Grooming anxiety: helping your dog through the brush, the bath and the nail trim
Two parts of a groom are hard for many dogs with grooming anxiety: the nail trim and the dryer. Start at home well before the groom, with a few minutes a day of touching paws, ears and face, and a treat after each touch. Then find a groomer who will work at your dog's pace and stop when your dog struggles.
Which parts of grooming do dogs find hard?
At the groomer, your dog has to hold still while someone new lifts their paws and handles their face. Then come the bath and the dryer.
In one study, nearly half the dogs struggled hard or turned aggressive during a nail trim.1 In another, most dogs tried to get away from the dryer.2 Both studies were small, but they point to where to start: holding still, the paws and the dryer.
Why start with handling at home?
Most of a groom is handling, and a vet exam asks for much the same, so our guide to calm vet visits starts there too. You can practice handling at home, a few minutes a day, long before the appointment.
How do I get my dog used to grooming at home?
Moncher will lie still for a belly rub as long as anyone keeps going, but reach for a back paw and the paw is gone. Short, frequent sessions are the way in.
At a quiet time, touch one paw for a second, then give a treat. Do the same with the ears, the muzzle and the tail. End after a few minutes, before your dog loses interest, and repeat every day until the touch is routine.
A paw pulled back, a stiff body or a treat left on the floor means you went a step too far. Go back to the last touch your dog took happily, and build again from there.
Bring in the tools one at a time: the brush, then a towel, then the clippers. Let your dog sniff each one and get a treat before it touches them, and keep the clippers switched off at first. If you have a hair dryer, start with it running across the room and bring it closer over several sessions.
Trim the nails one at a time, with praise and a treat after each. After a few nails on one paw, stop and play; the rest can wait for another day. If your dog growls, snaps or panics, stop for the day and start the next session a step back.
What should I ask the groomer?
Tell the salon about your dog's nerves when you book, and ask:
- When are you least busy? Fewer dogs means less noise and a shorter wait.
- Can we skip the waiting area? Ask to be called straight in, and to collect your dog as soon as they're done.
- Can the first visit be short? Try a sniff around, a treat and a quick brush, then go home.
- Can you towel-dry, or take breaks during drying? Ask this if the dryer is the hard part.
- How do you handle a nervous dog? A good answer includes stopping when a dog struggles.
On the day, walk your dog before you go and keep the goodbye short. Bring the treats your dog likes best. Afterwards, ask which parts were hard. End the day with something your dog enjoys and a quiet rest, then practice the hard parts at home before the next appointment.
When should I talk to my vet?
Talk to your vet if your dog is badly frightened, or has bitten or tried to bite during grooming. Call your vet too if a broken nail reaches the quick. A dog who suddenly hates being touched may be in pain, so book a checkup.
Any medicine for a groom is your vet's call. Ask before you give your dog anything, including something from your own medicine cabinet.
Can music help at the groomer?
We don't know yet. Research on music during grooming has barely started, and music can't treat a dog's fear of being groomed.
The Barkwoo Music Box is ours. It weighs 1.4 oz and clips onto any standard collar. One button starts hours of preloaded music, and there's no phone, Wi-Fi or app to set up. It's the only calming-music player made to be worn on your dog's collar, so it stays with your dog while you're out. Play it during your handling sessions at home, so the music is familiar by grooming day.
On grooming day, let it play in the car on the way. It's splashproof, but don't submerge it or wash it, so take it off at drop-off or ask the groomer to remove it before the bath. You can hear the on-the-go playlist first, or read what the music studies tested.
References
- Edwards, P.T., Smith, B.P., McArthur, M.L. & Hazel, S.J. (2022). Puppy pedicures: exploring the experiences of Australian dogs to nail trims. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 255, 105730. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105730 ↩︎
- Ferreira, M., Rodriguez, M.A.P., Oliveira, L.L.S., Maranhão, C.M.A., Oliveira, N.J.F., Carvalho, C.C.S., Afonso, M.V.R. & Madureira, M.R. (2022). Stress in dogs during grooming in a pet shop. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, 51, e20200154. doi:10.37496/rbz5120200154 ↩︎
