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00:00:12.400Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more.
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00:00:18.320Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of Health Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas.
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00:00:26.719We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy.
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00:00:30.000Our motto, humanity over vanity.
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00:00:32.479And don't worry, we don't fight.
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00:00:33.600Let's get started.
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00:00:45.759In this episode, Shannon and Tanya break down why consistency isn't just helpful in grooming.
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00:00:50.640It's the foundation of trust between dogs and their care team.
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00:00:51.920Welcome back, everyone.
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00:00:59.840I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with Shannon and Tanya, professional groomers at Hound Therapy.
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00:01:02.159Hi, ladies, how is it going today?
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00:01:03.520It's great, thank you.
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00:01:06.480So we have a cat meowing in the background.
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00:01:08.719No worries.
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00:01:12.400Well, I'm excited to jump right into this one with you both.
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00:01:18.400So, why does predictability build trust between dogs and their groomers?
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00:01:22.400Well, let's start with your dog doesn't need surprises.
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00:01:28.400So, you know, I don't particularly like surprises.
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00:01:33.920I mean your dog most certainly does not usually like surprises.
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00:01:42.400I don't know if you've ever surprised a dog uh on purpose or by accident, but it's not usually something that goes, you know, they usually don't enjoy it.
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00:01:43.599It goes over well.
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00:01:46.640Uh they they thrive on knowing what comes next.
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00:01:47.840They love routine.
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00:01:48.079Yeah.
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00:01:50.319Uh the same ex expectations.
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00:01:55.439You're like when you're coming home, if you change it, you know, that it that's when things kind of get a little nervous.
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00:01:58.799But once they accept it again, they're like, okay, so I got the new routine down.
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00:01:59.040Yeah.
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00:02:01.280So dogs, dogs like that.
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00:02:08.159They they they don't need to to be shocked and awed.
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00:02:08.639No.
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00:02:13.199Uh uh, what happens when we consistently change the routine on a dog?
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00:02:20.960Uh you know, you you hear things like uh dog grooming uh anxiety, uh dog grooming routines have changed.
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00:02:24.159My dog gets nervous every time it comes in, she's anxious.
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00:02:30.400Uh, you know, my the dog body language is just not lining up to everything that we're doing.
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00:02:34.319And those are all because you're you're not consistent.
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00:02:44.000Um, or you know, you've you've on a whim, something else is happening in your house, and you're getting your dog groomed because of, not just because this is the time to get groomed.
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00:02:49.280So there are some things that can can stress out your dog too during during those times.
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00:02:52.240Um predictability matters for sure.
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00:02:59.039Um they don't understand that, you know, they they don't have the same understanding of grooming that we do.
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00:03:02.560They don't understand of like, well, it's your turn to get groomed today.
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00:03:03.360Too bad.
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00:03:07.280They're just like, oh, I have to do this with a bunch of strange people.
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00:03:08.000Okay.
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00:03:11.039So it's, you know, it's patterns, it's repetition.
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00:03:15.520It's doing the same thing every single time in the exact same way that they're used to.
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00:03:17.840And doing it in a way that is positive.
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00:03:26.479So um, if your dog is anxious and has anxiety and you're giving them a pill, well, your dog is going to learn very quickly that every time you give them that meat.
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00:03:27.680Equals groom.
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00:03:29.840Yeah, I don't I'm not taking it.
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00:03:45.759Or they're gonna take it and they're gonna come in and they're gonna be super like, oh gosh, and they're gonna feel out of control and it they're gonna anticipate something bad is gonna happen because when they take the pill, this is not good.
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00:03:51.919So uh you've gotta you've gotta create this this routine of consistency that works.
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00:03:52.240Yeah.
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00:03:57.520Uh and and it it's surprising is it's not is is not where it's at.
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00:03:59.759Not for a dog anyway.
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00:04:03.759Um dogs recognize too for us.
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00:04:06.319Um, we work the same way all the time.
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00:04:21.120So when our dogs come in, um, you know, they they come in, they go to their certain spots, and most dogs that come on a regular basis, they know they they they actually choose their own the the cage that's in this area, or you know, this is my run.
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00:04:22.959Uh, this is where I'm going.
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00:04:25.439Uh, you know, this is the dog that I'm friends with.
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00:04:28.959This is the groomer that I like, this is the table I'm jumping on.
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00:04:31.759Um, once we get a bath, I go back over to here.
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00:04:35.680If we switch it up, the dog will look at you and be like, what am I doing?
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00:04:39.439Yeah, I don't I in fact I think I talked about this in one of our other podcasts.
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00:04:48.480I had a a big dog that came in and I I never, I just straight through and I I said, Oh gosh, something happened and I had to put him in a in a crate for a few minutes.
