Why is my dog so quiet after his first haircut? Is he feeling anxious?

Question

My dog had his first haircut today and I'm wondering why his so quiet? Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | 8 months and 15 days old | 5.9 lbs

Jeffrey Milner · Accepted Answer

Although you might not think so, a hair cut or any grooming is a potentially frightening ordeal for a dog. This is particularly true for a young, small dog. I would imagine that Azriel had never really experienced anything like this until now. If he did fairly well during the actually grooming, great! If he showed any signs of overt fear or aggressiveness however, his level of anxiety was likely to be quite high. I would first try to desensitize Azriel to grooming, by performing similar tasks like that to him at home. Any time that he reacts in a positive way or does not appear to be frightened, reward the behavior vigorously. This will hopefully condition him to view grooming as a positive experience rather than one he should fear. Some dogs, no matter what, never are able to adjust to this experience or experiences like it. If you feel that this is the case, you may want to discuss this issue with your local vet. Often times, there are certain medications (prescription) that can be given prior to a stressful event such as grooming that will make it less like to cause anxiety. I hope this answers your question.

Why is my dog so quiet after his first haircut? Is he feeling anxious?

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