Grooming help for nervous rescue

[Muddypawsandgnawedbones]

Please can anyone help?

Context is I have small to medium sized rescue dog of 57 varieties (part spaniel, part ???) who was in quite a state when we got her because she had been carried about continuously in one of those dog shoulder bags as a puppy during lockdown and when she grew too big the owners brought her to the rescue.

The rescue centre said that when she arrived she was adorned with ribbons and had been groomed to within an inch of her life!

And although she has a lovely temperament she was never exposed to normal life so is very fearful. So not only was she scared of cars, other dogs, bicycles, etc she didn’t really know how to run or play 😢.

Anyway the problem is that although after nearly one year she has settled in well and has been learning all the things she should have been taught as a puppy, she refuses to be groomed. I can get her to tolerate a brush now but not for very long and she cowered initially when I brought it out.

Fortunately she has a fairly short and only slightly curly coat so doesn’t need a lot of grooming but she has two small knots in her coat on her thigh area, which I want to cut out, some hair between her toes (not good when it snows) and a bit of matting under one arm pit, but if she sees scissors she literally bolts out of the room and hides and shakes. I literally can’t get near it despite having brushed her daily for a year.

Anyway I took her to a professional groomer today but as soon as she was on the table she did what I can only describe as scream …. and she shook .. she was so distressed I had to take her away.

Does anyone have any suggestions please? I really don’t want to sedate her but if I can’t find another solution I might have to.

I'm not a groomer BTW, but read the following when persuading by poodle X to return to the groomers after a stressful tick experience.

• Use the metal, handle of a teaspoon to pretend to clip around the face, feet and body. Ideally, with a clipping sound nearby, so someone snipping scissors in the back ground.
• Get a shower cap, add a blob of dog friendly peanut butter on top and let the dog lick it, whilst you clip knots/brush etc
• Touch her feet, manipulate the toes as often as you can to get her used to this

Hopefully an actually groomer will come on with advice. Best of luck.

You’ve just described my dog perfectly. I’ve started grooming her myself. She looks like she’s been cut with a knife and fork but there’s no way she will tolerate a groomer. It’s too stressful for her.

Those are fantastic tips thank you so much! I will give them a try!

She is visually afraid of the scissors - even without sound - she runs away at the sight of them - so may have to do a combination of these but it’s given me a direction to go in so I’m very grateful!

Just to be clear, with the shower cap, do you hold it over one hand while grooming with the other?

Yes I will not be taking her back to the groomers that’s for sure! And the dogs don’t care how they look do they? I just don’t want the small bit of matting in her underarm to turn in to a big bit!

Just to be clear, with the shower cap, do you hold it over one hand while grooming with the other?

Sorry, I wasn't clear! Put the shower cap on your own head, add peanut butter, then sit lower than the dog. So you on the floor and dog on sofa for example. Tip your head forward slightly so she can concentrate on licking, while you play with her feet, clip nails, pretend to clip etc.

If she is terrified, you might need to go back a few steps and have a picture of the scissors on the floor with a treat nearby. Reassure, good girl etc, then move another treat a bit closer to the scissors- until the treat is right on the scissor. All bit by bit and possibly over days with reassurance, good girl etc.

If its so engrained, then a behaviorist might be the next step.

😄😆 wow I certainly never would have thought of either of those strategies! Thanks so much for taking the trouble to type out the explanation! I’ll give it a go!

Please be careful of the peanut butter idea with a fearful dog. You could potentially end up with a bite to the face.

When a dog's this scared you are going to have to go very, very slowly to counter condition.

One tiny step at a time.

Regarding her feet in the snow, if she picks up snowballs, rubbing Vaseline into the fur between her pads will prevent them forming

Our rescue was very similar when we got him. One thing that I found helped was a licky mat (you can get them for about £2 on amazon) slathered with peanut butter to distract him during grooming or bathtime. I also found a slicker brush best for dealing with tangles - you might find yours tolerates that above scissors.

Good luck!

Sorry, I wasn't clear! Put the shower cap on your own head, add peanut butter, then sit lower than the dog.

This is a dog so scared that it could lash out in sheer terror. I wouldn't be putting my face nearer than strictly necessary.

OP have you come across Cooperative Care as a concept? It will be a long road with this dog but that's likely to be your best chance of getting somewhere with this dog.

With the fear of scissors I would start off leaving them somewhere the dog can see. If the dog looks at them - gets a treat. Once that's established, you might move your hand towards the scissors but not touch them - and give treats. Then touch them but don't pick them up - and give treats, and so on. Don't move onto the next stage until the dog is comfortable with the last stage; rushing it is the worst option.

It is surprisingly difficult. I start with stroking my nervous dog, then use the brush upside down, finally some brushing. Lots of breaks. If there are any tangles I cut them as the dog would be completely freaked out by stronger brushing.

Thank you Wolfie she's only fearful now of scissors and grooming not fearful generally. She's become quite a relaxed and confident dog in many ways. Her previous owners obviously loved her albeit in totally the wrong way. I very much doubt she would bite, unlike our other rescue, but I know the signs and will be vigilant.

Thank you very much for all of the responses here; some great ideas!

I haven't heard of Cooperative Care ProbablyDogNappersHunX thank you for suggestion, it sounds similar to the method of training we use with our equines eg tiny step forward and "release of tiny pressure" equals reward. It is a painstaking process but very much worth it. I have been trying this sort of approach with rescue but maybe I need to break the steps down even more?

Pumpkin20222 thanks it's the opposite with our dog as she will finally tolerate a bit of brushing now, but is still head shy, but will run away at the sight of scissors, even from across the room.

That's a really great idea about the licky mat, thank you BackOfTheMum5net. I will definitely give that a go. She's a very intelligent dog and not very food oriented unfortunately but she may appreciate the challenge of a food puzzle!

Thank you so much BrownOwlknowsbest that's a brilliant idea! Will copy it to my phone notes for next winter, thank you!

I have also looked up slicker brushes and I think this might be the solution! Although I will need to use scissors on paws eventually but I will be able to reduce the bulk of fur for summer overall ifyswim. Thank you again!

Thank you ArabellaScott she's not remotely bitey, she just bolts! Definitely flight not fight but I will be attentive to possibility of fear reaction. Heaven knows what they did to her at the groomers or grooming her to instill this level of fear as she is a very floppy relaxed dog now in general.

If she is scared of scissors have you tried her with clippers, I have a set of small clippers (human not dog ones) that I use on my dog to shave her floofy toes and they are better to remove matts as you don't tend to cut the skin.

Thanks Moany that's a good idea; I can try and approach gently and judge her reaction and take it from there. We used to hang switched on clippers in the stables where I used to work (safely out of the way) so the horses got used to the sound. Obviously built up very gradually from a few minutes at a time to half an hour.