Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about behavioural grooming or wondering whether Yes! Canine Care might be right for your dog?
Here are some of the questions I'm asked most often. If you can't find what you're looking for, you're welcome to get in touch and we can talk through your situation.
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Behavioural grooming is an approach for dogs who find grooming stressful, frightening or difficult to cope with.
Rather than focusing only on completing the groom, we look at why the dog is struggling and what they are communicating through their behaviour.
Sessions are tailored to the individual dog and may focus on building confidence, improving tolerance of grooming-related handling and helping the dog learn that they have some choice and control within the process.
The goal isn't necessarily to make every dog love grooming. It's to help them feel safer, more confident and better able to participate.
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Every dog has a different history, different triggers and different ways of communicating that they're uncomfortable.
The Initial Consultation gives us time to understand your dog's grooming history, behaviour, experiences and current challenges before deciding what support is appropriate.
It also means we can develop a plan before asking your dog to work through something they may find difficult.
The consultation is an important first step in making sure we're working at a level your dog can manage.
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The Initial Consultation is a conversation about your dog.
We'll talk about their grooming history, what happens before and during grooming, the behaviours you're seeing, what your dog appears to find difficult and anything you've already tried.
We'll look at potential triggers, stress signals, strengths and areas where your dog may need support.
From there, we'll discuss the most appropriate next steps and develop practical recommendations you can begin using at home and, where appropriate, alongside your groomer.
The consultation is about understanding the whole picture — not judging you or your dog.
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Behavioural grooming may be helpful for dogs who become fearful, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or resistant during grooming or specific grooming procedures.
This might include dogs who struggle with:
Being handled or touched
Brushing or clipping
Nail trims
Bathing or drying
Having their face, ears or feet handled
Being restrained
Entering or remaining in a grooming environment
You don't need to know exactly what's wrong before contacting me. That's part of what the Initial Consultation is for.
We'll look at your dog's individual situation and work out whether Yes! Canine Care is the right fit — or whether another professional would be more appropriate.
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Yes. These behaviours can be signs that a dog is feeling frightened, stressed, overwhelmed or uncomfortable.
Rather than simply trying to stop the behaviour, we'll look at what may be causing it and what your dog is communicating.
During the Initial Consultation, we'll explore the situations in which the behaviour occurs, identify potential triggers and consider what your dog can currently manage.
Where appropriate, I'll work with you to develop a plan that helps your dog feel safer and gives you and your groomer practical strategies for moving forward.
Safety always comes first. If your dog's behaviour presents a significant risk of injury, I may recommend involving your veterinarian or another appropriately qualified behaviour professional.
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Yes. Freezing or becoming very still doesn't necessarily mean a dog is comfortable or “being good”.
Some dogs respond to stress by becoming quiet, still or withdrawn rather than trying to escape or resist.
We'll look at your dog's individual stress signals and the situations in which they occur, so we can better understand what they're experiencing and avoid pushing them beyond what they can comfortably manage.
The aim is to help your dog become more confident and able to participate, rather than simply getting them to stay still.
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That's something we can talk about.
If your dog is uncomfortable with being touched, we don't want to immediately put them into situations they find frightening.
The Initial Consultation allows us to understand what your dog is comfortable with, what they find difficult and how they communicate that discomfort.
We can then work out an appropriate starting point and identify practical ways to build their confidence around touch and grooming-related handling.
For some dogs, the first step may be very small — and that's okay.
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Not necessarily.
Behavioural grooming isn't about getting through a complete groom at any cost.
Depending on your dog's current ability to cope, a session may focus on one particular grooming skill, a small part of the grooming process, or simply building a positive experience around the grooming environment and equipment.
Sometimes success might mean less grooming than you expected.
That's okay. We're working towards creating better experiences and building your dog's ability to participate over time.
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That's okay.
Not every dog is ready for a grooming session straight away. Sometimes the most appropriate starting point is working on skills away from the grooming table.
We might focus on things such as handling, cooperative care, confidence, relaxation or becoming comfortable with grooming equipment before introducing more challenging procedures.
We'll work at your dog's current level and gradually build from there.
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Yes. We can work on specific grooming-related challenges where appropriate.
This might include:
Nail trims
Clippers
Dryers
Brushing
Handling of feet, ears or face
Being held or restrained
Other aspects of the grooming process
The important thing is that we don't treat the individual procedure in isolation. We'll consider why your dog finds it difficult and what skills or support they need to cope more successfully.
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Not necessarily.
If you have a groomer you and your dog are comfortable with, there's no reason to change simply because your dog is struggling with grooming.
Where appropriate, I can work alongside your existing groomer so that everyone has a better understanding of your dog's needs and how to support them.
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Yes.
With your permission, I can share relevant information and recommendations with your groomer so they can understand what your dog is currently able to manage and what may help during grooming.
The aim is to create a consistent approach between you, your dog and your groomer.
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Only with your permission.
You remain in control of who receives information about your dog's assessment and support.
If you'd like me to communicate directly with your groomer, we can discuss what information would be useful to share and the best way to do that.
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With your permission, your groomer can receive a concise behavioural summary outlining relevant triggers, stress signals, what your dog can currently manage and practical strategies that may help during grooming.
The aim isn't to tell your groomer how to groom your dog. It's to provide them with useful behavioural information that can complement their professional grooming knowledge.
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I bring together more than 10 years of professional dog grooming experience with formal education in animal behaviour and training.
My experience includes owning and operating my own grooming salon, a Certificate III in Animal Care (Grooming), a Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour & Training, and experience in canine remedial massage.
I also work with dogs and their owners through dog training, including training walks, group classes and client consultations.
This combination of practical grooming experience and behaviour-focused education allows me to look at grooming challenges from both sides — understanding the realities of the grooming environment while considering what the dog's behaviour may be communicating.
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No.
I am not a veterinary behaviourist and I don't diagnose medical conditions or behavioural disorders.
My work focuses specifically on grooming-related behaviour and helping dogs, owners and groomers better understand and manage grooming challenges.
Where a dog's behaviour may have an underlying medical component, or where more specialised behavioural support is needed, I may recommend working with your veterinarian or another appropriately qualified professional.
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Sometimes grooming difficulties can be influenced by factors that are outside the scope of my work.
I may recommend involving your veterinarian, veterinary behaviourist, qualified behaviour professional, trainer or another specialist where appropriate.
This might be particularly important when there are concerns about pain or health, significant aggression or bite risk, severe anxiety, or other behavioural issues that require more specialised assessment or treatment.
Referral isn't a failure — it's part of making sure your dog gets the right support.
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Yes.
I provide engaging, practical presentations about canine behaviour, communication, stress and grooming.
Talks can be tailored to suit your audience, whether you're a dog club, owner group, training organisation, student group or other community organisation.
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Yes.
I provide behaviour-informed seminars and workshops for professional groomers and grooming students.
Topics can include understanding fear and stress, recognising early stress signals, low-stress handling, cooperative care, creating behaviour-friendly salon environments, working with owners and managing challenging grooming situations.
Education is designed to be practical, relevant and grounded in real grooming experience.
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Yes.
Presentations can be tailored to your audience, the time available and the topics you'd like to explore.
Whether you're looking for a short talk, a longer seminar or education for a professional team, we can discuss what would be most useful for your group.
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Still have a question?
If you can't find the answer you're looking for, get in touch. I'm happy to talk through your situation and work out whether Yes! Canine Care might be right for you.