Teach your poodle to accept haircuts from an early age.
When a poodle has not had proper initiation and training for grooming, giving it the necessary haircut can be extremely difficult. The dog may become a moving target, jumping, pawing and scratching to get away, or it may become aggressive. A few dogs just get frightened and remain very still, but you would like for them to be calmer, not so stressed. It is possible to teach the poodle to calmly accept a haircut and other grooming, but you have to put off the haircut, if possible, and gradually acclimate the dog to each step in getting its hair cut.
Instructions
1. Tire your dog out immediately before a grooming session.
Take your poodle for a long walk immediately before grooming or a haircut. The walk must be long enough to tire your dog out fully. A short walk will just leave your dog all the more energized. A tired dog will be less to manage during grooming.
2. Massage isn't just for pampering.
Massage your poodle when it's first placed on the grooming table or other area you intend to use for grooming. Massage slowly and deeply, as you would want if you had sore muscles, to help your dog relax and associate positive experiences with the grooming area. Massage the back of your dog's neck, its shoulders, along its back and down all the legs. Massage isn't just for pampering; it teaches the dog in a soothing, gentle manner to accept your leadership. At the same time, it teaches the dog to trust you.
3. Give the treat only when the dog is fairly relaxed.
Offer a few tiny training treats that are highly valued by your dog, while it remains calm in the or on the grooming table. Withhold treats if the dog is acting up, but offer one when the dog is calm.
4. Give the dog the training treats while the scissors and other grooming tools are in sight. As the dog gets more and more comfortable with the sight of the tools, gradually bring them closer for each session.
5. Practice makes perfect, and gradually your dog will be calm for a haircut.
Stop the session at this point, without any grooming or haircut. Repeat steps one through five, without actually cutting the hair, for as many sessions as possible before beginning to actually groom the dog. When the grooming begins, move slowly and try to keep the dog calm and accepting. If you see the dog is getting upset and having trouble calming down, go back to doing something the dog has already mastered and then end the session on that good note, with a treat.
6. Some dogs must have a haircut now.
Take to a veterinarian for safe, veterinary-supervised sedation if your dog is severely matted, filthy or for any reason cannot wait to have a haircut. Once the veterinarian gets the dog's hair and skin under control, you can begin to work on steps one through five until your dog gradually calms down for all grooming. Waiting for a haircut when the hair is severely matted can result in skin infection and pain for the dog from the hair constantly pulling with every move.
Tags: your poodle, have haircut, before grooming, grooming area, grooming haircut, grooming Massage