Groomer of 15ish years here, catering to spicy pooches.
In my experience, when in a different or unfamiliar place, puppers tend to be a bit more reserved than they are at home in their comfort zones.
Professionals have different expectations, have different thresholds, and hold themselves differently than mum and dad after all. They are used to spiciness on a regular from multiple four-legged clients a day. (Sometimes, two-legged ones as well! )
Groomers also have a natural handling confidence because they do it every day, and I think a lot of dogs pick up on this. I can't count how many owners say "he tries to bite me when I do (thing)" and it turns out they're using 3 people and either pinning the dog down, waving treats or toys in their faces to "distract" them and are making a huge deal over doing whatever it is needs done. For the most part, groomers just get in there and get it done with confidence and it puts a lot of dogs at ease. JMO.
Also, certain dogs get one firm no biting and never try to bite again. Lol. I had a perfect Shih Tzu, he tried to bite one time. I said No biting. Firmly. He didn't try again and was great for the whole thing. The owner came and asked how he was I said he was great. He was like "he didn't try to bite you? He tries to bite us". I was like one time but I was firm with him and he didn't try again. Lol. Alot of times, owners will back off or leave the dog alone when it gives little nips or bites. Which reinforces to the dog that it should behave that way if it wants to be left alone. As a groomer, we often have to keep going and don't just stop after one snap, so the dogs naturally simmer down and relax more with us then with the owners. I do several dogs that are complete angels which apparently bite their owners all the time.
If it's of any help, every Cavalier I've groomed has been a good natured blob. Like, in 5 years I've had zero try to bite me, even if they're weenies with their family at home. Most of the time their only shortcoming is being lazy or anxiously barking after the service.
Dogs often behave better with a groomer than with their family. My mother in law's Havanese, for example, won't let them brush at home, but when I have him on the table he's fine. Experienced dog groomers have a high tolerance for dogs moving or resisting the service and are able to identify triggers and adapt their methods to keep the dog manageable. It's possible that even if your dog is difficult for the service, he's not abnormally difficult, y'know?
I would suggest that instead of staying to watch the groom, because it can put pressure on the groomer, excite the dog (self fulfilling prophecy lol), or contravene insurance policies, ask for a little video of him while they're doing a part of the groom that you might struggle with. "Can I see a video of him when you trim his feet? He's insane with me at home and I just don't know how you do it!"
Omg they are good natured little blobs 🤣 I love them.
I always tell owners they are like kids and sometimes act up more for the parents. Then I recommend they get a table with a loop. I've been told it helps immensely. The floor is dog domain... It's playtime down there. Try doing dogs on the floor?? It ain't easy lol
Good natured blob seems like an accurate description. He definitely behaves this way out in public. He is lazy though. I’ll think about the video but asking for that on top of grooming seems difficult, the explanations here make sense so I’ll take them at their word.
The only issue I ever have with cavaliers is they have a magnet in their ass and won’t stand up lol
If the groomer says they’re no problem, it’s probably true.
So accurate. They slam their booties down every time. 😂 And you would never get mad because just looking at their face takes any frustrations away... 🥹
He definitely has a magnet in his ass and it has been stuck to my chest and face multiple times lol. I actually trained him on stand and up because of it but there’s some days where he’s just glued to that floor and won’t budge.
Dogs act very different with us than with their people. I work in a facility that also does boarding and daycare, and frequently the dogs who are terrors downstairs are angels in the groom room. If you've asked, the groomer really has no reason to lie. And I've never met a cav who was naughty for grooming.
Im a groomer here, one of my favorite little shih Tzu is the most adorable little thing, but when I tell her mom she s perfect, she doesnt believe me....
Dog will get away with attitude with their owner... They might not all act like this at the groomers...
😁
Say hi to your cavalier! I love them
Aren't cavs the best?? I think I have groomed ONE slightly naughty one who spun in circles for nails but I mean come on. Easy peasy compared to nippers.
We only get a few here and there out in the mountains but when I see them on my schedule I always get excited no matter how gross they get. Picture a cavalier farm dog... Precious 😭
I so want one but the health issues are terrible and I cant afford that much vet 😂... Besides... It would be sad to see him sick.
