Owner Q & A Ep212

Owner Q&A Episode 212

===

Episode 212. We're gonna do some owner questions and answers, owner concerns, because as an owner, your dog has grooming needs, your dog has veterinary needs, and sometimes the communication breaks down because owners don't fully understand what we can and cannot do.

And sometimes our pet professionals don't have good answers for your concerns. So we're gonna cover a bunch of common ones this week. You're listening to the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. I'm Chrissy Neumyer Smith. I'm a master groomer behavior specialist, master Canine Stylist, a certified professional dog trainer, certified behavior consultant for canines. I am the Dean of Academics at The Whole Pet Grooming Academy, where I teach the Master Groomer Behavior Specialist Program

and this my friends and colleagues is the show where we talk about teaching dogs and other pets to be good for grooming and other types of care. We are gonna start off this week really getting into some things that I hear pretty often. I've heard them when I was a groomer. I've heard them as a trainer.

I've heard them when I was a vet tech. And I think that having really good answers to these questions can help our owners feel more confident about what's going on. I think they're actually pretty common for owners. So. We're gonna jump into some of these and they aren't all questions, but I'm gonna give you my answer and I hope it will help our owners feel a little bit more confident.

When they talk to a professional. I also hope it'll help our professionals feel more confident when they have to talk to the owners when these questions arise. So this one comes up pretty often, vets, offices, and grooming. "You can muzzle him, I don't mind."

Um, I think the, the concern here is that there's this idea that the only way that we could get hurt or the dog could get hurt, is if they can bite us. And if we put a muzzle on, everyone's gonna be safe. And that's not necessarily safe for your pet. It's not necessarily safe for your vet or their techs or for the groomer, and it does not address.

Why we need to put the muzzle on here at the Creating Great Grooming Dog Show. We're trying to teach these pets to trust us and feel safe and not need to behave aggressively, to not feel like they need to behave aggressively. So if somebody says, you can use a muzzle, my first thought is always gonna be, Hmm.

For what? For what purpose? , why do you believe he would need a muzzle? , how are we working on that at home? Is your dog trained to be comfortable with a muzzle, which actually is the first step toward using a muzzle anyway? So sometimes people have muzzles on dogs because their dogs, uh, pick up dumb things and eat them, and they don't wanna end up like every time they go for a walk wondering if their dog.

Ate a rock. So there are lots of reasons to have a muzzle and to teach dogs to be comfortable with a muzzle. But a muzzle does not necessarily mean that everything has now been rendered safe. It's not simply about if your dog bites when we do their nails, it's about why is your dog so afraid? It. Your dog doesn't have to be afraid.

So, while I appreciate the sentiment that like, hey, keep yourself safe. I don't want my dog to bite anybody, and you can muzzle him. It does not solve our bigger problem. Our bigger problem is why, why does this dog need a muzzle and can we teach them to feel safe with us so that they don't feel like they need to behave in a way that would require a muzzle?

Here's another one. She won't let us do it at home. That's why we bring her to you. And what I'm hearing here is that there's a behavior problem that's also happening at home, and that I think a lot of owners think that the professionals have some other way of getting it done, some piece of equipment, or it's just a matter of know-how, and to some extent that can be true. Okay. I feel that a lot of dogs are much better on a grooming table than they are on the sofa. There's just something about like, oh, this isn't a play place. Maybe I'll be better for that. But also owners can do that at home. You can set up a little spot. I know a lot of the small dogs, , you can use like your countertop or a rubber mat on top of your dryer, just someplace that's not normally a play place and make that the, hey, this is serious time with some brushing.

But , when an owner says, my dog won't let me, I have to explore that more. What does he do? Tell me more about that. What does your dog do when you say he won't let me? Is it too silly trying to run away? Grabbing at a tool, growling, maybe putting teeth on you. Like what does that even look like?

, a lot of those things can't be solved just by adding more people and more qualified staff. So the idea that, well, he won't let us do it at home, I'll pay a professional to do that. Doesn't always work. We still need to figure out why your pet won't let you do that. And I'm gonna add in here too.

I think this is really important for owners. If your dog isn't comfortable with you doing something. You have a pretty significant training issue that you need to work on. Your dog should be comfortable with you doing anything, and that's the goal. We can't always reach every goal with every dog because sometimes there's a health issue or something else going on, but , you should know that that's something you should be continuing to work on.

