difficult peke a poo

Question
QUESTION: I have a normally sweet good natured peke a poo.  I have decided to groom her myself, but she turns into Cujo, when you get anywhere near the front of her body with the clippers or scissors.  She also hates to have her feet and nails clipped.  

I really think that her experience with groomers, has not helped her disposition.  The first one clipped her skin and she told me not to worry she would lick it and then it would heal. One visit with her never again.

The second one did a good job, but when I got home she had a big bruise on her back above the tail.  Never again!!

Groomer 3 was wonderful with Gracie and Gracie loved her.  Unfortunately the groomer quit and her replacement clipped her
well, but on her last visit, he didn't clip around her face.
When I got home I found out why, when he was grinding her nails
her hair on her face had apparently gotten into the grinder and
he pulled out a section the size of a nickle and the worst part,
is that he didn't even tell me about it.  Another never again.

Groomer 4 was a new groomer just starting out.  She and Gracie got along well, unfortunately 6 months later her husband was
transferred out of town.

I am having trouble keeping her still and not biting me.  I do not want to stress her out so I stop and let both of us calm down.
But when we start back she goes right back to the growling and biting.  I have a grooming table and harnesses.  I have also tried
giving her a sedative and she still is wild.  Help me please with some techniques to calm my furbaby so that I can clip her.

ANSWER: Hi Gerrie,
It's too bad Gracie has been injured by groomers! I admire your tenacity in trying to find a good fit.

What's not clear, is if Gracie was compliant when groomed the first time or during subsequent clips? If she fought the process from the beginning, it may have contributed to her injuries. Imagine trying to scissor or clip a moving target. A long-coated dog that is sensitive around her feet, would never be a good candidate for a nail grind. It takes dexterity to safely grind nails on long-coated compliant dogs.

If she were well-behaved for groomers, in spite of her injuries, it may be that she knows you will stop when she makes a fuss. Be careful not to "reward" her when she gets "stressed out".  Allowing her breaks when she gets stressed, is really teaching her that if she protests enough she will get what she wants; for you to stop grooming her. She has honed the behavior that works for her because you give her breaks to calm her down.

It will be a challenge to move forward from her past experiences if you feel sorry for her and if you feel a sense of responsibility for selecting the groomers that ultimately harmed her. Try to let that go and start anew.

If you get upset when you groom her, she will mirror your mood. The more stressed-out you become, the more stressed-out she will be. Take her for a long walk or run before you groom her. Exercise will help her relax.  

If you are genuinely afraid of being bitten, she will sense your fear and it will be very difficult to proceed safely. There exists a couple of medications that veterinarians prescribe: Acepromazine is most commonly prescribed, followed by  Diazepam (Valium). If the current medication fails to garner a result, try a different kind.

I have confidence that you will succeed. You took the time to seek out several groomers that would be a good fit. You purchased professional equipment to aid in your endeavor. Lastly, you found this site, typed a lengthy, in-depth post that is very revelatory. It's obvious you love Gracie and want to help her!

Good luck,
Becca

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Becca,

I made it a point to watch part of the first grooming by each groomer, not where Gracie could see me because I didn't want to be a contributor to any bad behavior on her part. I learned that the two that she liked talked to her and handled her gently and when I took her to them she would be glad to see them.  The others seemed to look at her as $$$, which I understand to a point, her groom was money in their pocket but in order for a groomer to earn money the pet must be treated well, which to me is more important than the perfect haircut.  

I do know that before she was injured, she would be compliant and do what the groomer wanted her to and the injury she sustained by the first groomer was purely an accident on the groomers part, because Gracie was probably getting tired and trying to clip a moving target is very difficult.

The first groomer that she loved would bathe and dry her and start the main grooming and then would let Gracie off the table and into an area that she had set up to let her run around and then after 15 to 20 minutes
she would then finish the groom.  This would add to the time that I had to wait, but when she was finished Gracie would be happy, tail wagging and giving the groomer kisses.

Something that I didn't tell you was that Gracie has been with me 24/7 since I got her at 7 weeks old.  I lucky enough to be able to take her to work with me.  She has flown on a plane and attended funerals and church with me.  She has never been left "home alone"  I have always found a
sitter or taken her to doggy daycare at the vets when I have an doctors appointment and she can't go with me.  Mistake??

I am not afraid of being bitten, but I am afraid of hurting her, thank you for pointing that out, I need to leave that feeling behind.  Maybe I need to get some meds for both of us! LOL  

Thank you so much for all of your advice, I am going to put it to use ASAP.  You have given me more confidence to groom Gracie.

Thanks,
Gerrie

Answer
Hi Gerrie,

Thank-you for the positive feedback.

When a dog has human companions 24/7, they are never faced with learning how to rely on themselves. Though dogs are pack animals, even coyotes and wolves learn to survive in solitude. Juvenile coyotes and wolves are banished from their pack routinely for "breaking" social laws of hierarchy. They either survive in solitude until they form their own pack or they die. It seems harsh but it is survival of the fittest and it has worked since the beginning of time.
Though we have domesticated canines; inherently their needs and survival mechanisms have changed little.

Gracie, of course, will never be relegated to the wild to survive on her own but were parents of wild dogs to coddle their young and "emotionally" protect them, they would not survive and the pack would become a chaotic mess.

I have never seen a dog that continually has human contact, not suffer from severe separation anxiety; often, other behavioral issues emerge. It may not be an issue at this juncture because you have a caretaker 24/7, but if left alone without human interaction, she lacks coping skills that naturally build security.

If she follows you from room to room and you can not shower or use the bathroom without her being near you or if you close the door and she scratches and whines to get in, she suffers from separation anxiety. This behavior is a "mistake" if it interferes with your life and causes her distress.



Thank-you again Gerrie,
Becca