My dog freaks out at the groomer... any tips?

Seeking help
1

Hey everyone, my Maltese, Lucky, had a bad experience at the groomer and now he’s super aggressive when I try to take him in. He’s been kicked out of two places already. The last place said he might need to be sedated to get groomed. Lucky’s 7 years old and usually pretty calm, but something about grooming sets him off now. Anyone dealt with this before? Would love some advice!

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Same thing happened with my dog after a bad experience. Have you tried desensitizing him to the tools at home?

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CanineHandler said:
Same thing happened with my dog after a bad experience. Have you tried desensitizing him to the tools at home?

What do you mean by desensitizing? Like, just letting him sniff the tools or something?

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CanineHandler said:
Same thing happened with my dog after a bad experience. Have you tried desensitizing him to the tools at home?

Yeah, exactly! Let him sniff and get used to the tools, maybe even the sound of a hairdryer. It helps a lot.

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CanineHandler said:
Same thing happened with my dog after a bad experience. Have you tried desensitizing him to the tools at home?

Got it. I’ll try that and see if it helps. Thanks!

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Have you checked if he reacts badly to loud noises? My dog hated the dryer sound at the groomer’s.

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JacquelineJoy said:
Have you checked if he reacts badly to loud noises? My dog hated the dryer sound at the groomer’s.

Hmm, I haven’t tried that yet. I’ll turn on a hairdryer at home and see what happens. Thanks for the idea!

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JacquelineJoy said:
Have you checked if he reacts badly to loud noises? My dog hated the dryer sound at the groomer’s.

If he freaks out at the dryer, you can slowly get him used to it by starting far away and moving closer over time.

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Does Lucky let you touch him all over without growling? That could help figure out if it’s a handling issue.

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evannah said:
Does Lucky let you touch him all over without growling? That could help figure out if it’s a handling issue.

Yeah, he’s fine when I handle him at home. It’s just at the groomer’s that he gets like this.

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evannah said:
Does Lucky let you touch him all over without growling? That could help figure out if it’s a handling issue.

Then it might be the way the groomer handled him or the environment there. Maybe try a different place?

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You could also talk to your vet about anti-anxiety meds for grooming sessions. It might make things easier for him.

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CarolWright said:
You could also talk to your vet about anti-anxiety meds for grooming sessions. It might make things easier for him.

Good idea. I’ll ask the vet about that during our next visit. Thanks!

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Props to you for trying to help Lucky through this! Hope it gets better soon.

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Hazel said:
Props to you for trying to help Lucky through this! Hope it gets better soon.

Thanks, I really hope so too. Appreciate the encouragement!