Grooming your dog is an important task that is often overlooked by dog owners. It’s important to regularly groom your dog to maintain their appearance, health, and wellbeing. However, this can sometimes be a very tedious and time consuming process for both you and your dog. It’s not the most enjoyable task, but alas it must be done.
It’s often a stressful process as dogs don’t particularly enjoy being groomed. This is why you have to change your approach to grooming your dog to make it more enjoyable for them. Here are some ways that you can make the grooming process much easier and less stressful for everyone involved.
Use Their Favourite Treats
You might already know this, but treats are a good positive reinforcement tool. That’s why it’s often used in dog training. Not only does it lift up your dog’s mood, it also reinforces the idea that grooming is an enjoyable process in their brain as they associate treats with grooming. This makes grooming your dog a lot easier in the future.
Reward your dog with treats throughout the process to ensure that their behaviour is under control. However, make sure not to overfeed your dog with treats during this process. You can also think about giving healthier treats such as fruit or veggies instead of dog treats.

Give your dog some treats throughout the grooming process to make it more enjoyable for them!
Remain Calm
If you didn’t already know, dogs are very good at reading the subtle cues we give off that express how we’re feeling. If you’re stressed and anxious, your dog will know and they might start feeling stressed too. Thus, you want to give off a calm or happy demeanour to make your dog feel at ease.
Schedule breaks throughout the grooming process.
Always set some time aside for breaks in the grooming process. If you feel like your dog is getting anxious or stressed, give them a quick break before continuing. Hand them a treat, give them a hug, some pats, and definitely lots of ‘good boy/girl’. Most dogs can feel overwhelmed during the grooming process, and taking scheduled breaks helps them relax and make the process more enjoyable. This helps them to reset their mind and to be more comfortable with the rest of the grooming session. While it may take longer, it will make the process much more enjoyable and relaxed for both you and your dog.
Tire them out first
It can be easier to groom your dog when they’re a little bit tired. Try playing a game of fetch playing with them or taking them out for a walk beforehand. By tiring them out, they’ll be less energetic and more calm when you’re grooming them.

Try and use quieter tools as loud noises can cause your dog anxiety.
Use quieter tools
As mentioned in this article, common household noises can stress out your dog, and this can include the clippers. You should try and use clippers that are as quiet as possible if loud noises stresses your dog. If the quietest clippers are still too loud, you might need to use scissors to trim their hair instead. While using scissors will take much longer and won’t be as neat compared to clippers, this will be the best option for an anxious dog.