Groom Train Your Dog Or Puppy

Groom Training, Groom Training - By Staff Writer on Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 16:08

 Grooming can be a scary event if your dog is not prepared properly.  Your dog will be hoisted into the air and put on a table where they are forced to sit, stand and lie down for extended periods of time.  They will hear all sorts of new sounds, dryers, clippers and other tools and will be brushed, clipped and pulled in different directions. If your dog is not prepared your groomer will have a difficult time with them but will typically force them to stay still until the job is done.  This can lead to trauma that continues to build with every bad experience making the entire grooming process a nightmare for you and your dog.

The concept behind groom training your dog is the same as any form of training, it is to prepare your dog for future experiences.  If you have a breed of dog that will likely need ample grooming in the future then we suggest you start as soon as you can to prepare them for future grooming sessions and prevent a bad experience before it happens. 

Key Principals
There are a few key principles to groom training. 
1) Get your dog calm on the table
2) Keep your dog calm in different positions for extended periods of time
3) Have your dog comfortable with having their ears, mouth, tail and feet played with, manipulated and touched
4) Have your dog used to a grooming environment

Lessons
The following are lessons that your dog needs to learn.  Start out with short intervals depending on your dogs age and attention span.  You should begin with lesson 1 and repeat it a few times extending the time that your dog performs the lesson.  Once you feel your dog is full comfortable with a lesson you may build on to it by moving on to the next one.  This will likely take days if not weeks for your dog to be comfortable with a full length grooming session so make sure you start out with plenty of time before the first groom.

Lesson 1: The Table
The first step is getting your dog comfortable being up on a table.  Puppies and dogs generally do not like to be up on tables because of the height and may try to jump off.  Start with a sturdy non-slippery table.  If you do not have a grooming table at home you can use any high table and improvise by covering it with a clipped down towel or a bath or yoga mat.   Place your dog on the table holding securely to the collar. Let your dog sit or stand or do whatever is natural at first.  While your dog is up there treat your dog and talk calmly to your dog. 

Lesson 2: Positions On The Table
Once your dog is calm on the table you need to get them to sit, stand, and lay down.  You should treat your dog every time they change positions and have them stay in that position calmly for a few minutes.  If your dog seems restless calm them and have them stay a few extra moments in that position then allow them to take a break.  Eventually you should build up the time that they an stay in the different positions.

Lesson 3: Grooming While On The Table
Once you have a calm dog in different positions on the table you should begin to groom them.  You can brush them, play with their feet if you don't want to clip their nails and brush their teeth or rub their gums.  The idea is getting your dog used to the sensation of someone touching, brushing and manipulating them while up on the table.

Lesson 4: Grooming Sounds
You can introduce similar sounds to that of a grooming salon by blowing your dog with a hair dryer that is on cool or running clippers near your dog.  If you are going to at home groom now is the time to start.  Your dog should be calm and secure on the table and you should be able to start to groom your dog and focus less on keeping them calm.  They should be secured at all times to prevent them from jumping from the table.

If you repeat these lessons often with your dog and keep them calm and treat them often they will begin to associate grooming with a very positive experience.  Simple training will make your dog confident and calm and your groomer and dog will thank you.