24 Feb How to safely groom an anxious dog?

Have you ever groomed an anxious dog? So you are aware of its problems and difficulties. If your dog is anxious during a grooming session, he may stumble and make grooming difficult. These movements may pose irreparable dangers when using nail clippers and scissors. But cleanliness is a necessity that must not be ignored. Therefore, we will explain to you how to clean and groom an anxious dog. Of course, it’s important to know that even if your dog is not aggressive and anxious, shaking or panting too much, grunting, crying, biting and obsessive-compulsive and urinating can all be signs of your dog’s stress to continue the grooming process. So if your dog is too calm and quiet, monitor his signs and behaviours thoroughly.

Calming an anxious dog for grooming:

The best thing to do is to find the root of the anxiety and eliminate it. If your dog is afraid of grooming or its tools, let him know about this process and its tools. You have to prove to him that cleaning and grooming is a good and enjoyable job. This acquaintance takes time, and your dog’s stress and anxiety won’t go away overnight. You can encourage them to be quiet by giving them treats. When you first enter the grooming salon, let your dog roam freely and explore everywhere. By doing this, dogs become familiar with their environment and feel comfortable and safe by understanding their surroundings. Let your dog touch and inhale everything. Give them grooming tools. Turn on electrical appliances so your dog can hear their sounds. You can also introduce your dog to Groomer so that they can trust and get to know each other. In this case, your dog’s first groomer is a friend, and he feels comfortable.

Trimming dog nails:

Nail trimming is the most sensitive part of grooming. So to groom this part, your dog must remain completely calm and steady; any movement will cause his nails to be too short. Excessive nail trimming can cause your dog pain and bleed, stress, anger and fear. So, before cutting your dog nails, show him the nail clipper and let him play with it. If your dog is still nervous and restless, treat him or ask someone to hold him steady. If you feel it’s dangerous for your dog to continue grooming, stop the process. You can continue this work later or leave the work to a professional groomer.

Cleaning dog teeth:

To groom an anxious dog, you can never put the toothbrush close to his mouth. So we have to get the dog used to brush. There are several tricks to getting your dog acquainted with toothbrushes and toothpaste. One of these tricks is to use dog toothpaste, which can be a treat for your dog. Dog toothpaste comes in a variety of flavours that your dog will love to use. Do the brushing process slowly to reduce your dog’s anxiety. In other words, brush some teeth and brush the rest in the next few hours.

Doing the above tips will reduce your dog’s stress and anxiety during the grooming session. Besides, you can play soothing music or relax your dog for grooming through exercise, walking and other strenuous activities. Remember to match your dog’s speed. Please don’t rush to finish grooming, and don’t scare them. A gentle and loving conversation with a treat can make the grooming process easier. Our professional groomers in Mishka will help you throughout the grooming. Using their experience and knowledge on controlling and calming the dog, you can be sure that your dog will enjoy this grooming a lot.