Bathing a dog is interesting and challenging, especially if the dog is not very keen on grooming sessions. Challenging breeds are popular for being anxious, aggressive, or moving often during grooming procedures. It creates an upsetting situation for both the owner and the dog. But what if you take time and use the right attitude towards the grooming sessions? You will be able to turn them into good experiences.

Here are three highly recommended strategies for grooming a tough dog.

Start Slowly and Build Trust

There is no doubt that the process of grooming a difficult dog has to start slowly. Some of the most common forms of stress that dogs exhibit during grooming arise from previous experiences that they may have had or simply the fact that they have been groomed in the past. To offset this, one should start the socialization process with the dog, grooming tools, and surroundings. Allow them to smell the brushes, clippers, and other tools you will use to groom your dog. Positive reinforcement is to be used in the form of treats and praise to make the dog develop a positive attitude towards these items.

Begin with dog grooming sessions, even if they last only for several minutes. But if your pet is anxious, it is better to become used to it step by step, gradually increasing the time spent. The relationship is critical; it is a question of time. Do not try to make your dog take part in an activity he finds undesirable because this will only cause heightened extreme anxiety and further, even resistance in eventual other situations.

Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is another constructive appendage of behavior modification when training a defiant dog. Ensuring the dog is given some treat, praised, or even indulged in playing immediately or after grooming makes the process even more fun. Divide the grooming session into smaller steps, and each time your dog does what you want, reward them to improve their behavior.

For instance, if your dog is easily frightened when someone approaches its paws and tries to touch them, take your dog's paw and hold it for several seconds, then give the dog some treats. Slowly build up to nail trimming or washing of paws, and always offer treats once the dog is compliant.

It is also important to consistently use positive reinforcement. After some time, the dog learns that grooming leads to something good, which prepares him or herfor the process. As much as this is desirable, the process must be gradual, and anyone attempting to hasten it will face major reverses.

Create a Calm Environment

One of the important conditions for grooming a difficult dog is the calm of the premises and the surrounding area. Dogs can pick a sense of the environment, and any form of disturbance makes the dogs more stressed. You should pick a grooming location that is as calm as possible, without rough music or other animals. One can also arrange the environment, for instance, by playing some soft music or using pheromone sprays, which have health-related calming effects.

If your dog is very jumpy or nervous, try using an aid like a weighted blanket, an anxiety wrap, or a natural supplement for dogs. The following tools can assist you in lowering your dog's stress and, hence, enhance your grooming session. Furthermore, it is recommended that the dog's vocalization be calmed by trying to speak to the dog gently throughout the session.

Conclusion

This paper aims to discuss grooming a difficult dog by identifying the right approach to use when handling a difficult dog. If you want to change your dog’s behavior, it is important to start with simple steps, using only positive feedback and avoiding any stress factors that may affect your pet. Just like any other activity that is repeated over several weeks, months or years, grooming sessions may gradually turn to be a pleasant experience for you and your pet, thus improving the level of interaction between the two of you.