Grooming rant
 

As you all know I got a trimmer and have been doing Galen underside and privates on my own. I have been having problems with his feet so I took him to a groomer. This is the second one I tried. The first one did not cut his feet the way I wanted it. So anyway, I started to give Galen his usual clean up. Well he is freaking out. He usually is a wiggle worm but he is making lots of noise and won't let me put the trimmer on him. Even a little growl. What did this woman do to my baby! I am so mad right now. I had to put him in his pen cause he was so upset and I am upset. I want him to calm down. My poor little guy.

Sounds something like Princess Sophie's and my experience when I accidentally cut into the quick on one of her toe nails. It's taken forever for me to even approach her nails again and I haven't even tried to trim them yet. I wonder if something bad happened at the groomer's and they didn't tell you about it? I'm really very sorry you are both having to deal with this situation. Blessings!

Poor Galen! It does sound like something must have happened to make him upset with the trimmer. You have a big challenge in rebuilding his trust of the trimmer, but it can be done.

Thanks.The only thing she said is that she cut one of the nails too short and hit the quick. I don't know if that is it.

Thanks I needed that. First I was . . what is his problem, then I thought about it. I want to go to that woman and say what do you do! He and I calmed down and I gave him a bath. Well at least he smells nice. I am going to have to get someone to help me now to hold him while I cut I guess. Do you know how to gain his trust with just me? I figured maybe just turning the trimmer on and off around him without cutting him.

That is more painful than anything! His nail could be sore for days until it heals completely. Getting someone to help hold him is a good idea.

To gain his trust back will take time. I would try doing very short grooming sessions....keep things at hand when you are sitting on the sofa. Comb for a bit.....let him see the clippers but don't turn them on. I even clip nails a couple at a time. I even get a couple when Tatiana is sleeping on my lap. Always begin when he is calm and when he begins to get agitated, give him and yourself a break. He will slowing begin to trust again. I would not be using that groomer again! Good luck!

That's exactly what I did. I'd leave the trimmer around so Yoshi would see it, but not have to get near it. Then I'd hold him & pick up the trimmer and move it to another location...like from the kitchen table to the kitchen counter - really quickly. Then I'd hold him with the trimmer for a little longer - like taking the trimmer with us from the kitchen to the bedroom. I used to put it on the bed with us while we were watching TV so he could get used to seeing it without it hurting him. Then I'd turn it on for five seconds, then 20 seconds, then 45 seconds...you get it - slowly over the course of a week or so. I'd eventually turn it on & hold it against his body without using it...just enough so he could feel the vibration. But you get it, right? I eventually worked up to the point that I was able to shave in between 2 toes, then eventually the whole paw pad. It took a while. And it's okay to do one foot or parts of a foot each day until he's comfortable again.

I had to do this same thing with the water faucet. I think the first groomer I took him to held his head under the faucet & got water in his nose so he thought he was going to drown :( After that groomer, he was deathly afraid of the kitchen sink.

Gosh...I've heard so many groomer rants lately. We all need to have a YT grooming workshop on Skype or something.

Doubt that that is the issue, you don't cut the nails with trimmer. But she could have cut his pad. I' would check them very closely even between the pads to be sure there are no cuts.

Its crazy that how just one thing can trigger fear in our babies and the simplest thing now becomes a chore. I've been there and I still have to struggle with Brandi before she will allow me to trim her nails. She freaked out when I would touch her paws and its been more than a year since she got bit by Ruby but she is doing much better now.

It is so sad poor baby Galen. I like the advise that Deb gave but I would add treats to the mix too. Tiny little treats and maybe a couple of times a week do your normal grooming routine where you would normally groom him but without the trimmers for the first few times just to get him use to the idea of being groomed again. You can also try running the trimmers over the areas that you would normally do while they are turned off. That will get him use to the idea of being touched with them again and that they wont hurt him. He just needs time but you may have a long road ahead of you to get there.

Give him tons of praise !

I just wanted to say that I don't think it always means something happened. Mandie screams..I mean SCREAMS when I try to cut the hair around her legs and feet and nobody has ever groomed her but me..and she's never been hurt.

Deuce is ticklish on the undersides of his front feet so hubby holds him while I shave him. But I always whisper to him (Deuce) while I work on him. I tell him to "Stand like a show dog." I swear he knows what I am saying. He just stands there where ever I place him. I told him this since he was a puppy. REally amazing. I think remaining calm is the key. It's hard but works.

Thank you all for your suggestions. It is very helpful. I am going to try it. I have to get him comfortable again with the trimmer. Slow and steady. I really need to learn how to do his feet. lol

When I was trimming his underside he was a little wiggly but I never had him do what he did. He did not want me to come near him.

You wont need the trimmers for his feet. They are typically done with scissors and rounded out. If you wrap your hand around his foot bringing all of the hair to where it wraps around his foot / forward than cut the excess. Than you can use a thinning sheers to even them out so that they don't have such a blunt cut. You can use the trimmers in between his pads if you wanted to but its not necessary. I normally just scissor cut them. My sister (the groomer) uses trimmers but I don't feel comfortable doing it. If I did I would probably use a mustache trimmer or a smaller set of clippers.

I have never done his feet. I could not keep him still enough for his feet. I got curved grooming scissors to do around his feet.