Feline and Canine Body Language

The process of grooming a dog is so much more involved than many people realize. Not only are we bathing, drying, cutting hair, and trimming nails to make pets sparkle, groomers are constantly watching for subtle body language signals from pets.

Every cat and dog give signals to how they are feeling about certain things. While we all know that a hissing cat is an unhappy or scared cat, did you know that a cat who is blinking their eyes slowly is a cat who trusts you? They feel safe in your presence. A cat who falls asleep on the couch beside you trusts you. A cat who falls asleep in your lap really trusts you. A cat who falls asleep in your lap and begins to dream trusts you with their very life! Head boops are a sign of deep affection. When a cat rubs their cheeks against you, they are claiming you as theirs.

While groomers will generally only see the alert, upset, and sometimes downright angry side of a cat, dogs show a much wider range of emotion during their visits. Groomers are constantly on watch for signs that a dog is becoming stressed. Things like turning their heads away, sideways glances, big yawns, and lip licking are all signs that a dog might be feeling a little too stressed out by their grooming. A stressed dog might try to sniff the table while turning away in an attempt to tell the groomer that they want to retreat in peace. Unfortunately, we can’t always allow the groom to end at that moment so it is up to the groomer to recognize these signals and change the dog’s mind! Something as simple as a scratch behind the ears and some kind words can make all the difference!

Groomers want to see a happy, relaxed dog. This is a dog who has

an overall “soft” appearance. They don’t appear tense or nervous. Their movements are wiggly. They might flop a little when moved around. Their tails might wag at a steady rate. If they are panting, their lips are loose and not tight against their teeth. They might suddenly burst into a wiggly play bow as the groomer walks around the table. The ultimate goal of any groomer is to convince every dog they see that this is how grooming should be!

Many dogs are not so sure though. They might show signs of being stressed or simply just nervous. They might be tense, shifting their weight from paw to paw. They might keep one paw slightly raised. Their ears might either be constantly moving or pinned back against their heads. A groomer needs to know the dogs they work so they remember if this is normal for the dog or not. During times of high stress such as around the holiday seasons, even the most mellow, relaxed dog might become more tense for their grooming sessions simply due to all the changes around them.

At times, groomers might use their own body language to “talk” to the dogs in a way the dogs are more likely to understand. They might half blink or do a small yawn to show they are relaxed. They might drop their shoulders and turn slightly to the side to be non-threatening. Or, if a dog is starting to act up, a groomer might stand taller and more square to show they are not going to put up with foolishness. A particularly rambunctious dog might even receive a hard, direct stare to show the groomer means business. As soon as the dog settles and looks away, the groomer will then relax, yawn a little, and continue on. Quite often “talking” to the dogs in their own language produces better results than trying to coo and calm them with human language!

“Talking” to dogs with their own body language goes beyond the grooming salon as well! If your dog is nervous around certain things such as blowing plastic bags while on a walk, putting on an aura of calm by being relaxed and yawning a little, can help to put your dog at ease! If it doesn’t bother you, maybe it isn’t so scary after all! You can even “talk” to your cat by slowly blinking at them or rubbing your cheek against theirs when they come to you for attention!