The First Groom That Has Ever Brought Me To Tears | Veterinarian Referral

The dog's groom touched me deeply, bringing tears to my eyes at the end. I chose not to capture this moment on video as I prefer not to show my emotions on camera. The reason behind my tears wasn't due to his challenging behavior but rather his ultimate trust in me despite his intense fear of grooming. In the end, he allowed me to remove the matting from his face with minimal resistance, marking a significant achievement. This experience left me feeling fulfilled and proud to have earned his trust. Also fun fact: I got bit today (by a Retriever/Shepherd mix) for the first time in my career 😅. A small puncture and some bruising, wish I had pressed record before that happened! Lol

"do you have balls? no" was absolutely hilarious

Recently retired groomer here. Something to think about - I had a dog almost as bad just for her groom - even if you could get the muzzle on, she could pop it right off and her 'nick name' was 'the little barracuda' - I used the cone - she was on 'sedation' also. Her owner said she wasn't worried about how the groom looked just get her 'cut down'. I asked, since the dog was older, and sedation can be hard on their body, if she would bring her in sooner but with no sedation (offered no charge if I failed). The owner thought I was nuts but agreed - and brought the sedation with her favorite snack (just in case). I found I had an easier time with the dog if she was not sedated - I went slow and careful being extra careful of blade temp, leg angles, etc and eventually gained her trust. She never enjoyed her groom, but she did learn to tolerate it - without sedation. We ended never using her sedation again. I think on some dogs, being sedated and feeling 'goofy' in a stressful situation can, sometimes, only makes it worse. Just my experience.

My sister was a dog groomer. She had a few clients who were very against being groomed. One dog would actually be put under anesthsia by the vet to be checked out, have his teeth cleaned, then be groomed by my sister. I happened to be dropping lunch off for sis when the dog & his owner showed up for their appointment. The dog ran up to me, dropped to the ground & exposed his stomach. After I gave him a good tummy rub, I saw the dr, owner, & my sis staring at me. Apparently, he'd never acted that way before. I was asked & agreed to stick around to see if they could skip the anesthesia. After that visit, I was asked to attend every vet & grooming season as he didn't pay them any mind when I was around. The owner paid me $75 for each visit. I ended up being called on for quite a few dogs over the years. I guess they thought I was a soothing presence. 😊

Note. This is NOT an aggressive dog. This is a fearful dog. Fearful dogs are the most dangerous. And you did a fantastic job, Vanessa! Sheldon looks fabulous and you were so kind and gentle!

I love the vet’s professional wording. He has a strong desire to boycott grooming. 😂

Being okay with grooming and then suddenly not would suggest something happened at the groomers that left a deep seated fear

Its like he realized it feels good to get all that hair and matts off him. He definitely seems like you won his trust.

You can't even be mad at him, he sounds so scared.

Dog isn't even mine, but I just wanna thank you for not giving up on him!

Animals are not stupid. The dog felt COOLER during the trim and when he realized this... he calmed down.

THE RELIEF he must've felt.

There are two words he probably hasn't heard a lot during a groom, "good boy."

"Strong will and desire to boycott his grooms" was the funniest thing I've read in awhile LOL

I think Sheldon felt the relief from the rest of his body and accepted you were helping him, not hurting him.

You’re not scared of the dogs, you know and respect the damage they do warranted or not. This was so moving to watch.

Props to the owner that doesn't give up on her animal just because he's difficult for grooming

If groomed as puppy, something tells me, that there was some kind of incident that had left him traumatized.

As an experienced groomer myself, I was so impressed at how she gained Sheldon's trust through gentleness and being aware of his body language. Patience and love go a long way in these situations. Kudos on a job well done!

So gentle he just needed someone to go extra slow with him he knew she was helping him.