[T1026]To Make Feel Better

Yes, it's true that dogs don't have a system of logic going on in their brains that tells them that they smell bad. Neither do you. Yours is a learned behavior. Early man stunk, folks. He was ripe all the time and everyone just accepted this. It was a part of the daily routine. Just like your dog. Man is the only species that does not react simply out of instinct or habit alone. He can reason. That's what makes us the highest species. Believe it or not, dogs can reason too, especially after a grooming.

Tony Roettger, of Spaniel Journal, says that if a thing can be trained, such as a dog, it can reason. Maybe the reasoning is on a lower level than humans but it can reason and the more it is forced to reason, the better it gets and the more frequently it uses reasoning to make decisions, the more evident it becomes. Reasoning is a form of conditioning, is it not and vice versa. Conditioning is a form of reasoning.

With that said, let us do some reasoning of our own. When a person takes their dog to the groomer's shop and the dog is given the full treatment, including bath,haircut, nails trimmed appropriately, nails polished, ribbons in the hair (in some cases) and a doggie perfume or cologne placed on them, they probably hate the entire affair because they don't have the capability to reason the reason for what they're going through; however, what is your reaction when you pick them up from the groomers? You're usually very excited, you talk to the dog and tell them how good they look, your voice conveys approval and happiness. So, what do you think the dog may be reasoning here?

Our guess is that the animal, after being groomed and receiving your obvious gratuities and love begins to understand that this grooming process, which he hates, brings accolades and love from his owner so how bad can it really be? He knows that he's not going to be harmed so he begins to associate the grooming process with your love and attention. Hey, even men do this type of reasoning, right?

So, the question is not so much, "do they know they're being groomed," but rather, "do they associate the grooming with good feelings and do they feel good about themselves once they are groomed?"

The truth is, your dog may not actually "like" the grooming process but they accept it. They probably associate your attention with the process although they don't have any idea why you're happy. They just know you are and if you're happy, that's ok with them because they love you, unconditionally.

So, don't hesitate to get your dog groomed frequently from a reputable and highly touted groomer. They make you feel good about your dog and the dog can feel that because...he reasons it out. And you want him to feel good because you love him, right?