March 7, 2007 The Academy Award goes to....

March 7, 2007

The Academy Award goes to . . .

I have to say that most dogs that come into my shop are born actors. In fact I could mention several that would probably win an academy award for their performance. The owners are holding little "Foo Foo" in their arms and as they walk into the shop little Foo Foo turns into a quivering, cowering mass of jelly that doesn't want Mommy or Daddy to leave them.
This dramatic performance naturally makes Mommy or Daddy very upset because their baby never does that at home. In fact the poor owner feels so bad, they second guess themselves at whether little Foo Foo REALLY needs to be groomed at all! "Oh, Foo Foo, my poor baby! Why just look at you shake! Are you cold? Are you scared? No baby, Mommy has to leave now . . . sniff."
Meanwhile the groomer stands there, waiting for little Foo Foo to come to her outstretched arms, and the dog clings to Mommy like Saran Wrap, clutching her shoulder with tiny little sharp claws that are digging into Mommy's skin.
"Oh . . . could you make sure you trim his nails? ....Foo Foo! It's ok baby! ...really . . . Mommy loves you!" So the groomer pries the little dog away from Mommy . . . and Mommy goes out the door feeling really guilty and listening to the pitiful whines, as she heads for her car.
Once Mommy is out of earshot . . . Foo Foo suddenly perks up! No quivering, no shaking, and his tail is going a mile a minute! Now THAT is worthy of an academy award! Why do dogs do this? Is it to give the groomer a complex? To make their owners nuts? No, actually the answer is dogs are just like kids. Remember when you first left your child at a sitter or daycare? Remember the tears, (yours too) and the guilt. Your kids learned at an early age how to pull those heart strings and your dog is no different.
People who have never had children or empty nesters are the ones who fall for this act the worst. They either never had to deal with kids or don't remember the manipulation they had from their own children when they were young. In fact I know many people who treat their dog BETTER than they treated their own kids! They would NEVER have let their kids do some of the stuff their little Foo Foo is allowed to do! This may be why many adult children of empty nesters don't necessarily "like" their new furry little brother or sister.
Now I'm not complaining about folks who treat their dog like a kid. Heck I do it too, at times. I would rather see a dog spoiled than neglected for sure! But I just want to reassure the anxious Mom or Dad that Groomers and Vets do not abuse little Foo Foo after you leave. If parents stay and watch, then the dogs’ act continues and makes it nearly impossible to groom them. That is why many Groomers request that the owner leave the dog and come back later. Just like leaving a child at daycare, the crying stops after parents leave and they generally have a good day.
I wish I was being videotaped so mom or dad could actually see the transformation of Foo Foo's act from scared and whiney, to happy, wagging tail and cooperative. Don't get me wrong, some dogs don't care to be groomed at all. How many people have to spell B- A -T- H? How many dogs run and hide when they see you head for the sink with a towel in hand? My own dogs do that! Then I remind them that when it comes to necessary things such as baths, visits to the groomer or vet or any other less than pleasant procedure that our house is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship! The time comes when some things just need to be done. Dealing with reluctant dogs is no different than dealing with reluctant kids. How many 8-year-old boys like to take a bath? They don’t want to go in . . . then they won't come out! What if we said to our kids "ok honey, I can see you don’t want a bath, it’s ok . . . I won’t make you take one" Never mind it’s been weeks . . . and the stench is overwhelming to all. No, somehow when we deal with kids we put the foot down and just make it happen. Well the furry little 4-legged kid is the same. You just have to be tough and say, "This isn’t Burger King, you can’t have it your way!"
By the same token, I do have a few dogs that come RUNNING into my shop to greet me and joyfully jump into the shower or onto my table wagging their tails and do it right in front of their owners! I wish they all would love being groomed as much! Believe me it surprises me as much as it does their owners! Maybe if I had the time to play with them, feed them, walk them and snuggle with them on my lap as much as their owners I would get a better greeting but alas . . . I have to get to work so they can go home soon and show off their new look! So I’ll try not to take it personally when a dog sees me and turns the other direction looking for a way out, We all only want what’s best for your dog. Luckily, dogs are so forgiving. I’m sure they’ll forgive the owners for bringing them to us and paying us to groom them!