Do you have a trusting relationship with your dog?

Previously, I wrote about Shiloh’s first time at the groomer’s.

He sure surprised me with how much chaos he could take!

Yesterday, Shiloh went to the grooming shop for the second time.

It is truly amazing what a solid relationship built on trust can do!

But I’ll let Shiloh tell you all about it.

Hi, I’m Shiloh, and I’m here to tell you about my big day at the groomer’s.

Well, let’s just say it didn’t start off as my favorite adventure.

It began like most fun trips—me jumping into the car, tail wagging, and excited for what was next.

But then...

I realized where we were going.

The groomer’s!

I had been here once before, and let me tell you, it’s not exactly my idea of fun.

Sure, the women there are nice, but they make me do all sorts of things I don’t like.

Stairs?

Into a bathtub?

Nail trimming?

No, thank you!

Yesterday was my second visit, and while I was trying to be brave, it wasn’t easy.

Without my best friend Jennifer and my mom there, I felt kinda lost.

I know I’m supposed to trust the groomers, but trusting practical strangers is something I’m still working on.

You see, I trust Jennifer with my whole heart.

When she’s with me, I can do anything.

But these new people?

Not so much.

When they took me inside, I whined and pawed at the crate.

I missed my family.

And I wasn’t ready for all the baths, blow dryers, and nail clipping.

I didn’t want to go up the narrow stairs to the bathtub—no way.

So, the ladies had to lift me up.

It was embarrassing.

Really.

I stood there in the bath, showing my big teeth.

(Not growling, of course, because that’s rude.)

It was my way of saying, “I don’t like this, but I’ll cooperate... for now.”

Then came the hydraulic table, which wobbles like it’s going to collapse at any second.

I mean, who trusts a table like that?

Not me!

But again, I was a good boy and stood there while they dried me off.

When that blower got near my face, though?

Nope.

I was NOT having it.

It felt like a mini-tornado hitting me, so I snapped at it a few times just to let them know I wasn’t amused.

And then… the nails.

Oh boy!

Last time, they clipped my quick, and that hurt.

So, when the groomer reached for my paw, I flinched.

And when she turned around, I might’ve nipped her shirt.

Just a tiny reminder that I wasn’t thrilled about this whole thing.

That’s when they put the “party hat” on me—what they call a muzzle.

Sigh.

After all that, I sat in a crate, looking at the other dogs while I waited.

One of them was a Malinois-German Shepherd mix.

She is in service dog training, just like me.

But she just kept staring at me.

I let her know that wasn’t cool.

But then... the door jingled.

My ears perked up.

And in walked Jennifer and my mom!

Now, let me tell you, when Jennifer is around, everything changes.

She led me through all the things the groomers tried to get me to do, but this time?

I did them.

All of them.

I followed Jennifer to the steps leading up to the tub, and with her voice guiding me, I climbed up all by myself.

I didn’t even know I could do that!

Then she patted the wobbly grooming table, and guess what?

I jumped up there with my front paws and then pulled myself up.

Jennifer made it feel safe.

I trust her.

We practiced it over and over—up the stairs, onto the table, and into the crate with the blower.

Each time, I felt much more confident and proud.

Jennifer knew I could do it, and because she believed in me, I believed in myself.

By the end of it, I stood taller.

My tail wagged with pride, and my steps felt lighter.

Sure, I still don’t love the groomer’s…

But now?

Now I know I can handle it.

And that trust Jennifer and I have?

It’s the best feeling in the world.

Being a mobility service dog isn’t just about what I can do; it’s about knowing that my people have my back, no matter what.

And with Jennifer and my mom, I know I can face anything—even those dreaded stairs.

So, maybe the next trip to the groomer’s won’t be so bad after all.

Well… maybe.

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.