Because of my interest in dogs, my FB feed is full of Instagram & TikTok dog stuff. Some from commercial breeders trying to tell us how ethical they are, but a lot from dog trainers & dog groomers.
In the dog stuff comments, many dog ‘lovers’ complain about how the groomers treat dogs. Frankly, I wish they wouldn’t post anything more than shaving the matted dogs, but they also post videos of dogs with behavior problems.
Sometimes the problems are caused by the dog not being handled constantly at a young age: stacking on the table, being brushed, having feet handled, having owners clean the teeth. Sometimes, the dogs have been handled, but they are just hyper dogs—- then the dogs fling themselves ‘off’ the grooming table unless restrained. Most of us use a ‘grooming loop’ (which we used to call a ‘noose’—but the ‘dog lovers’ objected) to restrain the dog, After All,w e only have 2 hands, and adding another person to restrain the dog only r creates confusion—so some dogs are double tied.
People—-dog lovers—the people who own the dogs’ mommies (the dams) should have handled these puppies & socialized them and gotten them used to grooming. If not the breeder, who? The shelter/rescue? The dog lovers who work at pet shops?
Part of the problem is many people grew up with a dawg and never brushed or trained it, & it was just fine. But YOU went out & bought a designer dog, commercially (or backyard breeder) bred to sell like a commodity, and we dog groomers have to undo the damage you did by not doing anything: loving your dog and ‘being kind’.
Also, so many people who teach grooming were taught by other nonfanciers—‘dog lovers’ who know nothing about dog behavior or dog body language. Most dogs do NOT enjoy being patted on the head: they tolerate it. We know by putting a hand on the ‘withers’ (shoulders) you can calm a dog, and a dog will often like being scratched behind the ears or patted on the side, Then, we have to get the dog used to being brushed, and this can cause trauma as well, but it has to be done.
There are books with illustrations on dog body language, and how to recognize happiness and stress. This is the 21st century! Google ‘dog body language’! One of the first things I learned was to NOT take a dog out of the owner’s arms. The owner should have the dog on a leash and put the dog on the floor, and you should have the owner leave & THEN walk the dog back to the grooming area. You avoid the stress dynamic. I know: some people want to treat the dog like a baby, causing more stress. If an owner makes unrealistic demands, you will not win. Tell them to try another dog groomer.
Of course, we have the owners who bought a nonshed dog, never thought to brush the dog, or are brushing the dog with a God-awful pin brush, not really doing anything—but that’s what the guy at the pet shop sold them, and now is the moment of truth: The dog needs to be shaved. I remember once people brought in an 8-month-old ‘Irish’ Doodle for grooming at the shop I was working for. The dog was a solid felted mat, having been bathed multiple times without being brushed brushing. They wanted us to wash this matted dog AND NOT SHAVE IT—BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO WITH THEIR MATTED DOG ,LOOKING FLUFFY! This happens a lot around the holidays. We don’t do that because the dog never dries.
The guy at the pet shop is not your friend. He sells what he’s told to sell. Even the dog groomers are iffy. Most are not allowed to sell the brushes, combs, and rakes we use. Why? The distributor to the pet shop doesn’t carry the items. Brilliant, huh? And the dog groomers don’t have t THE INTEGRITY to challenge this. This is the pet industry. & we also have groomers who will tell you that RESCUE IS THEIR FAVORITE BREED. Ah…no. Call around and find a groomer who likes hairy dogs and who will show you how to brush your dog.
Finally, ….Do you want to get the dog trained, or are you afraid of hurting the dog? We’re seeing too many dogs wearing harnesses. Why? That’s what the guy at the pet shop (or even the animal shelter!!!) sold them. Unfortunately, if your dog wears a harness, not only may you be constricting the dog’s chest, the dog can’t feel you at the end of the leash. For centuries, dogs all over the world have been wearing collars, and most hobby dog trainers use MARTINGALE COLLARS.
I’m not fond of prong collars, but the thing is—if your dog pulls, if they are wearing either a Martingale or prong, the collar will tighten, and if the dog doesn’t want its neck squeezed, it won’t pull. Trachea issue? Get a ‘Halti’ or ‘Gentle leader’—which looks like a halter, and you lead the dog around by the face.
Now, the collar doesn’t train the dog, but you will find it easier to get the dogs’ attention if the dog knows you are at the end of the leash & can feel you. Only guide dogs, sled dogs, and tracking dogs should wear harnesses.
I bring all this up because my dog club had a graduate of our puppy class consider rally class, and the owners had never trained a dog, and our instructor allowed them to use the harness. The owners of this Doodle dropped out after the first rally class. They were overwhelmed.
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Tags: America, annnoying things, backyard breeders, dog grooming, dog training, dogs, integrity, pets, purebred dogs, Robyn Michaels
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