Training To Help Your Grooming

Training To Help Your Grooming

Get my slides & notes at: FernDogTraining.com/Intergroom PLUS a chance to win a FREE business coaching session

Who Is This Fern Guy?

In a perfect world... Ideally I would tell you exactly how you can make dogs not only tolerate grooming but actually like it. I could give you exercises to do that over time would shape each dog s impression of the grooming experience and make your job so much easier. Unfortunately, in the real world that s just now possible.

The Balance Between Treatment & Management Treatment For Your Clients Management For You Every dog behavior issue is always a balancing act between treatment and management. When we have the time, energy and resources we can treat it. If we don t than we have to manage the problem, understanding that long term management will never improve the issue. Sometimes, even if we have the desire to treat something we might not have the ability to do so, making management all we have left. As a groomer all you really have is management. You only see dogs for a brief periods, don t have the luxury of a nice controlled environment and don t have the time to effect much change. You re clients, on the other hand, do have the time and situation to work on grooming issues and change the dog s impressions and tolerance. In this presentation I ll show you how to best manage the grooming experience and what your clients can do at home to make your job easier and the dog less stressed.

What You Can Do

1Learn About Basic Dog Body Language Even if you ve done the dog before - always observe and assess The most important thing you can do is take some time to understand dog body language. Hopefully you were able to attend my presentation on dog body language (if not, download the PDF of it where you got this one) and now have a general idea of what dogs are telling you. I would also recommend the book Canine Body Language by Breda Aloff. The more you understand what s on a dog s mind, the better you ll be able to recognize when a dog is not feeling too good about what s going on and do something about it before the dog has to. Don t get comfortable just because you ve groomed a dog in the past and he was okay. Today could be different. Read his body language every step of the way each time your groom him.

2Make The Dog (as) Comfortable (as possible) Give them time to adjust - Some anxious dogs may do better just getting it over with Encourage them to stop by just to hang out Hold open houses Have them work with the same groomer each time Experiment with location (table, floor, tub, etc ) *Move the dog so HE S comfortable, NOT you Do everything in your power to make each dog feel as comfortable as possible while in your presence. Some dogs will do better if you just give them some time to adjust to the environment and get used to all the stimulus there. Some dogs (especially very anxious) dogs might get more worked up as they are there and it would be best to just get them done as soon as possible. Encourage your clients to bring their dogs in when they don t have an appointment just to take in the atmosphere and get used to it. You can even have some open house days when your clients can bring their dogs in and not get groomed. Make it more of a social gathering to help the dogs get some positive associations there. Trying to have the same groomer work with the dog over time will help that person learn and understand the dog and they can build a relationship over time. Lastly, if a dog is getting worked up try to change the location a bit. Some big dogs don t like being up on the table but feel secure on the floor. Too many groomers move the dog so that they are comfortable but you should be the one to move to make the dog more comfortable instead.

3Try To Create A Calm, Low Energy Environment Give yourself extra time with problem dogs Find your inner zen Separate dogs into separate rooms if possible Give dogs a break if they need it Schedule very anxious dogs at quiet times Dogs are very susceptible to energy so try to create a nice, calm environment. If your shop is chaotic with lots of noise and movements, dogs will tend to get more freaked out. Try to allot some extra time when working with problem dogs so you can be patient and not rushed. And do your best to remain calm no matter what the dog is doing - your energy is contagious. If you have the ability to separate dogs into different rooms, it might be best so that they are not getting each other worked up. If you re working on a dog and it s having some problems give them a break every now and then to stop them from getting too worked up. And try to schedule your difficult dogs at your quietest times.

4Bribe Them Like Crazy Use top shelf food treats Start treating early and often Keep the dog focused on the next snack and not the grooming Have them bring dog in hungry Let s face it, grooming is not fun for dogs, so why not try to make it as positive as we can. Just like doctors and dentists have toys and stickers for kids who come in, you want to reward dogs for coming in and putting up with all the grooming. Don t go cheap here though - hard biscuits are useless. As a general rule, the less a dog likes to do something, the more you need to up the reward. For vets and groomers I recommend freeze dried liver at the low end but as much as grilled chicken, steak and bacon to really take things up a notch. And don t wait for trouble - start rewarding as soon as they walk in and keep it going. Have the dog s owners skip their breakfast that morning and bring them in hungry so they will be more focuses on the food.