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00:04:56.079It was 10 minutes tops, and it took him back out and he was like, whoa, and he just sat down because he wasn't, he's like, I'm not going back.
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00:04:57.600You know, do that.
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00:04:59.519So he he knows the routine.
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00:05:01.759So routines definitely matter for sure.
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00:05:03.839Uh predictability is good.
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00:05:06.720Um, trust is built one visit at a time, right?
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00:05:13.759The more that they come, the more that they they do the routine, and and your grimmer needs to stay on a routine.
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00:05:17.439Your grimmer can't be switching it up either because they're bored, right?
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00:05:28.160It's uh it it helps to um, it helps me as a grimmer to remember, you know, I start at the at the right paw, I work my way around.
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00:05:35.759So if I get interrupted and I look at the dog and I can see that two paws are done, I know which I know where I left off, right?
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00:05:39.439I know what toe I left off on because I work the same way all the time.
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00:05:41.040So the dog knows it, I know it.
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00:05:41.360Yep.
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00:05:44.879Um, you know, if I'm in the middle of drying, I dry the same way.
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00:05:47.360It's it's just it's it's always the same.
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00:05:49.920So routine is it's just good for everybody.
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00:06:03.680It's muscle memory for me as as a person who's providing a service, and it's muscle memory for your dog of okay, we're gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna do this, and then we're done.
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00:06:06.160And now we get a treat and go home.
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00:06:16.319So how quickly do you usually see a dog respond once a predictable pattern is established?
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00:06:24.480I would say it it depends on the age of the dog and what what the pattern we're breaking is.
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00:06:39.759Um if it's a if it's a young dog, uh I would say by the second time, if you're consistent within a a six to eight week turnaround by by week three, usually the the the second time it's come in, it's a completely different dog.
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00:06:43.040And then by that third time, it's a routine for them.
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00:06:47.839Um a lot of that is we do educate our our our clientele that comes in as well.
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00:06:55.439So if we notice that their dog is having difficulty with something, we'll have them work on that at home as well.
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00:06:58.800So that that it's not another brand new, you know.
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00:06:59.839Yeah.
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00:07:01.839So that that's helpful.
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00:07:12.000Um, I feel like, you know, having those conversations and that open communication line from the, you know, pet parent, from the pet to the grimmer, uh, I definitely think is is is helpful.
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00:07:15.920Uh if it's an elderly dog, sometimes it never changes.
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00:07:17.519What changes is us.
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00:07:18.399Yeah.
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00:07:20.560You just kind of learn how to work.
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00:07:21.279Yeah.
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00:07:33.759I mean, if you've got an old dog that has no teeth, that's 16, and you know, it's incontinent, it doesn't stand, that is super, super strong, way stronger than you think it might be.
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00:07:35.680Stronger than it should be.
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00:07:41.040There is, you know, there's nothing we can expect that dog to do differently.
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00:07:47.199Um, we can expect that that this is this behavior, and this is what we're gonna be able to do.
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00:07:49.439Uh, and we explain that to the pet parent.
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00:07:50.560You know, it takes two of us.
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00:08:00.160We've got to hold him in the air, you know, we've got to uh dart around, you know, when he's moving, we're or it's kind of like being a little groove on a boxer's thing, you know.
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00:08:02.399We've got to learn his routine.
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00:08:06.480Uh, but we do that, and it takes us usually one or two times.
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00:08:11.279But once we get it down, um it, you know, it's smooth sailing.
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00:08:15.759So sometimes it's, you know, it's us.
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00:08:21.759It's it's you know, so being consistent doesn't necessarily mean it has to be on all on the on the animal.
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00:08:24.800Uh sometimes it's us knowing, hey, he bites for this.
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00:08:26.879So this is what we're gonna do.
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00:08:32.879And it's not a surprise to us because a surprise for, like I said, I don't like surprises.
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00:08:42.879I would much rather know that your dog doesn't like something and it's gonna bite me versus me almost getting bit or getting bit, uh, because that's a bad day for me.
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00:08:45.519That's not that doesn't make for a good day.
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00:08:57.919Um, so I'd rather know it in advance so I can gear up for it and and prepare myself and react in an appropriate manner that's going to or maneuver the situation where it doesn't happen at all.
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00:08:58.480Right.
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00:09:00.559Yeah, even better.
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00:09:03.440Uh so no surprises.
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00:09:05.039That's what we should call this.
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00:09:15.120Well, ladies, thank you for sharing your insights on how simple consistency can transform a dog's grooming experience.
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00:09:18.720We appreciate you, and we'll see everyone next time.
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00:09:25.919That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy.
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00:09:30.240Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour?
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00:09:34.639Call us at 469-367-0009.
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00:09:39.039That's 469-367-0009.
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00:09:48.799To schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care.
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00:09:52.159Until next time, keep those tails whacked.