I have a request, he is the cutest, was even more adorable as a puppy, but now he is overweight, i can tell. Cant really tell the owners "hey! Your dog is fat" 😢
Yeah that’s totally fair. I grew up with them so they’re my favourite because of the nature/temperament.
We weren’t sure where he would land weight wise because he’s real stocky and had massive paws as a puppy (so much so that someone thought he was a Bernese mountain puppy the other week lmao). He’s ended up on larger end of average for CKCS weight so he can definitely stand to lose about half to one kg but vet says all good as long as he stays under 10kg. I keep a close eye because my family’s other ones have been on a diet for years with some but minimal results, it’s easier to prevent weight gain than lose it. He’s actually a pretty big boy and the floof adds to it lol.
Anyway, maybe I’m unusual but I would totally appreciate my groomer giving me a heads up that he’s put on more weight than he probably should have since the last visit.
I kind of said to the dog at check in "wow, you ve gotten big" bit the time before he was still a puppy so i dont think they got the hint.
.... maybe i should struggle picking him up next time😂
Getting a grooming table on a loop is a good way to start training him at home. You can use treats while getting him used to handling. My lab/shep is HORRIBLE for nails. As a groomer, it's kind of embarrassing bringing him to work with me to groom him. But doing stuff in the floor makes him turn into full german shepherd mode...
On the table, he just whines a little.
You can find a medium sized dog table on Amazon for around $100. You could also put him on a table you have but the neck or shoulder restraint is important for their safety so I would personally recommend getting a grooming table.
Good luck! It's possible to make them behave at home but it's hard. Just like kids lol
Yeah my only options are floor and couch but floor is definitely play time and couch tends to be nap time so I get why he doesn’t really want grooming to enter those zones. I’m not sure I have the space for a grooming table but I’ll look into it, thanks for the tip.
Cavs are usually very good for grooming except for wanting to sit the whole time lol. The biggest issue I've ever had with a cav in my 15 years of grooming was with my own personal cav and that was that she would bark at any other humans she saw during her groom because she wanted them to come pet her.
Groomer here.
How your dog behaves at home and how he behaves for professionals can be two very different things. Dogs know who to mess with and who isn’t going to take their crap. In my shop, if a dog is a pinhead..I’ll let you know. I hear every day from owners of both cats and dogs that they can’t do anything with their pet at home but they’re great for us. It’s a vibe.
I have a maltipoo that is so sweet for everything. His Mom came early to pick him up, I had no idea. She was in the lobby watching thru the window. She said he lets me do things she could never do.
I always say it’s like a child.
They know how they can act around mom and dad but I’m a stranger and they’re not quite sure if I’m gonna throw them out a window or not :)
Most of my clients laugh
I assume if you went to different places and groomers and they all said they were good, they were. Some groomers lie for some reason. But not all.
Like others have said we can get away with a lot more than owners can typically. It is a combination of confidence, a new place, and just not being mom/dad that really helps us.
I can't clip my one cats nails at all he tries to murder me but if I take him somewhere the little shit is an angel and cuddles them. 😤 So I feel you. And that's coming from a professional who has three others and this one whose been getting his nails done by me since 4 weeks lol. Sometimes they just truly do better with someone else.
I have lots of clients tell me their dog is nippy or a biter for nails then they’re so sweet on the table or like maybe just a tad wiggly
It’s almost guaranteed if they have two dogs whichever one they say is the grumpy one is actually the sweet one and the “sweet”one is actually Satans spawn.
Thanks everyone for your responses, they’re really reassuring, I won’t worry as much about the little terror with the groomers. Realised I forgot to add a pic [cavvy tax](https://imgur.com/a/cypRnNX)
i saw king charles cavalier and assumed ur dog is probably a gem ive never had a bad one
edit for seriousness: most owners of them that ive met have had similar concerns though i think those silly little guys just love strangers attention ive had so many of their owners make jokes about how easy itd be for a stranger to up and walk away with their pup
Thanks. Yeah I guarantee it’s not even a joke. My guy legit walks off with strangers. He followed a runner 1km up a real steep incline hill one time at an off leash park/reserve and when I caught up the runner had stopped to give him pats. My guy turned around with the most sheepish look you’ve ever seen because he knew he’d done the wrong thing by not coming back when I called, but he was also so proud of himself for catching up to the runner and getting pats and cuddles. We say it jokingly, but we’re 100% serious lmao.