Your dog should trust you you should be able to touch your dog all over. With a variety of stuff and things. So the idea that your dog won't let you, that's worrisome to me when I'm wearing my trainer hat, I'm like, Ooh, tell me more about that. Because your dog should be comfortable with you doing a wide variety of things and you can't just pay for that.

It's not a purchase. We're offering services. Your groomer can turn you away for behavior problems. Your veterinarian can turn you away for behavior problems. A lot of dog training classes are not for aggressive dogs. They can turn you away for that. , just be aware that that's not just what the professionals do all day.

Specifically, 'cause this is a show mostly about grooming. Your groomer is here to put pretty haircuts on dogs. Not necessarily to work with behavior problems. So if that's the case you want a groomer who's gonna ask you questions about what, what's really happening.

I can tell you, you do not want the groomer who says. Don't worry, we'll get it done. We don't put up with that bologna here. We're gonna hold him down. Don't worry. I have a muzzle and there are four of us back there. We'll get it done. You do not want that. That's gonna cause all sorts of problems for you later down the road.

That's gonna teach your dog all the wrong stuff. Don't want that at all. Now let's go on to another one. This one comes up sometimes when we talk to owners about maybe going to a trainer like you have a pretty significant problem kind of building on the last concern, if your dog won't let you do stuff to them, we might send you to a trainer.

We might, recommend that you get some help someplace else. And one of the things that we hear, "I'm not going to training to help you do your job." Ah, I think we've all heard this one as pet professionals, but the thing is, is that we're trying to help you solve the problem.

, a great groomer, a great vet, , any of your pet professionals are going to try to help you find the solutions for your problem. And if your dog is not comfortable with some sort of care, whether that's veterinary care or grooming care, we wanna help you find a solution. But it's a solution for your dog and for your dog's problem.

And a little bit of tough love. I know. I'm sorry guys, but it's not my problem. It's not your groomer's problem, and it's not your vet's problem. We wanna help you with your dog's problem. Hm. You have a problem. Your dog has a problem. Your groomer doesn't have the problem. They can turn you away.

Your vet doesn't have a problem, they can turn 'em away. There are two dogs on this planet that I have to worry about, and they sleep in my bedroom. Everybody else, I have to worry about their care and their safety while I have them with me. That's all. So if you're thinking, I'm not gonna do dog training, for somebody else.

Dog training is about you and your dog. You're not doing it for somebody else. So sorry. Little bit of tough love, but sometimes we need to hear it. Here's another one that we sometimes hear. "Is there someone stronger back there who can get it done?" And, um, I know I, I kind of giggle when I hear that one in person too.

It's not about how strong somebody is or if we can hold them down and just hold them still while we get it done. Holding dogs down and just getting it done is actually the cause of so many of our behavior problems. It causes problems. Don't pay a professional to do it wrong. So it's not a matter of needing somebody stronger.

, I used to work with cattle and horses. There are no big dogs when you're used to cattle and horses. Dogs are not large. Okay? It's not a matter of finding somebody stronger. It's the matter of trying to figure out what makes this dog tick and can we make them feel comfortable with it because we are not here to just restrain them, manhandle them, and get it done.

No matter what it is, , if it's not a medical emergency, that's not something we should be doing. And if it is a medical emergency, the modern veterinary approach is to restrain just long enough to sedate that animal so that they take a little nap and they wake up.

Okay, we don't just hold the animals down while they scream. Okay? Here is another one that we often hear across the board.

"The last place always got it done." I hear that a lot. , and the problem is, and I'm gonna be really honest about this, a lot of people who work with animals learned on the job from people that also learned on the job, and not everyone is up to date on how to handle behavior problems. So there are still people out there who are.

With love in their heart, meaning well, trying to do their best for a dog, holding them down and getting it done while they scream, and I gotta say it makes problems worse and it's very, very unsafe for your dog. So, no, we will not be doing it that way. Just 'cause the last groomer did, or the last vet did.

And actually, here's a question 'cause I always ask this as a follow up yet you didn't go there again and why is that? And I often hear things like, well they aren't taking big dogs anymore. Yeah. You know, your last groomer fired you. So that's why they don't wanna do it that way either. So the last place always got it done.

