You're a pet groomer working with an apprentice who wants to learn
the ropes of the business. It's part of your job to observe how this apprentice
works and to offer suggestions to help him sharpen his skills.
The
paragraph below is taken from the website PetGroomer.com. It's a description
of the proper way to control a dog when grooming. The paragraph describes
everything you know about the right way to start a grooming session.
Below
this paragraph is a description of your apprentice's behavior when a new customer
arrives at the grooming parlor.
Read both sections, comparing the suggested
actions and the actions taken by your apprentice. What suggestions for improvement
can you offer the apprentice?
The Proper Way to Control
a Dog
A dog may be protective of its owner, so take this under
consideration as you approach and offer nothing that it may construe as a
threat. Make no quick movements and speak in a reasonably friendly and soft
voice. Loud laughing and talking with a lot of hand movement can put an animal
that's insecure or protective on the edgy side.
Squat down to the dog's
level and offer the back of your hand for inspection. Don't force it right
away as the dog may refuse or even try to nip if you do. If the dog doesn't
want to walk with you and balks, you should carry the dog to the grooming
area instead of having a tug-of-war.
Terrified dogs, for whatever the
reason or cause, are the ones to move slowly with and talk softly to. These
are the ones that can be classified as fear biters and can do so with no warning.
Never lose your temper, as dogs only get worse and insecure to the point that
grooming is impossible -- both dog and groomer suffer.
The Apprentice's
Actions
You call the apprentice to meet his first client. He runs
over and reaches toward the client to shake his hand.
"Hi, nice to
meet you!" the apprentice says enthusiastically. With that, the dog growls
at the apprentice, who gives the dog a heavy pat on the head and tells the
dog there's no need to get excited.
The client passes the dog's lead
to the apprentice and says he'll be back soon. The apprentice tries to lead
the dog over to the cutting area, but it won't budge. He slides the dog halfway
across the floor by pulling hard on the leash, and finally ends up shouting
at the dog.