Zooey freaked out on the groomer.

[lengel]

Before today, Zooey has had a total of three complete freak outs in her short life, the last one about four weeks ago. The first was at home shortly after we got her. I attributed it to being completely overwhelmed with too many new experiences. The second was on the vet when he took her temperature for the first time. The third was when the trainer grabbed her collar and tried to pull her into position. We worked on these situations and she hasn't had the same response again.

And then there was today. Zooey has had her nails trimmed *a lot* - like, since birth. Today she had her second appointment with the professional groomer and she lost it. I was told that they had to muzzle her and even then, she was flailing around like a mad dog. I was also told that she "bit with intent". I'm skeptical about this as I've seen her and really what she does is growl and snap but doesn't actually make contact. In any event, the groomer (who works at the training facility where Zooey spent most of her days before she turned eight weeks) was really shaken and I'm sure that the only reason that she went through with the trim (with the assistance of another employee) is that she knows Zooey and didn't want to admit that it probably wasn't the best idea to continue. Had I been there, I would have turned it into a treat based training session but I wasn't so the deed is done.

What do you guys think might have triggered her and how can we address this in the future? We feel her paws and push on her toenails all of the time. Somehow, I'm thinking that something else is going on here though since the circumstances are completely different each time.

[TrinaJ]

Perhaps the groomer trimmed a bit too much and got skin, you have to be ery careful when trimming their nails.

That's the only thing i can think of.

[brunie's mom]

Just wondering why you are taking a Rottweiler puppy to a professional groomer?
This is a wash and wear breed...and any grooming that must be done should be done by you. Learn to trim her nails, and to brush her out yourself....good way to teach the pup to listen to you, and to comply.

The pup got a fright, and now you will have to work hard for her to trust again. Puppies should have positive experiences.

Gina

[Nishasmom]

Nisha HATES her nails being cut. I (a groomer of 7 yrs ) have been grinding her nails once a week since 8 weeks. She has ALWAYS hated it. When she was younger she even tried to bite us over it. We have worked with her very hard (she no longer bites), but she is still very nervous. Because of this I would never let anyone do her nails for me.

I have worked with a lot of different groomers; trust me when I say most groomers are stubborn. They get frustrated, and want to "prove" to the dog that they will not stop until the job is complete. They are not understanding, all they see is a dog who is being a brat and freaking for no reason . Their attitudes and rough handling just make things worse for the dog. It is for this reason that I let NO ONE (vet, groomer, friend, kennel) cut my dogs nails. I know she gets stressed, and I want to make sure the process is as stress free as possible. Therefore, I do it myself.

If you cant do it yourself, at least be there to oversee the situation. Make sure the groomers stay positive and sweet. Maybe do one foot and then break (let everyone compose themselves.). Most important, don't freak out (yourself) or try to baby your dog; just oversee and make sure no one is getting stressed, then handling your dog.

The freak out could have been triggered b/c they used a different tool to cut her nails. Do you use a clipper or a grinder? Many dogs are fine with a clip...but try to grind and they go off the wire. Some dogs prefer the grinder. Groomers prefer the grinder because it gets the nails shorter, smoother, and safer than if they were to use a clipper.

[lengel]

The groomer does a much better job than I do. The location and tools are the same (literally) that were used when Zooey was raised and this was the second time this particular woman groomed her. The first time, she had no problems. I clip the tips of her nails at home to make sure that she has consistent experience but I have clipped too close on my other dogs before and wanted to keep the process a painless one for Zooey, hence the groomer, who uses a grinder.

I want Zooey to have as many experiences as possible. I was disappointed by the groomer's decision to continue but I'm also confused as to why Zooey suddenly had a problem. I'll supervise if we decide to use the groomer again.

Added: If we ever had to board the dogs for three days or more, they require a full groom. This is the woman who would be doing that groom.

[Snow]

Originally Posted by brunie's mom

The pup got a fright, and now you will have to work hard for her to trust again. Puppies should have positive experiences.

