go to the groomer for bathing, nails, or if you have a dog that needs a special kind of haircut. A dog that’s as my sister, who’s a professional groomer, would say, “not a wash and wear dog.”

Your dog may need to make frequent visits to the groomer and we want that to be a stress-free or low-stress experience for both the dog and for you as the caregiver.

So, I think that this is such an important piece that I co-wrote a book called “Grooming Without Stress” with Jay Andors and Anne Francis. This book might help you along with some tips.

However, just to get started I thought we’d talk about the key components. Additionally, I also did the Fear Free course for groomers and we’ll have that link in the description.

The very first piece is what, as my co-author colleague Jay says, you want to do what “we call a meet and treat.” Basically, we want to help the dog to create a positive association with not only the groomer themselves but the whole experience. From entering the shop, with the location, with the sights and the smells, and with the individual who’s going to be working with you and your dog.

That “meet and treat” means that you might, in your first visit or two, not even do any grooming. It might be just you and your dog going to the shop and pairing that experience with something that the dog finds really great–some kind of high-value treats.

We do the “meet and treat” and the next step is also using the same kind of technique, which is that we would use desensitization. This means moving at a pace that the dog feels comfortable, and counter-conditioning which is again pairing with something that the dog finds reinforcing.

We do this to help create a positive association and a comfortable relaxed scenario of going to the groomer’s shop. If we move faster it may feel like we’re getting ahead however this not only impacts that particular visit but it can impact all visits to come in the future. Because it can exponentially become more fear-inducing, more anxiety-provoking, and more stressful for the dog as well as for you.

What you want to do is begin with that “meet and treat” and move slowly making sure that your dog has a really great association with the groomer and the shop and the whole process.

That way, for years to come your dog will feel comfortable and relaxed when they need to go and have some grooming done.

Thanks again!

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