Why do some dogs fight, freeze, bark, bite, pull away, or shut down during professional Dog Grooming?

In this episode of Beneath The Canine Coat with Michelle Knowles & Sasha Riess, we break down two real cases of reactive dogs and explore what changes when we stop calling them “difficult” and start asking what the behavior may be communicating.

We discuss:

• why reactive behavior is information, not simply disobedience
• how fear, stress, pain, sensory overload, and past experiences can influence the dog
• why stillness does not always mean the dog feels safe
• how force and excessive restraint may increase resistance
• how the Dog Groomer’s own nervous system can influence the interaction
• practical ways to create more safety, communication, and predictability
• why rehabilitation is different from simply getting through the appointment
• how trust can be rebuilt over time

This is not about letting the dog control the grooming appointment.

It is about developing the observation, skill, and professional judgment to recognize what may be happening before automatically trying to suppress the behavior.

The behavior is not the problem.
The behavior is information.

If you work with dogs who freeze, fight, bite, bark, resist handling, or shut down during grooming, this episode is for you.

Go deeper into canine stress, behavior, communication, and what may be happening beneath the reaction:

https://www.plhschool.com/stop-calling-them-difficult

Beneath The Canine Coat with Michelle Knowles & Sasha Riess is created for professional Dog Groomers who know there is always more happening beneath the coat.

Free Masterclass: Stop Calling Them Difficult

What if the behaviors professional Dog Groomers call “difficult” are not the problem?

What if resistance, pulling away, freezing, fighting, shutting down, or trying to escape are the dog’s attempt to communicate stress, fear, pain, overwhelm, or the need for distance?

In Episode 2 of Beneath The Canine Coat with Michelle & Sasha, Sasha Riess and Michelle Knowles challenge some of the most accepted practices in professional Dog Grooming and ask a harder question:

In this episode, we explore:

• the physiological and emotional effects of restraint
• grooming loops, muzzles, hammocks, and forced positioning
• why resistance should be treated as information
• secure attachment versus control and dominance
• how the groomer’s emotional state can influence the dog
• stress transfer in busy grooming environments
• why the order of the groom should depend on the individual dog
• practical ways to begin reducing unnecessary restraint
• why full groomer presence matters
• how trust can change the grooming experience
• why healing the profession may require us to examine ourselves too

Sasha and Michelle also explore the idea that trauma can involve a movement toward safety, escape, protection, connection, or survival that was interrupted before it could be completed.

This is not about blaming Dog Groomers.

It is about becoming more observant, more intentional, and more willing to question practices simply because “that’s how it has always been done.”

Before labeling the dog:

Pause. Observe. Ask what the behavior may be communicating.

🎙️ Beneath The Canine Coat with Michelle & Sasha
Episode 2: Dog Grooming Trauma: Restraint, Force, Stress & What “Difficult” Dogs Are Telling Us

This episode is for:

Professional Dog Groomers
Salon owners
Grooming students
Educators
Canine behavior professionals
Dog-care professionals
Anyone ready to move beyond control and understand what may be happening beneath the behavior

Subscribe for new episodes of Beneath The Canine Coat with Michelle & Sasha.

Explore PLH School, professional education, masterclasses, resources, and more:

https://www.plhschool.com/all-my-links

#DogGrooming #CanineBehavior #TraumaAwareDogGrooming

Are we managing behavior, or are we missing what the dog is trying to tell us?

Why can one dog leave a professional groomer completely drained?

Why can two groomers perform the same technique yet create entirely different experiences for the dog?

And what is happening beneath the coat, beneath the behavior, and beneath our own reactions?

In the first episode of Beneath the Canine Coat, Michelle Knowles and Sasha Riess share the very different personal and professional journeys that brought them together.

Drawing from decades of experience in professional dog grooming, canine behavior, skin and coat care, wellness, education, and the international dog-show world, they reveal why technical skill alone is no longer enough.

This conversation introduces a deeper approach to contemporary dog grooming, one that connects physiology, neuroscience, stress, environment, intuition, emotional regulation, and the relationship between two living beings.

This is not spirituality separated from science. It is an exploration of how the groomer’s presence, intention, and nervous system can influence the dog’s experience.

This series will help you read dogs more clearly, recognize what happens before resistance or shutdown, understand why certain appointments affect you so deeply, and see your profession from a perspective rarely discussed in traditional grooming education.

Two journeys. One mission. A deeper way of seeing the dog.

Ready to put this science into practice?

Join Michelle and Sasha live at Beneath the Canine Coat, October 10, 11 & 12, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.

https://workshop.plhschool.com