🐶 Introduction

Having a dog who has a negative association with grooming can be very difficult, but please be reassured you are not alone, and help is at hand.

Over the duration of this programme, I will support you and your family to help your canine companion change the way they feel about being groomed, both at home and in the professional grooming salon using positive reward-based methods.

 

🐶 The Programme

This six-month programme is thorough, not only addressing the grooming issues your dog is experiencing but also investigating any other canine behaviour difficulties you may be struggling with.  Many dogs with grooming anxieties, have other issues that impact on his/her grooming sensitivity and therefore it is important to address those as well. In some cases, this may mean bringing in other canine professionals, such as vets and physiotherapists.

The programme therefore starts with a full L.E.G.S. assessment.  This is a specialist toolkit to fully understanding your dog.  By looking at their Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self, we can start to understand where your dog currently is, and what the full modification plan will need to incorporate.  This will be done either in person or via Zoom.  Following the L.E.G.S. assessment I will put together a full report, including a provisional plan of action.

 

The programme includes:

  • 12 sessions as follows (duration will be based on several factors):
    • Initial L.E.G.S Assession (1 session)
    • Weekly sessions during month One (4 sessions)
    • Bi-weekly sessions during months Two and Three (4 sessions)
    • Monthly sessions during months four, five and six (3 sessions)
  • E.G.S. Assessment and full report and provisional plan of action
  • Regular review of the Provisional Plan and L.E.G.S. Assessment
  • A copy of Taking the Grrr out of Grooming Your Dog
  • Pet Remedy Lickimat & Spray
  • Ongoing Email/WhatsApp Support
  • Relevant training techniques
  • Access to relevant online webinars
  • Product recommendations

Please note: For some dogs it may be necessary to recommend a vet sedated clip off in the first instance.  The decision to advise this is never taken lightly but in many cases can be highly advisable so that we can start working on a dog with very little coat, so we don’t risk catching small mats, or having to clip claws before they are ready.  Desensitising grooming when there are mats can make progress extremely slow, because we are working with discomfort.

 

🐶 Outcomes

By the end of the six-month programme, your dog should feel much more comfortable with being groomed at home.  However, as with any training programme, the outcomes will vary from dog to dog depending on many factors.  However, having regular reviews of progress, modifying the plan where necessary will give us both an opportunity to adjust our expectations if necessary.

 

 

 

STEP ONE: Compulsory Introductory Session in the salon

During this session, your dog will get to engage in Animal Centred Education Free Work, which includes a range of different types of food on a range of different textured services. This starts to give me lots of important information and helps me to plan the first few sessions. It also gives us an opportunity to have a chat.   This also allows your dog to have a first positive experience of my salon, is great to help them to calm, process information, get to know me, my salon and the associated smells, sounds and equipment in a relaxed manner.  It is unlikely that I will even stroke your dog during this session.  This step is purely for the benefit of your dog, and my interaction will be directed by your dog.

 

STEP TWO

This step (may be session two, but may be sessions three or four, etc) is where I start interacting with your canine companion.  This will take the form of inviting to take treats, some basic training commands, and getting on and off my table.

 

STEP THREE

This step (which may be combined into session two, depending on how your dog is coping) involved direct contact with your dog, including stroking, light brushing whilst on the table.  This is the time they start to learn that whilst they are on the table grooming will take place, but if they step off, grooming stops.

 

STEP FOUR

Introduction to grooming tools, such as the shower, dryer, clippers, scissors, bath (although no bath will be attempted).  If medium or large, they will also be trained to step into the bath themselves.  This step helps me identify any sensitivities they have and enables a plan to be put together to deal with this sensitivity.

 

STEP FIVE

In the bath work, dampened with water and dried (or partially dried). Brushed out

 

STEP SIX

Full bath, dry, and brush.

 

STEP SEVEN

Full groom

From experience, each dog progresses through the steps at different paces.  Some will get to Step Seven in the four prepaid sessions, others will never get to Step Seven and will always be a work in progress but at the end of each session I will discuss progress, and suggest alternative options.