Groom’d: Making A Positive First Impression On A New Dog

Editor’s note: PETS+ is the media partner for GROOM’D, the annual grooming-focused pet trade show presented by World Pet Association. The PETS+ team will be reporting live from Atlanta, GA, Friday through Sunday. To not miss any of the action, like our Facebook page and sign up for the daily GROOM’D ebulletin at petsplusmag.com/bulletins.

GROOM’D Seminar Snippets: Have you ever heard the saying that first impressions are lasting? This holds true for dogs as well. That’s why making the first meeting with a new dog a positive one is so important. Dog trainer Terrie Hayward owns Positive Animal Wellness and co-authored the book Grooming Without Stress! She led a discussion full of techniques and advice on this topic.

Some tips that Hayward recommends include:

• Be prepared. A new dog will probably be nervous coming into your space for the first time. Ensure you have everything you need to start working without having to run around and gather everything while they wait.
• Assess the dog’s body language and adjust to how they are acting.
• Give new dogs time to acclimate; let them sniff and explore.
• Start off warm and welcoming and end easy, “Finish on a good note.”
• Reinforce and reward calm behavior. Make sure to offer the dog choices and have plenty of treats handy. If the dog doesn’t take high-value treats, this could be a sign that they are stressed or fearful.

Before the first grooming, offer a meet and treat with high-value treats so they can get to know you. Hayward demonstrated what this looks like by introducing a dog named Tater to a groomer from the audience named Dominique, using sausage she brought from the hotel’s breakfast buffet. Their meeting (in the top photo) was a success!

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