Is it Me?

[Sandy]

Toby is getting groomed tomorrow.  The groomer has a decked out, oversized van that she does grooming out of, in our own driveway.  Toby loves everybody, but when he sees her at the door, he takes off.  I have to be waiting outside with him on leash, or it's going to be a chase to get him out the door.  He also doesn't like the vet's office, but that's likely normal.  Anyway - is it possible I'm giving off some vibes that are causing this reaction?  I don't like making him get groomed, because he clearly does not want to do it.  However, I'm told the he passively resists grooming, but never gets snappy or anything.  Having just read the thread on spoiling our doodles, I suspect I may be guilty of spoiling here..... :)  He almost never has mats she has to work out, and it only take 60-90  minutes, and he's not really even leaving the house, but still - he doesn't like to go.

 

My human baby is almost 21, so Toby probably gets treated more like a child than he should.  My bad, I suppose.  :)

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Maybe we need to clone Tina the Groomer!!

[Sandy]

I wish! I have even offered Toby a high quality treat for him to walk nicely to the grooming van, and he turns his nose up at it. I usually just hand over the leash and go in the house. Apparently he's better when I am not there.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I think they get excited when we are there because they think we will rescue them!! You know "Surely MOMMY will not leave me here to be tortured!!" :(

[Stella]

Each time Chase went to the groomer you would have thought he was going to his death. Practically had to be dragged in there, tail between his legs and refusing to walk. But he always behaved fine once he was in - apart from one thing, he hates the dryer and tries to bite it. Never tries to bite the person, just the dryer. I tried it at home to see if we could get him used to it and he still tried to bite it when it goes near his face. When I started clipping him at home I was worried about how he would be, but he is great. I lift him up onto a table (to save my back from all the bending!!) and he stands lovely for me. He is not bothered by the clippers at all. With practice I am getting faster and better!!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Daisy does the same thing for us when we brush and comb (leans as far as possible) unless we get the canned cheese out. Her trips to the Groomer (trying to stretch this to every 2.5 months and it is killing me) seem to happen without incident. It's a good thing cause she does a wonderful job and has for both our dogs for 18 years now. 90 minutes all at once is a long time to be fussed after without a break. We leave Daisy for 4 hours, she gets a bath, then goes in front of the dryer crated and gets a break, then they cut and then back in the crate for a break and then gets combed out. Maybe the all at once is a deal breaker for her. Just wondering.

[Kyoko]

Charlie shaked and peed at the groomer's once. ( eventhough we have a wonderful groomer Charlie loves )
This was a time after she had pretty bad matting, and I suppose she remembered that it took a long time and she hated it.

So, ever since then, I take her every 10 days or so, just for quick 15min. brushing ($5) while I shop at PetSmart.
This seemed to help her, and she never did it again.....

[Melissa & Porter]

36.5 times a yr x 5 dollars = $182.5/yr Might be worth it! Could reduce the other grooming costs as well...

[Camilla and Darwin]

I've only taken Darwin to the groomer 3 times or so, as I bathe and clip him myself. The times I have taken him it's just a bath, brush and sanitary. I am way too wimpy to pluck his ear hair, and I'm not so great at trimming his paws, so I like to have professionals do it every now and then.

Darwin is fine, and goes right back with the groomers, tail wagging. I would say he enjoys it, except for one thing. I brush and clip him while he's laying down. I have done it this way since he was a puppy, and he's comfortable that way. He lays on his side and basically falls asleep while I go to work. The problem? The groomers like to brush and clip him standing up... poor lazy pup. :-) He tries to sit and lay down over and over during the grooming... how dare they make him stand for more than 5 minutes! ha ha. They give him lots of breaks, so it all works out.

I used to be a bather in a grooming shop and I know from experience that almost every dog is MUCH worse behaved when their owner is in sight. It was pretty common that the owner would sit and watch while the dog struggled and cried, but as soon as they left the dog was perfectly fine, even wagging their tails. Silly dogs!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sometimes my guys have to be 'dragged' into the groomer's and sometimes they go willingly. They will not eat a cookie before hand though - so I know they are nervous. Afterward they are uncontrollably excited to see us and leave - however not before they eat as many cookies as they can. The groomer says they behave. There is NO option of not going to the groomer at my house so even if/when they do not want to go, they go. Everything at our house is done in groups and I do think that whatever mood one is in is 'caught' by the others.

[Sandy]

That is exactly Toby! So nervous he won't eat a favourite treat. Dragged into the groomer's van. And then when he's done - frantic rolling and running and general happiness to be back with Mommy!

[Sue Z. + Finley]

Maybe it's the grooming van itself and not the groomer that Toby dislikes. The sound inside the van is pretty loud if the generator is running. Finley didn't like the metal floor in the grooming van (he has a thing about floors even the wood floors in our house). However, he loves going to his regular groomer and pulls me inside once he is out of the car. I also think he loves his regular groomer because of all the attention he receives. All the girls love him and he loves the girls! What a typical boy.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hunter has a very different approach to grooming - she likes to play dead. No joke! The groomer said she will just lay there (if she lets her) and is completely like a rag doll - pick up a paw and it will drop right back down. She said she just moves her eyes a little and that is it! She said she does the majority of Hunter's grooming this way because it is such a chore to get her to stand up and get hooked to the leash thing. It's like she is saying "just get it over with, this misery is sucking the life right out of me". She doesn't get anxious at least but I worry she will slip into a coma! I have wanted to stay and watch but I have really bad allergies and its all I can handle just to bring her in.