Keeping Your Pet Calm During Grooming

30 Oct Keeping Your Pet Calm During Grooming

Grooming can be traumatic for some dogs. Therefore, it is important to find ways to keep your dog calm when being cared for by a professional groomer or at home. The professionals at Woofs & Wags, offering dog grooming in Baltimore MD, recommends the following tips to reduce anxiety and make grooming fun.

How to Ease the Fear of Grooming Sessions

If you live within walking distance of the groomers, walk to your appointment to help your dog burn off excess energy. Tiring your dog will make them less likely to struggle during the appointment. Also, some dogs do not do well with car rides, so walking to the appointment can alleviate these stressors.

Encourage your dog to stand still during grooming by using treats to reinforce expected behaviors. When your dog sits or stands still, reward them with a treat, a kind word, and a rub to the head or side.

As a groomer, let the dog sniff and explore the grooming tools you will be using. If the dog is familiar with the tools, they will be less likely to be afraid of them when you start using them. Give the dog space to explore on their terms which gives a sense of control. Also, when you sense the dog is getting overly anxious, take a break. Give the dog a chance to settle back down without active grooming going on. If you notice the dog is pulling away from you or stops responding to commands, take a short breather to give the dog a chance to calm down.

Dogs are excellent at picking up the emotions of those around them. If dogs sense you are nervous or angry, dogs will respond with their own anxiety. Keep calm during grooming sessions so they will feel safe with what you are doing with them.

Dog Grooming Baltimore MD

Grooming doesn’t have to be stressful for you and your dog. By following these steps, you can help your pooch learn to love going to the groomers. Contact Woofs & Wags to make an appointment today. With more than 25 years of experience in the pet care industry, an American Kennel Club recognized Breeder of Merit and a Breeder/Exhibitor of many Champions, Kennel Manager Shawn Fuller, along with co-owner Paul Chrzanowski, have formed a team of qualified providers with one goal in mind: your pet’s care.