Caring for your pet dog goes beyond feeding them, taking them out for walks, and reserving time to play with them. In addition to all those things, you also have to take special care of your dog’s body so they can remain in good condition at all times.
Grooming is one of those things that you need to do for your dog so they can remain in good shape, although entrusting that task to the professionals is also an option.
The importance of grooming cannot be overstated because it can be truly beneficial to your pet dog. Trimming their fur allows them to cool down faster during the summer months while cutting their nails can prevent some nasty accidents.
Grooming is highly recommended for all pet dogs and while nothing unusual happens more often than not, there are times when things may get weird.
You may notice your dog acting strange following grooming and it may be so out of character for them that you simply cannot ignore what you are seeing.
It’s good that you’ve taken notice of that because there very well could be something that is troubling your pet. Read on to better understand the unusual behavior your dog displays after grooming and what you can do to help them.
Why Is My Dog Is Acting Strange After Grooming?
For us, grooming is a relaxing activity because we’re able to refresh our bodies and alleviate some of the stress that we’ve been dealing with. We assume that dogs will experience grooming in a similar fashion, but that is not always the case.
After your pet’s latest grooming session, you may even notice that they are acting strangely to the point where you hardly recognize their behavior. Their strange behavior is not without reason as it is likely a byproduct of the grooming experience.
There are different reasons why your dog may act weirdly after their visit to the groomers and it could be something as simple as the fact that they were injured.
While trimming your dog’s fur, the groomer’s scissors may slip from their grasp and accidentally cut your pet’s skin thus causing a wound to open up. The groomer may have also cut your pet dog’s nails too short and that too can cause bleeding and discomfort.
Your pet dog may also present a negative reaction to being groomed because it’s simply not something they are used to.
They may not know how to feel about their fur and nails being shorter than normal and since you’re telling them to behave, they may also feel powerless at that time.
Don’t discount the impact your actions can have on your dog during that time because they may start to feel sad if you laugh at their new appearance.
How Long Do Dogs Act Weird For After Grooming?
Seeing your dog’s behavior visibly change may immediately cause red flags to start flying inside your head and that’s a perfectly understandable reaction to have.
Your level of concern may continue to rise if you find that your dog’s strange behavior is persisting even after you have showered them with more affection and treats.
Unfortunately, this is not an issue that will go away after just a few days. Typically, your dog will continue to act weirdly until their body starts to feel like normal again.
So, what things need to happen for your dog to go back to their old self? That depends in large part on what they experienced during their most recent grooming session.
For example, if you asked the groomer to trim or shave your dog’s fur during the last session, your pet will likely continue exhibiting their weird behavior until their hair grows back.
That means you will likely have to accommodate your dog’s odd behavior for a while because fur takes at least six weeks to grow back.
The weird behavior you’re seeing from your pet may also be a byproduct of their nails being cut too short so you’ll have to wait for those to grow again.
On average, a dog’s toenails will take about two months to grow back after they were cut short during a grooming session. It’s harder to project the recovery time for wounds your dog sustained from grooming because that will depend on how severe they are.
Is Grooming Traumatic For Dogs?
We want our dogs to enjoy the grooming experience because it genuinely is something that should be good for them.
However, dogs cannot help it if they find the whole ordeal to be stressful, unpleasant, and even downright painful. The act of grooming can quickly turn into a traumatic experience for your dog if they sustain a serious wound from the session.
Even if nothing unexpected happens, your dog may still not enjoy being groomed by someone they don’t know.
Now that you know that grooming can turn into a traumatic experience for your dog, is there anything you can do to help them?
Yes, there are things you can do to make the entire experience more pleasant for your pet. Start by going to a groomer in your area who you either know or has a reputation for being good with dogs.
You can feel good about entrusting your pet to them because they know what they’re doing.
Counter-conditioning could also help calm your pet down before the start of the grooming. Allow them to fully relax and enjoy the trip to the groomer so they are more receptive to what is happening when the session begins.
Also, consider giving your pet some treats or letting them snuggle up with their favorite toy so they can relax during the grooming session.
Conclusion
Your dog acting strangely after grooming is not an unusual occurrence as many pets are known to display that kind of behavior. Issues that occurred during the grooming session could explain that shift in your dog’s behavior, but they could also just find the whole thing to be weird. Be patient with your dog because they will return to normal eventually, and in the future, try keeping them comfortable before and during grooming to prevent the emergence of the weird behavior.
