Stress-Free at the Groomer — The Journey There (Part 2)
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
This contribution comes from Alexandra Schlömmer — certified Cooperative Care Trainer and Fear Free Grooming expert from beautiful Austria. We are delighted to share her work with you here and would like to thank her warmly — she is making an important contribution to a topic that is close to all our hearts.
After learning in Part 1 how stressful a grooming visit can be from a dog’s perspective, Part 2 highlights the solution-oriented side: How a visit to the dog groomer can succeed with trust and without stress. This contribution invites you to discover the process with a needs-oriented groomer and to see how a positive, cooperative partnership in grooming works for both human and dog.
In Part 1 of our series, we experienced a visit to the dog groomer through the senses of a dog. In doing so, we were able to recognize that something as ordinary to us humans as a trip to the salon can cause a significant amount of stress for a dog. While we enjoy a brief period of relaxation at the hair salon, read a magazine, or engage in light conversation, the many intense odors, the novel and often loud noises, the unfamiliar physical contact from a stranger, and the various grooming tools can cause great fear in our dogs.
In Part 2, we experience a visit to the dog groomer once again through the eyes, ears, and nose of a dog. This time, however, we are in a Fear Free certified dog salon, where many things are handled quite differently…
When we drove home after my first visit to the dog groomer, my mom was very thoughtful and appeared distressed. Upon leaving, the groomer had told her that I had been extremely restless, had fidgeted and growled, and had ultimately snapped at him. That gave her much cause for concern, as she had never known me to act that way. I am a friendly, relaxed dog who likes people and approaches everyone openly. I have only snapped at someone once before in my life. That occurred when a stranger walked directly toward me and, without warning, grasped my head far too quickly and roughly in his hands in order to pet me. Back then, my mom helped me and explained to him that he had frightened me, and that he should not be surprised that I defended myself.
Consequently, my mom began researching to learn more about stress and fear during dog grooming. In doing so, she came across the Fear Free concept. This concept originated with Dr. Marty Becker in the United States and is an initiative aimed at reducing fear and stress in pets by educating the individuals who care for them. My mom found the core principles and methods highly compelling and scheduled a Meet & Treat appointment for us with a Fear Free certified dog groomer.
Upon our arrival, everything was already different. We stepped out of the car, and the groomer came out of the shop, greeted my mom, and engaged in a brief, pleasant conversation with her. I observed her from a distance for a while, then walked over slowly and began to sniff her cautiously. She did not mind at all; on the contrary, she praised me and even gave me a treat for doing so!
Then we walked toward the entrance door. I followed both of them, feeling somewhat excited—I did not know what was going to happen next, but up to this point, everything appeared trustworthy. Inside the shop, my mom unclipped my leash and continued her conversation. Neither of them paid attention to me, so I walked a few steps and sniffed around the room. There were so many scents that I needed to process first. Shampoo, conditioner, and the scent traces of several other dogs—I had negative memories of that mixture of odors. But there was something else—a scent just like the one from my mother and my littermates in the whelping box! That was very pleasant and felt familiar and safe. Furthermore, I heard quiet, slow music playing in the background and felt my tension ease somewhat. Somehow, I liked it here; there were several dog beds and even a crate. I thought to myself that I could retreat into it if anything scary were to happen.
So, I took a few steps further and discovered a treat in a corner, then another one under a chair, and a rolled-up towel on the floor inside of which many different treats were hidden. As I retrieved them, I was praised by the groomer, and my mom looked at me with delight. Wherever I had landed, it appeared to be a safe place with a friendly human and an abundance of treats! The dog groomer looked at me, spoke my name, and held out a ball toward me; then she let it roll across the shop. Fantastic! I love to play! I retrieved the ball immediately and brought it back to her.
Then she said to my mom: “Based on your description, I conclude that your dog had a negative experience during his first grooming visit. Quite a few things must have occurred that caused him fear and stress. However, do not worry; we can work together effectively on this so that he can regain trust. I utilize the methods of Cooperative Care Training, apply the principles of learning theory in dogs, and employ Low Stress Handling according to Dr. Sophia Yin whenever dogs display stress and fear. I would now like to try out a few things to determine how your dog reacts to the bathtub and the grooming table.”
She walked over to the bathtub, in front of which stood a set of steps. She then placed a treat on every step and invited me to come closer with a friendly gesture. At first, I hesitated and felt a bit suspicious, but it was too tempting. I ran over quickly and grabbed the treats, but then I felt uneasy after all and ran back to my mom. Immediately, the groomer placed treats on the steps again, along with several large pieces directly inside the bathtub. I thought to myself that the first time had not been so bad, so I walked over again, climbed up the steps, and quickly retrieved the large treats from inside the bathtub. Both praised me and looked visibly pleased. I felt good and motivated; this game was going remarkably well!
The groomer said to my mom: “Good, we will leave it at that for now so that we do not overwhelm him. He should only form positive associations with the bathtub. He was very brave just now and was already standing inside with his front paws; that is a major success. Now let us see whether he will voluntarily step onto the grooming table.”
She lowered the table close to the floor and placed a treat on the edge. All right, that was simple! I walked over, stood up on my hind paws, grabbed it, and ran back to my mom. She petted and praised me, and then walked over to the table as well. I saw her place small pieces of liver sausage in the middle of the table and wave for me to come over. Liver sausage is my absolute favorite treat, and I only get it on special occasions!
However, this time I had to actually step onto the table to reach it. That felt way too risky to me, since I only had negative experiences associated with those kinds of tables. So, I sniffed around the room a bit to process things, licked my lips, shook myself off, yawned, and sat down near the entrance door. I decided to wait and see—maybe they would toss the liver sausage pieces to me, which would be much less intimidating.
The groomer explained to my mom that the grooming table clearly triggered fear for me, and that I was currently unable to step onto it voluntarily. She reassured her that with targeted, positive training over the next few sessions, we could easily work through this. The most important thing now was to avoid forcing me under any circumstances, as that would only intensify my fear.
The rest of our Meet & Treat appointment went really well. The groomer played with me for a bit, petted me, and my mom showed her the tricks I knew. For every paw shake, I received praise and a treat, and for a nose touch to her hand, I even got a few pieces of my beloved liver sausage! I could have kept going for a long time and hoped we would come back soon.
And that is exactly what happened. My mom and I had several follow-up appointments where I learned—through play and plenty of rewards—to voluntarily jump onto the grooming table, step into the bathtub on my own, and be bathed and blow-dried. I was allowed to get to know the various tools, noises, and scents step by step.
My mom and dad continued practicing this with me at home. They touched me with scissors, nail clippers, brushes, and clippers, turned on their hair dryer, and always rewarded me with liver sausage for remaining calm. That way, everything lost its scariness, and I learned that cooperating during grooming brings me tons of great treats—which means positive consequences.
I also realized that whenever something becomes too uncomfortable or overwhelming for me, I am allowed to walk away. This means I can indicate at any time when I need a break. The process only continues once I return voluntarily.
Because of this approach, my grooming routine now goes really well, and my mom or dad is always right there with me, which gives me a sense of security. While the groomer brushes me and clips my coat, I get treats for holding still and receive plenty of praise. Having my paws held while my nails are being trimmed is still very uncomfortable for me. But we have a deal—for every trimmed nail, I get a big piece of liver sausage, lots of praise, and a short break, which makes it much easier to handle!
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