How to groom a nervous pet
Whether it’s trimming nails or just trying to brush your nervous pet – no matter how experienced you are or how much effort you put into keeping your pet calm, there are some that simply don’t like to be groomed.
Your choice of grooming tool is essential – choose a product from our Gentle Grooming (the Smooth & Stroke is an excellent choice for many breeds) range to start you off. These tools allow you to mimic a stroking action so that you can introduce your pet gently to being groomed.
Maybe your pet has had a bad experience or perhaps they often get tangles in their coat – fortunately, there are some top tips to help calm nervous pets:
- Keep yourself calm. If you are anxious your pet will certainly pick up on it. Create a relaxed environment by putting on your favourite CD and begin by getting your pet comfortable with you stroking them.
- Leave the worst to the end. If your pet enjoys being brushed but hates having their claws clipped, always leave their nails to the end. Begin by brushing them so they enjoy the session and start to relax before you attempt to even touch their paws.
- A little bribery never hurts! Many pets are very food-motivated so use this to tempt and reward them. Also praise with an encouraging and reassuring tone of voice. Do a little at a time with each small step offering a reward. Clicker training can help nervous pets learn that their good and calm behaviour brings them a reward. Check out our Basic Command Clicker Training Kit with professional training guide written by Claire Arrowsmith to help learn how to tune your pet into a clicker.
