# Dog terrified of the clippers



## hunter gatherer (Dec 6, 2002)

I have a two year old poodle mix who desperately needs to be clipped but is terrified of the clippers. I own an excellent ( and expensive ) set of dog clippers and have clipped many other dogs with no problems. I have never had a dog go so nutso over the idea of the clippers touching her body. She writhes and snaps at the clippers.

I really cannot afford to employee the services of a professional groomer and would really like to find a way to make this work. Here's what I have tried:

Last summer, my vet prescribed a sedative which resulted in her writhing more slowly and snapping drunkenly at the clippers. We still got nothing accomplished.

I have had the clippers laying next to her favorite spot on the rug and pet her with the clippers ( turned off) every chance I get. She will let me do this.

I have been conditioning her to the sound of the clippers by placing a dog treat on them and turning them on randomly. She has learned to come running at the sound of the clippers and is not afraid to touch them to get her treat. She will not however let me touch them to her while they are turned on, She goes completely ballistic.

I've heard that some dogs will go completely docile when muzzled and will allow things they would not allow unmuzzled, such as clipping. Is there any truth to this?

Please help me with ideas, pointers, tips...anything really to take care of the walking dust mop that is my dog!

PS- I have been simply cutting her down with the scissors, which she actually seems to enjoy but it's so time consuming and she looks simply dreadful as you can imagine.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

I know the sedative slowed her down, but she was still snappy. I don't like to mess around with snappy or hyper/ jumpy dogs if I need to bathe or clip them. I see no harm in sedating her again and using a soft muzzle (inexpensive and available at most larger pet supply stores) to get the job done. I have a dog that used to want to nip at me when I tried to trim her toe nails. Not bad enough to muzzle, but it was bad behavior that needed to stop. Over time, she has gotten better about having her nails trimmed. What worked for me with that was barking a sharp sounding "NO!" at her each time she offered to nip at me and praising her up and down when she was behaving and especially after we were done. Now she gets all excited when we're done with the trimming and looks at me wanting to play


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## Willow101 (Feb 20, 2008)

Sounds like you are doing many things right.

When I start a new dog in the shop, and the dog is one like what you descibe, I introduce the dog to the clippers while turned off...going all over the dog's body. Once the dog is comfortable with that I tie the dog to the grooming post and then hold the back end of the dog and gently lay the clippers on the side of the dog or the back of the dog. I let the dog do all the squirming it wants to do and because it's tied and I am at the back of the dog it can't get to me to bite. I don't yell or correct...I behave in a neutral way and just let the clippers run. Once the dog calms I then try clipping. Any desired behavior is vigorously rewarded with lots of praise and I don't stop working while doing this.

The process can take a while and since this dog has been accidentally taught that the bad behavior achieves the desired results, she will be more determined to act up. Her behavior may get worse before it gets better and it is during this really bad behavior that you need to keep the clippers running and you remaining neutral. No corrections. I have had some dogs take as long as a half hour of fighting and snapping and others just a few minutes when they found out I wasn't paying attention to them. I have never had this method fail....although that doesn't mean it will work.

Another suggestion would be to put cotton balls in the dog's ears to dull the noise. Part of the problem is likely the vibrations and the dog just needs to get used to that but another problem could be the noise of the clippers at close range.

Not sure how much experience you have had with muzzles however they can be extremely dangerous. I once had a dog in the shop that actually choked on saliva. The dog was fine but did need to go to the vet. Even the vet had never heard of a dog choking on a small amount of saliva with a muzzle on. Dogs can easily drown if they vomit with the muzzle on so muzzling is a huge risk. Also, dogs cool themselves by panting. Your dog is going to clearly be upset and get heated. If you use a muzzle and it is left on too long there is a danger of the dog overheating and dieing. When I use a muzzle...which isn't often just because of the health risks to the dog...I only leave it on for about five minutes at a time if the dog is struggling. If the dog is calm you can leave it longer. And yes, it is true that the muzzle can sometimes have a calming effect on some dogs. These are usually dogs that are dominant and the muzzle takes that power away. I don't see the muzzle working in this manner with fear aggression.

Good luck,

Willow101


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## hunter gatherer (Dec 6, 2002)

Willow,

Thank you so much for your detailed response. Could you go into more detail on the "grooming post". I'm assuming you attach the dog by it's collar. How much lead do you give the dog. Excuse my ignorance but seriously, my previous dogs have been so docile concerning clipping they would just loll around on the ground enjoying the attention.

My dog, Priscilla, is just a sweetie, docile and obedient. She really doesn't appear to have a dominant or aggressive bone in her body...she's just terribly afraid of the clippers. I asked about the muzzle idea as it seems to me like something that would make her panic even more. Thanks for your input on that.

And so from what you're saying, I should get her in a position where she cannot snap ( grooming post) and just take control of the situation in a clam straight forward manner. Am I correct on this?


