The act of walking to a dog is primal. Walking your dog is a proactive way to address many behavioral issues, as well forges a bond of trust and leadership with you, and spends the energy they build up in their life behind walls and fences by providing focused psychological challenges, and physical exertion. The benefit of the walk is therapeutic to us two-legged animals, too.  Many dogs are a little nervous about the prospect of getting groomed. It is often a little out of their normal realm of day to day things to do, but they live in our human spaces, and need to be clean. With the right approach, a positive association to the process can be established so that it is something they are not only comfortable with doing, but do with enthusiasm. Fewer things make a groomer's day more than when a dog struts in excitedly, ready to be made beautiful! (Particularly, those who once were so scared!) So many people feel that their dogs are just horrible at being groomed, or that its kind of traumatizing and scary for them, but its more that they just needed to spend a little energy first. A deliberate walk takes the edge off of them, lessens their anxiety and frustration, and is really a necessary part of their most basic, primal needs. This time with you reinforces their trust in what you ask them to do. Spending 15 minutes, to an hour, whatever best addresses your pet's energy level, before bringing to the groomer will make a tremendous difference in the way they experience the process. They can enter the building calmly, without all this extra energy, and start with a better state of mind. Its also good to be sure they have done their "business" as well. The discipline of walking your dog regularly before you leave for the day, before they are permitted to eat, and before you introduce them to other dogs, and environments seems so simple, but will make a tremendous difference in your pet's life, and probably yours, too. |
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CategoriesGrooming and Behavior |
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