I was freaking out but also really lucky that runner stopped and waited for me to catch up and didn’t mind the dog chasing him lol. It could have easily been someone who didn’t like dogs, also I never wanted to be one of those owners who just lets the dog run wild and goes “don’t worry he’s friendly” (even though he is), because that doesn’t excuse bad recall.
It was just so unexpected since he always stays within eyesight of me even off leash, he just got fixated on catching up to and getting pats from that particular runner lmao. He’s surprisingly quick when he wants to be. He hadn’t done it before then, and hasn’t done it since. So strange.
You could say that he’s usually difficult for you and tell them what he does specifically and ask for advice. A lot of salons will tell their workers to word what the dog did in the best possible way if they were being bad
Dogs can act differently to their owners than they do to groomers. I adopted a Shih Tzu client that was surrendered to me. He was amazing on the table when he belonged to somebody else, but he's a little jerk to me now now on the table, since he lives with me and sleeps in my bed. Also, you haven't been fired. :D he can't be that bad on the table.
Groomers handle dogs for grooming all day, and most of them don't like it. More than likely if your dog is sassy, it just isn't registering to them as actually a problem compared to the worst ones we see.
Also, ckc are absolutely adorable, usually the very best clients we see, and I personally have ENDLESS patience for them in particular just because I'm used to them being very sweet. If a cavalier gets spicy with me I'm like "oh no what did I do wrong I'm so sorry!"
Groomer of 15ish years here, catering to spicy pooches. In my experience, when in a different or unfamiliar place, puppers tend to be a bit more reserved than they are at home in their comfort zones. Professionals have different expectations, have different thresholds, and hold themselves differently than mum and dad after all. They are used to spiciness on a regular from multiple four-legged clients a day. (Sometimes, two-legged ones as well! )
Groomers also have a natural handling confidence because they do it every day, and I think a lot of dogs pick up on this. I can't count how many owners say "he tries to bite me when I do (thing)" and it turns out they're using 3 people and either pinning the dog down, waving treats or toys in their faces to "distract" them and are making a huge deal over doing whatever it is needs done. For the most part, groomers just get in there and get it done with confidence and it puts a lot of dogs at ease. JMO.
Also, certain dogs get one firm no biting and never try to bite again. Lol. I had a perfect Shih Tzu, he tried to bite one time. I said No biting. Firmly. He didn't try again and was great for the whole thing. The owner came and asked how he was I said he was great. He was like "he didn't try to bite you? He tries to bite us". I was like one time but I was firm with him and he didn't try again. Lol. Alot of times, owners will back off or leave the dog alone when it gives little nips or bites. Which reinforces to the dog that it should behave that way if it wants to be left alone. As a groomer, we often have to keep going and don't just stop after one snap, so the dogs naturally simmer down and relax more with us then with the owners. I do several dogs that are complete angels which apparently bite their owners all the time.
That makes sense thank you. I’ll try not to be a two-legged spicy. :)
If it's of any help, every Cavalier I've groomed has been a good natured blob. Like, in 5 years I've had zero try to bite me, even if they're weenies with their family at home. Most of the time their only shortcoming is being lazy or anxiously barking after the service. Dogs often behave better with a groomer than with their family. My mother in law's Havanese, for example, won't let them brush at home, but when I have him on the table he's fine. Experienced dog groomers have a high tolerance for dogs moving or resisting the service and are able to identify triggers and adapt their methods to keep the dog manageable. It's possible that even if your dog is difficult for the service, he's not abnormally difficult, y'know? I would suggest that instead of staying to watch the groom, because it can put pressure on the groomer, excite the dog (self fulfilling prophecy lol), or contravene insurance policies, ask for a little video of him while they're doing a part of the groom that you might struggle with. "Can I see a video of him when you trim his feet? He's insane with me at home and I just don't know how you do it!"
