Manhandling Dogs

The Elephant in the Room

I may only have one hand, but trust me, it’s more than enough to point the one finger that matters at every single one of you who still thinks it’s okay to push, shove, force, and bully dogs into being groomed.

Let me say it louder for the people in the back like it was requested last week. Grooming is NOT a battle. If you’re still treating it like one, you’re the problem.

Do you need a new set of glasses? Because whatever you're seeing through those rose-colored lenses isn't reality. And before you start crying about how “this is just the way it’s always been done,” let me stop you right there, tradition doesn’t make it right, and it sure as hell doesn’t make it professional.

To The Groomers Who Are Getting It Right (you know who you are)

Before I go all-in on the ones who deserve it, let’s take a moment to appreciate the groomers who are doing things the right way. The ones who:
✔ Take their time, earn the dog’s trust, and actually understand animal behavior.
✔ Are coachable, willing to learn, and constantly growing.
✔ Embrace education because they know that every single dog is different and requires a different approach.

These are the professionals. They know that being a groomer isn’t about dominating animals, it’s about understanding them. They aren’t looking for shortcuts or brute force; they’re looking for better ways, smarter handling, and ethical care.

And yes, that means education.

🔥 For the Ones Who Still Don’t Get It…you know who you are

If your first instinct is to force a dog into submission rather than train yourself to handle them correctly, you are the problem. If your reaction to a scared or aggressive dog is to grab tighter, push harder, and "show them who's boss," you do not belong in this profession.

💥 If you're the groomer that constantly says, "I don't have time for all that," maybe you should ask yourself why you’re always fighting dogs instead of working with them.
💥 If your response to a nervous pet is to restrain harder instead of reassessing your approach, you’re not a professional, you’re a liability to our industry.
💥 If you think education is something you "don’t need" because you’ve been grooming for 20 years, then congratulations, you've been doing it wrong for two decades.

And before you whine about how “we don’t have time” to do things differently, let me remind you, real professionals make the time. The ones who cut corners? They eventually cut too deep.

Education is Life

So Why Are You Running From It? The second you stop learning, you stop improving. And if you’re not improving, what the hell are you doing?

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." — Franklin D. Roosevelt

Or in this case, maybe you should be afraid of being caught on camera when your bad handling gets exposed.

And guess what? It’s happening. More pet parents are watching, recording, and speaking up. More employees are watching, recording and speaking up. If your handling is something you wouldn’t want blasted all over social media, then maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t be doing it.

There’s no excuse for ignorance anymore. Fix it. Or get out of the way for the groomers who actually give a damn.