# Grooming nervous dog



## Klar. (Dec 10, 2018)

Hi all, just looking for some advice. 

My cockapoo is 4 years old. She has always hated the groomers and gets really shaky and panicked. So I took the decision two years ago to do her myself. She has been fine since then and I clipped her every 6 weeks with no problems but over this summer she hurt her paw a couple of times and had an illness and now she absolutely refuses to be clipped. She also hates scissors and won't tolerate having her paws trimmed. 

I have been doing little at a time, loads of treats and games to try to get her to accept grooming again. She isn't matted as I brush her everyday but she really is getting to the stage that she needs to be clipped. Particularly her head and ears but she won't tolerate it. 

It's making us both a bit miserable. I don't want to stress her out. I am considering taking her to a groomer to see if they can cut her short and then I can start again with acclimatising but I really don't want to cause her that amount of stress. 

Any tips and suggestions to get over this blip would be welcome!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Which bit is she freaking out at with the clippers if she accepted it for 2 years? You need to start from the step before that and use loads of treats and work with her to get her happy again - so if it is when they touch her she freaks start with just holding them and her standing still and give her treats, then switch on but still not near her and reward, then progress to closer to her, firstly off and then off and finally touching her with them off to start with and then on. Will take a fair few sessions but by only moving on when she is happy with the previous step you should be able to make gradual progress and get there with her.


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## Klar. (Dec 10, 2018)

She has become hypersensitive to her hair being cut. I can't even put my finger on a time that has been a trigger point but it has been this past three months. 

So I've gone through all the steps that you have described over and over again. I've got to the point that I can clip her back and I can scissor her face fine. When she won't accept any more I stop. She just won't stand still, revolves around and backs away. 

I'm wondering if a professional groomer could do better but I would hate to stress my dog when I just should accept that I need to take baby steps with her to get back to accepting being clipped. 

One thing that I am considering changing is getting a grooming table. I sit with her on the floor at the moment and groom her. Perhaps that would make a difference to her.


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## Klar. (Dec 10, 2018)

"so if it is when they touch her she freaks start with just holding them and her standing still and give her treats, then switch on but still not near her and reward, then progress to closer to her, firstly off and then off and finally touching her with them off to start with and then on. "


This is great advice, by the way. I'll try to be more methodical with my rewarding as I think I'm doing this but I need to go much slower.


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