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How to Prepare Your Dog for a Wash and Grooming Session at Hairy Tails in Caboolture

If your dog is nervous or panicky at the groomers, it not only makes the job harder for the groomer but it also presents a highly stressful experience for your dog. A knowledgeable, caring groomer has plenty of experience with calming upset dogs, but there are also steps you can take to prepare your pal for a peaceful grooming session.

Help Make Your Puppy Comfortable with Being Handled

When your dog is still just a pup, make sure that they experience plenty of gentle, affectionate contact every day. Play with their paws, pick up their ears, and run your fingers through their coat, clean their face with a wet washcloth, and so on. Of course, you don’t have to do all these each day, but getting your puppy acclimated to these activities early on will make them much less scary later. An added bonus: these same steps will also make vet visits easier. If your dog is fussy about having certain parts of their body touched, be sure to let your groomer know about this.

Crate Train Your Dog

Your dog will probably have to spend at least some time in a crate at the groomer’s, even if just while waiting for you to pick them up. If they’re used to spending time in a crate, this won’t be a problem. If they’re never been in a crate or has confinement issues, they’ll be stressed out and unhappy. You can help your dog like their crate by placing food in their crate, paying attention to them while they’re inside, and giving them treats when they go in voluntarily. When they go in by themselves and seems relaxed (and maybe even naps), you can start closing the door. Take it slow and let your dog tell you how to proceed.

Keep Grooming Sessions Short at First

Before going in for a full groom, take your dog for a few brief visits, perhaps just to have a bath or a nail trim. This way, you introduce them to the experience gradually. If your dog tends to be nervous in new situations, you might even take them in for a visit where the only thing that happens is that the groomers say hi and give them a treat, and then you leave. The next time, hang around for five or ten minutes while the groomer brushes them and gives them more treats. Slowly work up to leaving them there to be fully groomed. Then, you’ll be leaving them in a place they like with people they know.

Hairy Tails Dog Grooming in Caboolture

When you’re looking for dog grooming by caring, skilled people, trust Hairy Tails. Here, you can get a dog wash in Caboolture or a full grooming session complete with a full body clip, trimmed and cleaned ears, bath, nail trim, blow dry, and more. We understand how important your dog is to you because we’re dog lovers, too. We love making our canine clients feel fantastic! Give us a call on 1800 855 175 to schedule your Caboolture dog wash today.