Energy and Grooming

Energy and Your Dog
Because humans are intellectual beings, we communicate mostly with words. A common mistake we make as humans is thinking that dogs also communicate the same way, and they don't. When dogs answer to specific words and associate them with specific actions, they're mostly responding to the intent that we have associated with the word. Dog's pay less attention to words because they're primarily focusing on our energy, expressed through intention and emotion as well as our tone of voice and body language. 
In the words of Cesar Millan, "Energy is how any being presents itself to the world. Think of it as your personality, disposition, and temperament." 
Intention X Emotion = Energy
Calm, assertive energy works best with dogs because our emotions are balanced and our intent is clear. Negative emotions and lack of firm intent presents weak energy and confuses dogs. This is why you can't stop a dog from barking by angrily yelling. The dog doesn't hear the command, "No!", it hears you joining in and his excitement increases. Baby talk also confuses dogs, as they read it as submissive and weak energy. As a result, depending on your dog's natural position in the pack, they may become anxious or dominant, and as a result, develop behavioral issues. 
Here's an example of how energy makes a difference, taken from cesarsway.com; 
"One of my human office pack members told me a very interesting story. He has a neighbor with two dogs, and whenever he and his dog meet up with them, all of the dogs greet each other happily and play and get along great. A few weeks ago, the neighbor was out of town and hired a dog walker, and as soon as the dog walker saw my employee and his dog, she tensed up and moved to the side. He told her that the dogs got along, but she stayed nervous, and instead of greeting his dog playfully, the other dogs started barking 
aggressively. When the neighbor returned home, all three of them again engaged in friendly greeting and play, the aggressive incident forgotten"

So how does all of this come into play with grooming?
A lot of times, dogs that have anxiety have those behaviors because of their owners and their energy. If you are nervous walking into your grooming appointment, your dog may exhibit nervous or aggressive behavior as a result. It's important to walk in with calm, assertive energy. 

How can we help?
If it's your first time and you are nervous or anxious about your dog getting groomed, bring you and your dog by on a slow day before your appointment to have a meet & greet with our staff and tour the facility to ensure you will be happy, comfortable, and have calm, assertive energy walking into your groom.