Nervous Dogs

 The Shivers and Shakes

The most common thing us groomers hear while dogs are being dropped off for grooming is "he's shaking"!  We want to reassure you that this is completely normal behaviour.  We like to call it pre grooming anxiety.

Dogs are such devoted little creatures, and would always prefer to spend their time with you! After all, you're their favourite person!  When your dog is coming in to be groomed, they know that you're going to leave to leave them in our care.  Obviously, they'd much prefer to spend their time with you instead of us, so they often show signs of anxiety and nervousness.  A lot of dogs when coming in for their grooming appointment will shiver and shake before being handed over to us.  We'd like to reassure you that this behavour is normal!  It doesn't mean they dislike being groomed, it just means they love you, and they're a bit anxious about not being with you.

It is a little funny to watch sometimes (and one of these days we'll get around to taking a video), how dogs react as soon as their owner has left the building.  Almost instantaneously - they follow us, they're looking for attention, they're socializing, and the shivers and shakes just stop.  Most dogs are so used to being groomed that immediately the anxiety is gone, and they're ready for their groom to begin.

At Happy Tails, we start your dogs groom as soon as they arrive, eliminating this pre grooming anxiety.  We do our best to providing a stress free environment, with kind and gentle groomers, and a one on one grooming experience.  And we call you as soon as we're finished the groom, so they can be back with their favourite person again!

How can you help make them be less anxious on drop off you ask?!

• Dogs pick up on anxiety from their owners sometimes.  If you're nervous about leaving them, they sense that.  This in turn makes them nervous too.  So be confident - your dogs are in good hands when they are in our care, and there's nothing to be nervous about.
• Don't "overload" the goodbye.  Just give them a few little kisses and attention before handing them over.
• Be prepared for the pick up phone call.  We usually give an estimate of the grooming time upon drop off, and we'll normally give a 10 minutes "heads up" upon finishing.  So be ready to come and pick them up, so they're not waiting too long in our care.
• Take your dog for car rides to fun places too!  If you only ever take your dog in the car when going to the vet or groomer, they will build up anxiety over time when going in the car.  Make sure they know that the car ride can be a good thing too. 
• Bring your dog in for frequent grooming.  Dogs that are constantly having matts shaved or coats de-matted will definitely not enjoy grooming.  De-matting and heavy brushing sessions can sometimes be painful, and dogs will remember experiences like that.  Frequent grooming will keep grooming simple and pain free!
  

Please remember that at Happy Tails we spend all of our time making sure all of the dogs in our care are as comfortable as can be.  We frequently adjust our procedures to accommodate their individual needs and anxieties.  If we find a certain part of the groom is causing them too much stress, we'll try to find a way to make them feel more comfortable.   

Do any dogs like going to the groomer?  YES!  Many of the dogs that come to Happy Tails love us!  We have a large number of dogs that absolutely love to come in and see us!  We hear many stories of dogs that know where they are as soon as they enter the parking lot - and their little tails wag with so much excitement.  These stories make us so happy, and we love hearing them, but don't worry if that's not your dog!  We love them all!