29/08/2026
🐾 Nervous, Anxious or Aggressive Dogs — An Important Note from Noah’s Ark Dog Grooming 🐾
At Noah’s Ark Dog Grooming, your dog’s welfare will always come first. ❤️
When booking your dog in, please be completely honest with us and let us know if your dog:
🐶 Is nervous, anxious or fearful when being groomed
🐶 Has never been groomed before
🐶 Has previously snapped, bitten or shown aggression during grooming
🐶 Struggles with particular parts of the grooming process, such as bathing or drying
This information is not to judge your dog. It simply gives us a heads-up so we can prepare properly, make a plan and give your dog the best possible experience.
🚫 Muzzles
We do not routinely use muzzles in our salon.
The only time we will use a muzzle is if the owner provides the dog’s own muzzle and the dog is already comfortable and accustomed to wearing it.
We do not believe it is fair to suddenly put a muzzle on a dog that has never worn one before, particularly when they are already nervous or stressed. Introducing something completely unfamiliar while a dog is frightened can cause even more distress.
If your dog is muzzle-trained and you feel it is appropriate for them to wear their own muzzle, that is absolutely fine. ❤️
💗 A stressed dog is a dog we listen to
We have had owners ask us to continue with a groom even when their dog is becoming extremely stressed.
We will not do that.
If your dog becomes stressed during their groom, we will stop, give them a break and, if appropriate, try again.
If the stress continues, the groom stops completely.
This may mean your dog goes home half groomed — and sometimes even still wet! 😅 — but that is okay.
Your dog’s welfare is more important to us than finishing a groom.
Please don’t ask us to put your dog through something that they are clearly struggling with. We would much rather work with your dog slowly and positively than force them through an experience they find frightening.
⚠️ Aggressive dogs & recommending another groomer
We also want to make something very clear.
We have previously been asked, “Can you recommend another groomer who can handle an aggressive dog?”
If we know that a dog is capable of biting or seriously injuring someone, we will not pass that dog on to another groomer.
We would never knowingly put another groomer or their staff at risk by sending them a dog that we believe could cause serious harm.
Our responsibility is not just to the dogs in our care, but also to the people who work with them.
🐾 Bully breeds & dryers
We also understand that some bully breeds can absolutely hate the dryer. They can find the noise and sensation extremely frightening.
Some dogs cope brilliantly, while others really struggle.
We will always give your dog a chance and we will never simply refuse to groom them because they are nervous or unsure. Sometimes building trust can take several visits, months or even longer.
And if a dog genuinely cannot cope, we listen to them.
Bully breeds, in particular, often don’t require frequent full grooms, so sometimes the kindest option is simply to accept that a particular part of grooming isn’t suitable for that dog.
❤️ Every dog is different
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to grooming.
Some dogs walk through the door and love every minute. Others need time, patience and lots of reassurance.
We will always give your dog a chance. We will always work with them. But we will never put completing a groom above their welfare.
So please, when booking, tell us everything you can about your dog’s behaviour and previous grooming experiences. The more we know beforehand, the better prepared we can be.
At Noah’s Ark, we groom dogs — but most importantly, we care about the dog in front of us. 🐾❤️
A happy, trusting dog is always more important than a perfect groom.