5Distract The Dog Use Kongs, bully sticks, tendons, antlers... Toys for playful dogs Have another person on hand Have the owner there to keep attention (very few) Move them around If you can distract the dog from focusing on what your doing and try keeping their attention on something else. Tie Kongs with yummy stuff inside, bully sticks, bones, antlers, tendons and anything else that might be fun to your grooming table while you re working on a dog. Toys can work for very playful dogs and it can be very helpful to have another person engage the dog while you work. Usually it will be best if the dog s owner is not there but if they are calm and understand what we re trying to do they can help to keep the dog focused on them while you work. One last thing to try (especially with young dogs) is move the dog around. Do some work, then let them down to stretch their legs or even play for a bit. Vary your location to keep them from getting frustrated.

6Experiment With Different Tools Groomers helper Attaching stuff to Grooming table Get creative I m no expert on grooming supplies but try to experiment with the different tools available to make your job easier and the dog s experience better. The groomer s helper is one example of something that can keep you safe with feisty dogs. While hanging out at Sabrina s grooming shop she showed me a few home made contraptions that she put together to help her. Experiment to see what works best, understanding that every dog will be different.

7 Always Do What s Right For The Dog Stop if you feel the dog is too stressed Set expectation with clients early Don t let dog owners bully you Remember that every dog is different Educate your clients No matter what, please always keep the dog s best interest in mind - over you getting paid and what the dog s owner wants. Don t let your client talk you into doing anything you don t feel comfortable doing. It s best to explain to a new client exactly how you work and how if the dog is have a really bad time it might not be best to do some things. make sure you educate your clients on the grooming process and what they can do to help the process (that s coming up next).

What Your Clients Can Do

1 Socializing Puppies Early Early socialization is so critical to dogs getting used to the grooming experience. Encourage your clients with young puppies to take their dogs everywhere and turn around any anxieties as soon as possible. I did a whole podcast on proper puppy socialization - feel free to pass it along to your clients.

2Handling at Home Tell your clients to handle their dogs regularly and make it a positive experience. Have them touch their paws, look in their ears and touch them all over. It s best to do this when they are tired and maybe a little sleepy or use some food to sweeten the experience for them. I recommend my puppy clients do handling a few times a week and it s best to have different people doing it so the dogs gets used to others handling him as well.

3Get Them Used To Equipment In addition to the handling they should also be using the various grooming equipment on their dogs often at home so that they are used to it and it s just part of their world. This should also be made into a positive experience by using treats and it s best to start at a low intensity, for short periods and gradually work up from there.

4Basic Training Teaching dogs some basic commands give them something constructive to do and concentrate on while in your grooming shop. Have your clients ask their dog s to do some basic obedience or simple tricks while waiting and then to show you so you can do some during their stay with you. This will hopefully put them in a training mode and looking to what you need them to do next instead of all the grooming being done.

5Exercise Dog Before Coming In Energy will always find a way out and a tired dog is always a better dog. You don t want a dog coming into your shop will lots of energy because he will use it there and not in a good way. If he s been exercised prior to coming in he ll be more relaxed and not such a coiled spring. All behavior issues are easier to address if the dog is tired.

6Reward Dog Every Step Of The Way Have the dog s owners start rewarding the dog immediately. Start in the car, then some more in the parking lot and non stop in the lobby while they wait. It should rain liver while the dog is there. I m always so surprised that I m the only person who is constantly rewarding my dog at the vet. Iv e been doing it for years and it s no surprise my dog has no problem going there - she actually likes it and gets excited to go.

Thanks For Being Here Get my slides & notes at: FernDogTraining.com/Intergroom PLUS a chance to win a FREE business coaching session Thank you so much for taking the time to sit in on my presentation. I ve got lots more information and tips over on my website: FernDogTraining.com