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## Willow101 (Feb 20, 2008)

Grooming post: The posts that are normally used on grooming tables are commercially made so I will describe what they look like and then you can figure out how to get the same results without having to buy the grooming post (officially called a grooming arm).

First imagine the caplital letter L. Then turn it upside down and attach the top of the L to the table (top when in a correct position...not upside down.) The bottom part of the L shaped post will then be up in the air and over the grooming table...pointing towards the back of the table. This grooming post needs to be firmly in place because it will take the full brunt of the struggling dog. If you can't set up this type of situation you can use a ring or hook on a wall that is high enough to keep the dog's head up but allow it to stand comfortably on any kind of table.

Once you have what can serve as a grooming arm get a leash and make a noose out of it. Put the loop end around the dog's neck and tie the dog to the grooming post so the dog is directly under the part of the post that is over the table. The length of leash from the dog's neck to the grooming arm should be enough that the dog can stand comfortably (noose right behind the ears...not down on the neck) but not able to move around on the table. This is critical as the more leash you give the dog the more it can fight and the more likely it will be able to turn around and get you. Basically, if done correctly...the dog fights against itself and you just continue grooming. BUT, never forget you have a noose on the dog. Always be conscious of how you are pulling or restraining the back end to make sure you aren't choking the dog. You may have to stop and push the dog back under the top of the grooming arm...just to reinforce the correct position for the dog. Putting the dog back in that position will show it where it can stand and be comfortable.

As far as your attitude while doing this....you are correct. Just groom and ignore the dog's struggling. Of course you do need to make sure she doesn't get hurt but don't baby her and don't yell at her. Make her think you have nothing to do with the resistance she is encountering when she fights. You might want to start by just taking the clipper on it's side while running and just move it all over her body while she is fighting.

Since this dog has a long history of fighting you also may want to reward good moments by stopping the clipping and cuddling her a little bit. In other words teaching her that sometimes good behavior earns her a break in the activity. She may become frantic once she realizes that you mean business this time. A reward that stops the action will also give her a chance to calm down too. I do this with puppies a lot as they do need breaks and some good cuddling always creates a positive environment. Just don't reward bad behavior this way by feeling sorry for the dog. 

Very important...praise when correct behavior is demonstrated. Timing is everything and must be done while the desired behavior is occurring. If you praise even a split second into the next struggle you are rewarding the struggling. Also, don't try to calm her because that only convinces her that the desired behavior is what she is doing. You need to be neutral.

I do wish there was a way to show you in person. If you see the method in action its so easy but explaining with pics and action makes me nervous as there is always room for error and misunderstanding.

And last...always try to end the session on a good note. 

Willow101


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

hunter gatherer said:


> And so from what you're saying, I should get her in a position where she cannot snap ( grooming post) and just take control of the situation in a clam straight forward manner. Am I correct on this?


Yes.

She is not afraid of the clippers, otherwise she wouldn't come near them even for a treat. She is simply throwing a temper tantrum, and has you buffaloed. You have to come to her with the attitude that it WILL get done no matter what. You have tried all the nice, gentle, positive-reinforcement ways of getting her accustomed to grooming, and she's not responding. So, it's time to show her that you're just going to have to pull rank on her for this one.

I would recommend a muzzle so that you don't get bitten. You can always take it off if you need to. Put the pup on a table, with a towel on it, and use the grooming post as Willow described. You have to give the dog very little leeway with the grooming loop, with her head held in an upright position and snug around her neck. Not to choke her, obviously, just so she can't pull her head out of it and to make her stand up straight and still. Chances are, she will buck and fight and scream and carry on like she's being killed when you put the clippers on her. Ignore all of it, hold her firmly, and continue clipping. Don't coo to her, don't say her name, don't scold her. Just be calm and decisive in your actions. If she goes so berserk that she tries to hang herself and her tongue turns blue, take her down for a moment, then put her right back when she recovers. It's all business.

When you're all done grooming, put her in a crate (or a quiet place) by herself for a little while so she calms down. Then, take her for a walk, give her a treat, play a game with her favorite toy, and do a whole jolly routine like nothing happened.

Eventually (it may take a while), she will figure out that it's more work than it's worth to fight the clippers, and that no matter what she does she's not going to get her way. Once she realizes this, she'll learn to tolerate being groomed. She may never really enjoy it, but she will stop fighting you. 

I've been grooming dogs for almost 20 years, and I've had to deal with the panicky don't-touch-me-with-the-clippers type many times. I've learned from experience that if the dog doesn't calm down with gentle, gradual acclimatization and positive reinforcement after the first few minutes, you need to take the firm, businesslike approach with them. Otherwise, they will learn that their combative behavior makes you back off and they will fight you even harder. Very young puppies (under 6 months or so) are the exception to this, but for an adult dog, you need to establish firm, no-nonsense leadership right away. 

If you try all of this and you still don't have success (or if you don't have the heart to do it), save up some money and go to a professional groomer. It's not worth your frustration, and the dog may be learning undesirable behavior patterns if you keep losing the battle.


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