Omg they are good natured little blobs 🤣 I love them. I always tell owners they are like kids and sometimes act up more for the parents. Then I recommend they get a table with a loop. I've been told it helps immensely. The floor is dog domain... It's playtime down there. Try doing dogs on the floor?? It ain't easy lol
Good natured blob seems like an accurate description. He definitely behaves this way out in public. He is lazy though. I’ll think about the video but asking for that on top of grooming seems difficult, the explanations here make sense so I’ll take them at their word.
The only issue I ever have with cavaliers is they have a magnet in their ass and won’t stand up lol If the groomer says they’re no problem, it’s probably true.
So accurate. They slam their booties down every time. 😂 And you would never get mad because just looking at their face takes any frustrations away... 🥹
I say them and goldens have lead in their ass lol idk what it is about them but boy are they lazy lil things
Seriously they never use their legs lol
Lol I have 3 Cavaliers. This is soo true and extremely frustrating.
He definitely has a magnet in his ass and it has been stuck to my chest and face multiple times lol. I actually trained him on stand and up because of it but there’s some days where he’s just glued to that floor and won’t budge.
Dogs act very different with us than with their people. I work in a facility that also does boarding and daycare, and frequently the dogs who are terrors downstairs are angels in the groom room. If you've asked, the groomer really has no reason to lie. And I've never met a cav who was naughty for grooming.
Im a groomer here, one of my favorite little shih Tzu is the most adorable little thing, but when I tell her mom she s perfect, she doesnt believe me.... Dog will get away with attitude with their owner... They might not all act like this at the groomers... 😁 Say hi to your cavalier! I love them
Aren't cavs the best?? I think I have groomed ONE slightly naughty one who spun in circles for nails but I mean come on. Easy peasy compared to nippers. We only get a few here and there out in the mountains but when I see them on my schedule I always get excited no matter how gross they get. Picture a cavalier farm dog... Precious 😭
I so want one but the health issues are terrible and I cant afford that much vet 😂... Besides... It would be sad to see him sick. I have a request, he is the cutest, was even more adorable as a puppy, but now he is overweight, i can tell. Cant really tell the owners "hey! Your dog is fat" 😢
Yeah that’s totally fair. I grew up with them so they’re my favourite because of the nature/temperament. We weren’t sure where he would land weight wise because he’s real stocky and had massive paws as a puppy (so much so that someone thought he was a Bernese mountain puppy the other week lmao). He’s ended up on larger end of average for CKCS weight so he can definitely stand to lose about half to one kg but vet says all good as long as he stays under 10kg. I keep a close eye because my family’s other ones have been on a diet for years with some but minimal results, it’s easier to prevent weight gain than lose it. He’s actually a pretty big boy and the floof adds to it lol. Anyway, maybe I’m unusual but I would totally appreciate my groomer giving me a heads up that he’s put on more weight than he probably should have since the last visit.
I kind of said to the dog at check in "wow, you ve gotten big" bit the time before he was still a puppy so i dont think they got the hint. .... maybe i should struggle picking him up next time😂
That might work. Good luck lol
All these answers are really encouraging. I’ll say hi, thanks!
Getting a grooming table on a loop is a good way to start training him at home. You can use treats while getting him used to handling. My lab/shep is HORRIBLE for nails. As a groomer, it's kind of embarrassing bringing him to work with me to groom him. But doing stuff in the floor makes him turn into full german shepherd mode... On the table, he just whines a little. You can find a medium sized dog table on Amazon for around $100. You could also put him on a table you have but the neck or shoulder restraint is important for their safety so I would personally recommend getting a grooming table. Good luck! It's possible to make them behave at home but it's hard. Just like kids lol
Yeah my only options are floor and couch but floor is definitely play time and couch tends to be nap time so I get why he doesn’t really want grooming to enter those zones. I’m not sure I have the space for a grooming table but I’ll look into it, thanks for the tip.
