06/18/2026
A dog turns their head away. They lick their lips. They tap dance on the table, and they lean away from the brush anytime you get close.
And perhaps the groomer thinks these behaviours are the dog being "naughty", "difficult", and/or "stubborn".
But what if the behaviour isn't the problem?
What if it's a communication barrier you didn't think was there?
Because dogs are communicating with us all the time - often in ways that are far more subtle than a growl, an air snap, and a bite attempt.
The challenge groomers often have is that warning signals start incredibly subtle that, to an untrained eye, could absolutely be unidentified and/or overlooked...
The SOLUTION to this common problem isn't to simply add an additional restraint to make the grooming process "safer" -
It's to learn the ways dogs communicate and WHY...
For example:
👩🏫 A head turn can mean, "I'm feeling uncomfortable"
👩🏫 A lip lick can mean, "I'm not sure about this"
👩🏫 Leaning away can mean, "I need space"
👩🏫 Tap dancing can mean, "I am in pain and you touching here feels sore"
When a dog's communication cues are ignored, behaviours become more advanced and visible.
This is typically when you hear things like:
"The bite came from nowhere!".
Instead of groomers labelling behaviours as "bad" and "good", it's more productive to begin to ask:
"What is this dog trying to tell me, and how can I help?"
Once we change our approach to think about the DOG'S perspective, the groomer:dog bond improves, and day-to-day grooming tasks become more predicable AND, enjoyable.
What do you think? 👇
🤓 Read more about this topic:
https://stephaniezikmann.com/aggression-in-dogs-what-youre-really-seeing-in-the-grooming-room/
