Yogi was the last dog I groomed in 2013. He is a darling Tibetan Terrier mix of some sort and has one of those faces that just makes you smile. He was adopted from a shelter in Marin County. He is probably 3-5 years old and is very loving and joyful.

When I first met him, I was told that he was very ” sensitive ” about grooming and was not welcomed back at any of groomers that had tried to groom him. That was code for he can be a problem.

So, I was naturally on my guard that first time and proceeded very slowly, starting with just brushing him. He was very matted which added to his anxiety and it became quite clear very quickly that he could be extremely aggressive. He had profound sensitivity to his hind quarters, all down his legs and especially his feet. His front legs were also triggers for intense snapping and threatening behavior. I was sure to keep him tethered with a grooming noose so his head remained stationary and slowly and patiently dematted him. That first grooming he whined, whimpered and actually let out screams just for putting the brush near him.

Clearly he been terribly traumatized in his past grooming experiences. The joy of home grooming is that the owner can observe as I am grooming. However, in Yogi’s case I decided that it was not a good idea. His owner’s presence was too stimulating for him and he could not relax. The challenge for Yogi was to learn to relax and learn to detach from his Mom and learn to trust himself. To allow tools to pass over his body without any reaction. He was so, so frantic and also dangerous so I decided to groom him in silence with no distractions. After two years of this process and really tuning into Yogi’s fragilities, I now can finish the grooming with less stress and threatening behavior.

I do believe that Yogi was muzzled during his previous groomings as well as very poorly handled and that at no time did anyone really take the time to be really patient and accommodating to his extreme behavior. I never give treats during grooming for many reasons. Firstly, dogs can choke. Secondly, it causes them to salivate and thirdly and most importantly, the dog must trust me completely using only my hands and voice. Sometimes, it takes years to train a dog to be polite and obedient on the grooming table. I insisted that he be groomed every month which helped him a lot. It prevented matting so he didn’t have that stress to endure and with anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. This has helped Yogi tremendously.

I am very proud of Yogi and feel privileged that he trusts and allows me to groom him.