Elderly dogs

As an occupational therapist, I am very sensitive to the challenges older dogs face and I try to make them as comfortable as possible during their grooming. It is common for owners to delay grooming an elderly dog due to the perceived discomfort of the grooming procedures. When an elderly dog's coat is well maintained at home, there is indeed little need for a professional grooming.

However, a dog's hygiene is important to its well-being and while a professional grooming session may be exhausting for the dog, it is the lesser evil to having to live with dirty, packed and matted fur. As groomers, we feel much compassion for those older dogs and we know that a well maintained dog not only feels and smells better, but gets more attention and affection than a smelly one. Just like humans, older dogs deserve to be kept clean and comfortable and a regular grooming can significantly improve their quality of life.

How do we groom an older dog?
It takes much stamina from the part of the groomer to complete the groom on an older dog. Indeed, many of our older customers have difficulty standing up and require physical support and frequent rest periods during grooming. Although it is much easier to groom an erect dog, we encourage the older dog to lie down when possible and frequently require the assistance of a second person to help with the grooming. The groom may not be perfect but for an older dog, the primary goal should be comfort and easy maintenance.