27 Feb Do dogs feel better after grooming?

Grooming is necessary to keep dogs healthy. These lovely creatures, like humans, need a lot of care and attention. But since dogs can’t express their problems and pain, attention to them should be multiplied. One way to maintain cleanliness, health, understand potential problems or diseases and prevent them is professional and continuous grooming. Depending on your dog’s breed, you should groom them once a week, once a month or more. But sometimes, dogs’ feeling may change after grooming. They can show a certain behaviour, the most important of which we will explain.

Dogs Feeling ashamed:

Dogs may feel embarrassed after a haircut. This feeling of shame and embarrassment is natural. One of the reasons for this feeling is their drastic change or the owner’s reaction and laughter to the dog’s new appearance.

• When you don’t cut your dog’s hair regularly, and suddenly groomer cuts it very short.
• If your dog’s hair has grown too much or is dull and tangled, you suddenly cut their hair short and remove the knots.
• A sudden feeling of lightness may also be the reason for this drastic change, the hair has been removed from around the dog’s eyes, and he doesn’t feel that they are the same dog.
• Dogs perceive your sense of ridicule, anger, or rage about their new appearance and become withdrawn and depressed.

Dogs feeling weathered and unaccustomed:

A puppy usually has a whole bunch of hair. After the hair is cut, she can feel the air. Because your dog is not accustomed to weathering, this change can be uncomfortable for him. So if your dog ever had long hair and you suddenly decided to cut it short, your dog may be weird and restless for at least a few days. If your dog distances from you, know that he isn’t just used to his new fur and has no other problem.

Feeling helpless:

If you aren’t bored or interested in going to the hairdresser, no one can force you to do so. You are human, and you can express your opinion freely. But if your dog isn’t interested in grooming, he can’t express his opinion, and they don’t have the power to talk. Therefore, their consent and opinion can’t be asked before taking them to the grooming salon. Because of this feeling of helplessness, your dog will be a little confused by the end of the day or even a few days after grooming.

Counter-Conditioning:

Imagine that you have a crucial job interview tomorrow. Your stress and anxiety can ruin the outcome. So it would be best if you did things that will calm you down and reduce your stress. Grooming for dogs is like a stressful interview. If your dog is anxious after grooming, then you should try anti-ventilation. Anti-ventilation means that if you feel that your puppy is anxious and stressed on the way to Grooming, try to ride him in the car and make the path pleasant and enjoyable for him. Please open the windows so he can enjoy the fresh air along the way. Calm your puppy before the grooming session and make sure he is relaxed. If you lower your dog anxiety level, he will also be very calm after the grooming session.

Get your dog used to grooming:

The groomer should touch your dog’s body for complete cleansing. If your dog hasn’t experienced this before, touching his body may upset him. So before you take your dog to Groom, you need to get him used to be touched by strangers in new places. Groomer uses many sharp and electric tools; you should also familiarize your dog with these tools to feel fear and anxiety after grooming.

Reward the dog:

Despite all your efforts to reduce your dog’s stress and anxiety, he will still be anxious at the grooming session. So during the grooming, make this process easier by giving him a treat. For example, if your puppy sits patiently and quietly for fifteen minutes, reward him. This reward will motivate your puppy to be calm and quiet during the session. You can also take their favourite toy with you to calm him down and distract him during the session. You can even soothe and hug your dog after grooming to calm him down.

Dog grooming is a necessary and normal thing that helps control your dog’s skin and prevent it from becoming dull and sick. It is also great for hot weather or if your dog shed a lot. Therefore, fully control dogs’ feeling and behaviour so that these symptoms don’t last long, and your dog doesn’t get depressed.