Dogs are happier after grooming due to the many health benefits and overall cleanliness that it provides. Grooming also provides an opportunity to be social with other dogs and groomers. Although some dogs may feel down after grooming, this quickly goes away and they truly appreciate the benefits of grooming.
Grooming sessions can make them very uncomfortable and even sad! In fact, it's not at all unusual to see your pup cowering from you or just looking very sad each time you bring him back from a grooming session.
If you use clippers, you can expect there to be some discomfort on your dog after grooming. Applying coconut oil and then rinsing it from your dog after you clip their hair is a great way to rehydrate and soothe their irritated skin without breaking the bank.
How long your dog will act weird after grooming depends on how traumatized your pup was at the groomer. Some dogs may be back to their regular self in a day or two, while others can act weird for a week or more.
Cutting or shaving your pet's hair interferes with your dog or cat's ability to stay cool. Although you may have the best intentions when you turn on the clippers, your pet may have more trouble regulating heat after a shave or haircut.
It can make your dog feel uncomfortable. While some people don't believe that pets have feelings, we happen to believe they do. We've seen some mighty uncomfortable dogs who were shaved too closely. The result was behavior issues, increased "negative" behavior, and what we think is a depressed dog.
Your dog is likely depressed after being groomed because they feel fearful, submissive, or painful after the grooming process. They may also be responding to any negative feelings of those around them or they may just not like feeling different now that they have been groomed.
There's a lot of prep work that needs to be done, including taking care of the basics like shaving or brushing out a dog's coat, cutting their nails, brushing their teeth and cleaning out their ears. Groomers will always brush a dog's coat before they bathe them to avoid tangles and knots!
Post-grooming furunculosis is a deep skin infection that occurs rather quickly, usually on the back of dogs (where grooming products are commonly placed). The infection is often due to an organism, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that is associated with water environments.
Professional grooming tasks, such as those featured in Pooch Perfect, are likely to take much longer than the usual social contact dogs get from each other and from humans, and dogs may not understand the purpose of this interaction.
It seems that many feel that occasional (or no) brushings combined with a monthly professional grooming is adequate for healthy maintenance of a coat. Unless you have specific breeds that do require little grooming, this is a pain for your groomer, and sometimes a literal pain for your pet.
“Shaving that coat to reduce shedding or supposedly to keep the dog cool also eliminates that insulating layer of fur makes the dog susceptible to heat stroke and can result in improper hair growth and the possibility of follicle damage.
We recommend brushing at least 1-3 times a week and bathing at least every 1-2 months. Any grooming should mostly be light trims around the face, ears, paws, and sanitary areas every 4-6 weeks. Typically, wire-haired dogs should not be shaved down as their coat may grow back softer and a different color.
A haircut every 10-12 weeks is also necessary. Brushing your long-haired dog daily can give you a longer gap between professional grooming visits. If you cannot do this daily, bringing your dog to the groomer more often can maintain your dog's coat health.
Grooming your dog will probably take 1-2 hours. This time may be much shorter for a small dog with a short coat and much longer for a large dog with a thick and heavy coat. The best way to make your grooming sessions fast is to keep on top of your pup's grooming regime.
Dogs such as golden retrievers, German shepherds, Siberian huskies and any dog that seasonally sheds huge clumps of fur (part of its undercoat) should never be shaved. It is a misconception that shaving will help keep a dog cool on hot days.
Shaving can cause permanent damage to the coat, causing it to be unbalanced and unable to provide adequate insulation and protection. As a result, the coat may grow back in uneven patches, have a ragged or unkept texture or may never grow back at all (shave shock).
If your pup has a positive experience at first they will not have a problem with coming back, but if your dog has a negative experience, such as an accidental cut or a shave, they can become traumatized.
For many dogs who are uncomfortable with body manipulation, the dog grooming experience can be a stressful one. A nervous or fearful dog who doesn't like to be touched makes the job that much more challenging for your groomer—and that much more unpleasant for your dog.
So, pet grooming involves quite a large workload which naturally contributes to the higher price. However, there is more to it! Professional pet grooming also comes with unique challenges that a hairdresser never has to face. For example, do you fidget constantly when you are getting your hair cut?
Most cases of people getting sick from kissing or licking with pets come from oral contact with fecal residue which can be transmitted after pets lick their anus. Facial and lip licking between humans and pets can carry this fecal matter easily. In some cases, a pet can transmit a parasite to a human.
“A lot of dogs are anxious about grooming, but most dogs can learn to tolerate it or even like it. I've done hundreds of cats over my career, and I can't remember a single cat that enjoyed it.
Groomers might cover an aggressive dog's face with a towel while moving the dog. Aggressive dogs are restrained with a loop and most groomers have muzzles on hand for the toughest dogs. Neither of these devices will hurt your dog. Both ensure your dog stays on the table during the groom for her own safety.
Soothing Environment
Some groomers use calming aids in their salons. They'll infuse the space with calming pheromones in the air or essential oils through a diffuser. Perhaps they'll use certain shampoos with soothing ingredients, like lavender.