In the course of a single day, a dog groomer will see all kinds of dogs come through their doors. The success of their grooming session will depend on the dog’s level of grooming. Why is it that the dog’s training matters so much to the groomer?
Making A Dog Amenable To Grooming
The problem with grooming is that it’s always for the dog’s benefit, but the dog doesn’t know. The dog’s owner can’t explain to them that they need to be groomed to be happy and healthy. They’ll just think that they’re being poked and prodded for no reason, and for some dogs that can be very anxiety-inducing
If an owner puts in the time to train their dog, and show them that grooming isn’t going to be painful or irritating for them, they’ll come to at least tolerate grooming. After all, there are lots of dogs out there that will do anything for a treat.
Taking On A New Dog
In your time in pet grooming school, you’ll have seen lots of dogs that have come through their doors to be groomed. However, every dog is different, with different needs and personality. When you get a dog through your own doors for grooming, they may have needs that you’ve never seen before.
This is why it’s so important to talk to the pet’s owners before you start grooming them. You need to know if that dog has had any experience of being groomed before, and how they took it. Do they have any special needs you need to know about? The more you know, the more you can help the dog enjoy the experience.
How To Train A Dog For Grooming
If the dog has never been groomed before, they’re going to need to undergo training to help them understand what is happening to them. This should start at home with the dog’s owners. To start with, they will need to get the dog used to have their ears, paws and other areas touched gently. They can gently touch the dog’s ear, for example, and if the dog allows it, they can give them a treat. The dog will quickly learn that if they allow this kind of touching, they’ll be rewarded.
Next, they can be trained to see that the groomer’s office isn’t a scary place to be. The owners can bring them to your parking lot, and play with them or play fetch after hours. This will help them associate the area with fun times. You can even come out to greet the dog, so they can get to know you before you groom them.
Start Training Early
The best time to train a dog to accept grooming is from an early age. Puppies who are taught to stand still for brushing or washing fare much better at the groomer’s, as they’re already used to being groomed.
If a new customer has a puppy, encourage them to start getting the puppy used to grooming techniques. This includes very basic things, such as standing on a table or high surface, as well as more complicated techniques such as getting their nails clipped. If they got the puppy from a breeder, then they’ll hopefully have been having their nails clipped from as early as eight weeks. If not, the owner can get started early and still have a head start on getting their dog ready for grooming.
Pet grooming courses often recommend bringing the puppy to the groomers as soon as possible. Young dogs are sponges for new experiences, and they’ll love being taken somewhere new and interesting. They don’t have to be groomed on this visit. They can just be introduced to the office, so they can see that they’re safe and happy among the sounds and smells of the area. The more used to it they are, the happier they’ll be when they come for their first grooming session.
Training is important for dogs before they start being groomed. It gets them used to being touched and doing certain activities that make it easier for you to groom them. Work with your clients to train their dogs, so they’ll get the best experience from you.
