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

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#DogGrooming #CanineBehavior #TraumaAwareDogGrooming

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