How to restrain a dog while grooming. It’s difficult to find the perfect balance between preventing your dog from jumping on you while grooming them and restraining their movements so that you can do it.
Luckily, there are several simple techniques for safely restraining a dog while they’re being groomed, no matter what breed.
How to restrain a dog while grooming
Never use a choke chain to put your dog in a restraint, no matter how tiny; even if he seems okay with it. As soon as you wrap the chain around his neck, it could get him anxious and uncomfortable.
Do you have a dog that hates to be groomed?
It’s a common complaint among dog owners, and it takes patience and consistency to fix the problem. Grooming your dog should never be a fight, so being sure to restrain your dog properly is key.
Take your dog for a walk first?
If you try grooming him immediately after he gets excited about going outside, chances are good that his attention will be elsewhere. A tired dog will have an easier time staying still while being groomed. If you have trouble getting him under control before leaving the house, use a leash to keep him at bay as you put together supplies or otherwise tidy up for grooming time.
Don’t Listen to him/Her?
Do not listen if your dog whines or barks as this does not mean he wants to go out. He may be trying to tell you something else, like wanting a treat or toy, and dog owners should listen and respond accordingly.
After the dog is calm, make sure that your dog is ready for grooming. It’s no use trying to look formats in his coat if he has not been brushed first. Use a slicker brush to remove the tangles from his hair.
Feed your Dog before Grooming?
Next, feed him some treats as you use a metal comb to remove any remaining mats and dead hair from his skin. Be gentle around these areas as it can hurt if you pull too hard or quickly where there are sensitive spots such as armpits or between hind legs where there is less fur and more skin than other parts of dog’s body.
If the dog is small, lift the dog to a grooming table or arm free hand and brush from the head down towards the tail gradually with light pressure while talking to your dog in a gentle voice.
If the dog is larger, lay the dog on his side and start brushing from near the nose, downward toward the end of the dog’s ribs.
Distract the dog by letting him sniff some dog treat or a favorite toy that you have brought along during the grooming session until he has relaxed a bit more before continuing with brushing movements.
What to do if dog acting anxious?
If the dog is acting anxious, you may want to try calming sprays that are available at pet stores in order to help calm the dog while grooming him.
You can also try relaxing essential oil diffusers, like lavender aromatherapy diffuser, which can be used with water and will help to soothe your dog during the dog grooming session.
Visit the Dog Groomer?
Check the dog for trimming prior to the dog groomers visit, if the dog has long hairs between the dog’s paw pads use dog clippers or a dog nail trimmer.
If the dog has a matted fur coat around paws, brush out the mats with a slicker brush before clipping any fur so it will be easier on you and your dog.
If the dog is still uncooperative call off the dog groomers’ visit that day and try again tomorrow with a different approach.
Avoid yelling at the dog as this will only make things worse. Be patient, your dog will eventually get used to being groomed after time spent practicing together.
Conclusion
How to restrain a dog while grooming. Although some dogs may need more practice than others in order to get them used to be brushed, most dogs will end up loving dog brushing time if they are introduced to dog brushes and dog clippers at an early age.