he basics of canine body language are often picked up naturally in the grooming salon. The more dogs you handle, the better you get at reading them. Understanding dogs is important, but how often do you pause to check in with your own body language? Being aware of your body language helps you communicate more clearly with the dogs you’re working with, while also keeping you focused and calm during a fast-paced grooming day.

When I meet a new dog for training, my greeting might seem ordinary, but it involves constant communication. I’m analyzing how the dog responds to an invitation to say hello, and I’m watching how the dog’s body language changes when mine does. This is an important part of the intake process that helps me set the dog up for success.

When a dog comes in for grooming for the first time, the groomer has a few minutes to make an impression while learning about the dog and asking about the dog’s grooming needs. Those first few minutes are your first opportunity to think about your body language.

Moving toward the dog with a brush or comb in your hand to check the coat before saying hello could seem strange to the dog. Similarly, hovering over a dog you just met while looking at the coat more than the dog can be intimidating. Instead, groomers can begin by talking with the owner and analyzing the dog’s behavior. Is the dog eager to say hello, or are they hiding behind the owner?

Using body language that invites dogs over, rather than hovering over them or making them feel cornered, is important. Once the leash is handed to the grooming staff member, you should keep a relaxed hold on it as you turn toward the direction you want the dog to move. Encourage the dog to move with you. If you move in a rushed, stressed way, dogs pick up on it. As you begin to notice your own body language, you might discover ways you can make dogs more willing to go with you and cooperate.

Consistent and calm body language can make a big difference during the grooming process. As you respond to the dog’s movements, check in with your own. A wiggly dog on the table might start to cause your movements to become tense as you attempt to get the dog to cooperate.

You’ve likely heard the expression that stress travels down the leash. Have you ever thought about how it travels through touch during grooming? Learning to give the dog feedback through quiet communication takes practice, but it’s a skill worth cultivating.

For example, if you know the dog pulls away when you try to lift the front legs, you can begin by lifting with a light hold while working on the dog, and then place the paw back down before the dog pulls away. The dog begins to learn what to expect. Your calm body language transfers to the hold, and placing the paw back on the table before the dog reacts teaches the dog that stillness works.

There are times when letting your mind wander is acceptable. But dog grooming is not a mind-wandering activity. When you’re grooming, focus matters. If you start talking to the other groomer or the phone rings, where does your attention go? Your automatic movement of clipping or scissoring can easily continue as you turn your head for a split second in response. Instead, teach yourself to stop all grooming and secure the dog if you have to look away.

Maintaining focus is important for safety, but that’s not the only reason it matters. As you become distracted, you might notice the dog’s behavior changes. In a dog training class, the owner might be working on a stay, but then becomes distracted. If they haven’t practiced enough, the dog will break the stay as the owner glances at their phone or talks to another student. This can happen in the grooming salon, too. Dogs know when we lose our focus.

Even if you’re drying, focus matters. Not only does paying attention have a positive effect on the dog’s behavior, but it also helps you get better results from drying. Mindlessly holding a dryer is not the same as drying a dog’s coat correctly, where you know which areas of the coat need to lie flat, which need to be dried in reverse to correct the topline and so on.

Stress can quickly accumulate in the salon environment. One no-show turns into delays. A dog has an accident in their kennel right before pick-up. A client wants a tidy-up groom, but you have to explain that their dog is too matted. There’s so much that can happen in a day.

Being able to maintain a calm mindset and calm body is an asset worth striving for. Not only will it help you be a great team member, but you might see more calmness in the dogs you work with, too.

It takes a level of skill to work with dogs that you should be proud of. Being the type of groomer who continues to work on self-improvement doesn’t go unnoticed by clients.