Yeah. I can understand where you're coming from, but also maybe the last place was doing it in a way that's really, really rough.

This one kind of goes along with the, I'm not gonna bring my dog to training to help you get your job done. This one's kind of similar. "We tried training and it didn't work." And I hear this one, and you know, the thing is, is that , I'm a pet owner too,

everyone who's a pet professional is probably a pet owner too. And yeah, we feel that because sometimes you feel like you've tried everything, yet, it doesn't mean that you have tried everything. I don't know anyone who has tried everything. So while you might feel defeated that you've tried training already, please be aware.

That there's a bigger discussion to be had. , ideally your pet professional is gonna say, well, what kind of stuff have you tried already? Let's dig deeper. Let's figure out what it is. , let's find out why the things you've tried so far haven't had the effect you're looking for. And sometimes that takes some detective work.

Classic example is, dog trainers telling people that they need to touch their dog's feet a lot, that's gonna make them great for nails someday. And that has not been my experience. It's a good start, but it doesn't go far enough. It's great that you can touch your dog's feet, but you also need to teach them how to have people do stuff to their feet, like nail trimming and grinding and brushing.

There are all sorts of things, so I know that it can feel. Really frustrating when someone tells you you need to do some training, and you're like, oh my God. I feel like all I've done with this dog is training, but we mean it in kindness. And hopefully we can find somebody who is actually trying to help you solve your problem.

Here's another one that we hear, "well, he'll put his teeth on you, but he won't hurt you." Wow. , I want you to imagine as a pet owner, if you're walking through the park and someone walks over with a dog and says he's gonna put his teeth on you, but he won't hurt you. Yeah. You hear it now, right?

Ooh, not safe. Not safe. And if a dog is putting their teeth on you either. They're playing and goofing around, which could still get them hurt if we have scissors or sharp objects in our hand. Dog grooming, we're using sharp objects on wiggly bodies. Putting the teeth on us could end up with a nicked tongue.

Could end up with a cut lip could end up with a poked nose. So we need to make sure that we do not have dogs putting their teeth on us, even if it's playful. And if it's not playful, it is a warning. I'd hate to have to hurt you and to continue is going to push that dog into, I'm gonna have to hurt you.

She keeps doing it, now I'm gonna hurt her. So it's a warning or it's play and grooming and veterinary care. There's room for play. , we can make some room for that. We need to know. So it's good that you told us that he'll put his teeth on us, but also we need to work towards safe handling and not having teeth on anybody.

Here's another one. "She's so little. It's not like she can hurt you anyway. What are you so afraid of?" Like, oh, they couldn't do her 'cause she's such a killer. Lemme tell you a little bit about these little tiny dogs. Little tiny, tiny dogs, I'm thinking like the four pounders and stuff. While they are really, really small, they still have a mouthful of teeth.

And one of the ways I used to demonstrate this was to pick up a staple remover and ask people to click it around their face a lot and tell me how comfortable they felt with that. That little mouth is filled with teeth. But here's the other thing about really small dogs.

While they are still trying to bite you, they're also very small and fragile and delicate, and trying to restrain them could hurt. Them very, very easily. It's very, very easy to hurt such a small creature. So it's not about us being terrified of little dogs. It's about us saying This is terribly unsafe and we need to do some work before we can proceed.

We need to teach this dog to be comfortable with us. It's not as simple. Put a muzzle on and hold him down. A little dog that's flailing against us can easily. Easily hurt themselves. And so we're trying to set your P up for a safe visit. Here's another one that we hear quite often as groomers. The vet probably doesn't hear this one, , "yeah, I know he is a real mess and he hates it.

You can shave him." I think if you're not a groomer, you probably think that shaving a dog is really easy. Oh, just take the clippers down and it'll be easy and not know that many of these dogs are very reactive to the vibration of a clipper going over every little teeny tiny millimeter of their body.

That's what a shave down is. It's everywhere. , it's repeated passes all over the place. And if there are mats that we're trying to shave off, if it's because the coat is in bad shape, we either have to brush mats out. Or slide the clipper blade between the mats and the skin.