Gina

I agree, I had an incident with myself as the cutter and Isis (maybe 6 mos old then) was already not overly happy with me cutting her nails, but she was ok with it. I accidently cut one of her nails too close and she bled! Aside from giving me the scare and guilt of my life (yes am a new dog owner...), she was ok. But (obviously) she was very hesitent about getting her nails cut again - yet we persisted and worked with her with loads of treats and love and now she is fine - but it definitely took awhile to regain her trust with her paws - good luck.
And I did at one time consider taking her to a groomer to get this done, but was not comfortable with having someone else (a stranger to boot) handle her without me present...that and the fact I am reminded of the one time I saw a groomer handling a dog and was very rough and (I thought) abusive to the dog - an image I just couldn't get out of my head (despite the fact I am sure there are very good groomers out there)!

[Nishasmom]

Originally Posted by Snow

... I am sure there are very good groomers out there!

There are !! Many places do nail trims as a walk in service (you can stay with your dog). This is best for owners who are a bit squeamish about cutting black nails. I wouldn't trust anyone to groom my dog; I have a hard time leaving her at the vet!!

[brunie's mom]

Buy some Quick Klot ( styptic powder)...usually sold where ever dog clippers are sold. If you do by chance cut a bit too much off and there is blood...just dip the end of the nail into the Quick Klot powder, the nail will stop bleeding.

Also, if you do make a nail bleed, don't make a fuss or feel sorry for the pup...dip nail in the styptic powder and keep on clipping. The less of a fuss you make, the less of a big deal it will be for the pup. No dog ever died from having a nail cut too short.

Many Rottweilers do not like their feet touched, or their nails cut...if they start fussing when they are puppies...and you give up...they have learned that you have given in. Just take your time, even if you only get one paw clipped per day...it's best not to give up. Do it when they are tired and sleepy.

Gina

[lengel]

Originally Posted by brunie's mom

Buy some Quick Klot ( styptic powder)...usually sold where ever dog clippers are sold. If you do by chance cut a bit too much off and there is blood...just dip the end of the nail into the Quick Klot powder, the nail will stop bleeding.

Also, if you do make a nail bleed, don't make a fuss or feel sorry for the pup...dip nail in the styptic powder and keep on clipping. The less of a fuss you make, the less of a big deal it will be for the pup. No dog ever died from having a nail cut too short.

Many Rottweilers do not like their feet touched, or their nails cut...if they start fussing when they are puppies...and you give up...they have learned that you have given in. Just take your time, even if you only get one paw clipped per day...it's best not to give up. Do it when they are tired and sleepy.

Gina

Trust me when I tell you that I am a nail clipping moron. We have four dogs. I have tried for years. I have gone through entire containers of styptic powder in one sitting. We have been to the emergency room because the bleeding just would not stop. I bought that elastic semi-sticky bandaging directly from the vet so that I could wrap the bandaging myself. I have wondered on many occasions if our older dogs are hemophiliacs but finally concluded that this is so not my calling.

We have tried three groomers with our older guys. We have never had a negative experience with Nancy. She has consistently done a fantastic job.

DH and I have been talking about this pretty much nonstop since yesterday. There seems to be a common thread between the vet, trainer and groomer and that is the issue of restraint by a relatively unknown person. I don't know if this is some kind of test of the individual or if it's the element of surprise. The trainer certainly didn't cause any pain. I need to ask the groomer about the exact sequence of events. So far, it's been a one-time thing with each person. Afterward, Zooey doesn't seem frightened, she's just quiet. The trainer actually said that Zooey had scared herself and should be left to herself for a bit after she calmed down.

In the meantime, we really need her to be handled by others in the event that we have to board her as the full groom would be a requirement. We rarely take trips but I have a huge family on the opposite coast and several family members aren't doing well at the moment. If there's a funeral, we will have to leave and Zooey will have to be comfortable with being handled by Nancy before then.

Any ideas on working on restraint issues?