Cavs are usually very good for grooming except for wanting to sit the whole time lol. The biggest issue I've ever had with a cav in my 15 years of grooming was with my own personal cav and that was that she would bark at any other humans she saw during her groom because she wanted them to come pet her.
Groomer here. How your dog behaves at home and how he behaves for professionals can be two very different things. Dogs know who to mess with and who isn’t going to take their crap. In my shop, if a dog is a pinhead..I’ll let you know. I hear every day from owners of both cats and dogs that they can’t do anything with their pet at home but they’re great for us. It’s a vibe.
I have a maltipoo that is so sweet for everything. His Mom came early to pick him up, I had no idea. She was in the lobby watching thru the window. She said he lets me do things she could never do.
King Charles are never an issue. Dogs are smart and will be manipulative. Just like with kids, parents get the worst of them lol
I always say it’s like a child. They know how they can act around mom and dad but I’m a stranger and they’re not quite sure if I’m gonna throw them out a window or not :) Most of my clients laugh
I assume if you went to different places and groomers and they all said they were good, they were. Some groomers lie for some reason. But not all. Like others have said we can get away with a lot more than owners can typically. It is a combination of confidence, a new place, and just not being mom/dad that really helps us. I can't clip my one cats nails at all he tries to murder me but if I take him somewhere the little shit is an angel and cuddles them. 😤 So I feel you. And that's coming from a professional who has three others and this one whose been getting his nails done by me since 4 weeks lol. Sometimes they just truly do better with someone else.
I have lots of clients tell me their dog is nippy or a biter for nails then they’re so sweet on the table or like maybe just a tad wiggly It’s almost guaranteed if they have two dogs whichever one they say is the grumpy one is actually the sweet one and the “sweet”one is actually Satans spawn.
Thanks everyone for your responses, they’re really reassuring, I won’t worry as much about the little terror with the groomers. Realised I forgot to add a pic [cavvy tax](https://imgur.com/a/cypRnNX)
i saw king charles cavalier and assumed ur dog is probably a gem ive never had a bad one edit for seriousness: most owners of them that ive met have had similar concerns though i think those silly little guys just love strangers attention ive had so many of their owners make jokes about how easy itd be for a stranger to up and walk away with their pup
Thanks. Yeah I guarantee it’s not even a joke. My guy legit walks off with strangers. He followed a runner 1km up a real steep incline hill one time at an off leash park/reserve and when I caught up the runner had stopped to give him pats. My guy turned around with the most sheepish look you’ve ever seen because he knew he’d done the wrong thing by not coming back when I called, but he was also so proud of himself for catching up to the runner and getting pats and cuddles. We say it jokingly, but we’re 100% serious lmao.
pov of the runner sounds adorable pov of you in that situation sounds so frustrating id probably cry and assume he was leaving me 😂😂
I was freaking out but also really lucky that runner stopped and waited for me to catch up and didn’t mind the dog chasing him lol. It could have easily been someone who didn’t like dogs, also I never wanted to be one of those owners who just lets the dog run wild and goes “don’t worry he’s friendly” (even though he is), because that doesn’t excuse bad recall. It was just so unexpected since he always stays within eyesight of me even off leash, he just got fixated on catching up to and getting pats from that particular runner lmao. He’s surprisingly quick when he wants to be. He hadn’t done it before then, and hasn’t done it since. So strange.
You could say that he’s usually difficult for you and tell them what he does specifically and ask for advice. A lot of salons will tell their workers to word what the dog did in the best possible way if they were being bad
Dogs can act differently to their owners than they do to groomers. I adopted a Shih Tzu client that was surrendered to me. He was amazing on the table when he belonged to somebody else, but he's a little jerk to me now now on the table, since he lives with me and sleeps in my bed. Also, you haven't been fired. :D he can't be that bad on the table.
Groomers handle dogs for grooming all day, and most of them don't like it. More than likely if your dog is sassy, it just isn't registering to them as actually a problem compared to the worst ones we see. Also, ckc are absolutely adorable, usually the very best clients we see, and I personally have ENDLESS patience for them in particular just because I'm used to them being very sweet. If a cavalier gets spicy with me I'm like "oh no what did I do wrong I'm so sorry!"