Sometimes mats are very, very close to the skin. This is a process that is not comfortable. This is a process that takes a long time. It's very meticulous and tedious, and yet I think the, the. Non groomers think that it's the easiest thing in the world. There are a lot of dogs that I'll look at and go, , he's fine if I scissor his front legs and I can still take them quite short.

But he's not real comfortable with a clipper going down his front legs. Sometimes it's because they're an older dog with some joint problems. Can you imagine something that vibrates down on a area that has joint problems? So, kind of keep in mind that shaving isn't necessarily like giving your groomer a fabulous gift.

And I'm also gonna remind you, , ladies, think about how many passes you have to do with a flat razor around your ankle. Guys, how many passes do you have to do with a flat razor up against your chin? There's a reason why there's this whole market on like making the shavers that like go over bumps and stuff, we're using a clipper blade.

And it is just a flat object going over round, weird shapes, lots of passes, lots of meticulous work, and it's really challenging for dogs. So, , the idea that you can just shave them, hmm, maybe not as helpful as you think. Here's another one I hear. "Well, when is he gonna get his real trim? You've been grooming him for a year now."

And I remember hearing this one with somebody that I groomed her dog every two months and I had to remind them if I see your dog every two months, this is the sixth grooming, six repetitions, two months apart is not the fast track to learning how to be good. I think that the modern groomer, or at least the groomers who listen to my show are all thinking about well, we do need to do things more frequently while we're teaching them how to be good for it, whether that's us doing it or the owner's working on it.

Or maybe while they're at training class, they also put 'em on the table and practice some stuff. But if you're there every two months. That dog is not learning an awful lot in between Groomings, so it's not gonna be a magical, like, blah. It's been a year, you know, um, it's been, it's six. So, , it's really easy to think like, didn't you start with this dog last fall?

But, I'm gonna give you an example. If I hand you a ball of yarn and two knitting needles and we work on it for like an hour, and then I take those things away from you and in eight weeks, in two months, I'm gonna hand them back to you and you're gonna show me what you remember. I guarantee you no one's gonna know how to cast on.

The knitters out there are like, oh yeah, everybody else is like, what's cast on? Here's another one that I sometimes hear. "Well, yeah, sure you can work the behavior stuff. I mean, as long as he gets done today, do anything you want." But the thing is, is that for us to work on the behavior angle, we kind of need you to be on board with it.

The idea that as long as he gets finished, as long as he looks great at the end. I would love for your dog to look great at the end. , here's the thing, groomers love doing pretty trims. That's really what drew us to the work is that we love, love, love making your dogs look great, but if your dog isn't well prepared for our services, then we need to do some of this training stuff, and we are not necessarily gonna be able to get your dog completed.

And your dog may not look perfect. We may not do every nail, and I'm telling you right now, that's what you want in a groomer. You want the groomer who's gonna say he seemed kind of nervous. So, you know what? , we kind of stopped with that part. We adjusted, we modified, I often hear this one "well.

She's just always been like this. This is just the way she is." And sometimes that's because there's a health issue going on. Sometimes that's because there's never been any training going on, I mean, if a dog is always like, I don't want to, and at home it's like, oh, okay. He doesn't wanna, don't brush him then you know

I think we still need to dig deeper and find out what makes your dog tick. Why is your dog behaving in this way? How can we teach your dog to trust us? How can we keep your dog safe? How can we work toward a lifetime of grooming where if we start off working on the behavior stuff, then later in life your dog can be perfect for grooming?

How cool is that? I mean, really, that's the goal. We want your dog to be great for this. And if we play our cards right and we're all on board. Owners and the pet professionals working with a dog are all on board together and we work on the behavior stuff and get that done, then the rest of their life could be very easy.

, I've also observed that dogs who are good for grooming when we teach them to be good for grooming, that translates very nicely to vet visits. So it's an investment and it's part of good customer service. So for us as pet professionals to help you as owners find the answers. And help you teach your pet to be great for it, to make this collaborative effort, whether that be I as a groomer, send you to a trainer, send you to your vet, your vet sends you to somebody, your trainer sends you to somebody.

Ideally, we're collaborating as pet professionals and we're reflecting each other's work in an attempt to help you. With your dog's needs. And quite simply, that's the goal. We want your dog to be comfortable with it. , if for no other reason, because well, as groomers, we like to do pretty trims and we like to spend time with your pets.