Despite the popularity in using these devices in our sector, I have stopped using grooming loops when working with dogs and actively encourage all of my students to do the same.
You may think you already know why I don't like using grooming loops anymore but this post will take you through five reasons why I switched away from them within a year of starting my grooming business.
Please read to the end to discover what I switched to. No peeking allowed! In the process, you may find your new favourite go-to for achieving a safe grooming environment but with less stress.
Background: Grooming Loops and I
Let's enter our handy time travel machine and explore my start in the dog grooming world.
It was the year 2018, 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran was on the radio constantly, I was driving my kitted-out, second-hand Citroen Berlingo (which I later had wrapped to replicate American taxi cabs for my "pet taxi" service!), and it was my first year working as a professional (albeit 'unqualified') dog groomer having just finished my Level 3 Grooming Course.
That was also (coincidently) the same year various low-stress grooming books and educational content first started being published in our industry unbeknownst to me at that time, and so I started in a relatively conventional way believing that grooming loops were a mandatory safety tool to prevent injuries.
Fast forward to 2019, and my frustrations with grooming loops came to a boiling point.
Here’s why.
Reasons Why I Don't Use Grooming Loops Anymore
Reason #1. Grooming loops often cause significant trauma, especially if a dog is resisting against them.
Sorry to be starting with such a powerful ethical concern, but when you consider grooming loops you also have to consider the broader impact it has on the actual internal organ's of a dog. Evidence is telling...
In 1992, a study was conducted in Sweden by Anders Hallgren et al., to explore the implications of collar/leash yanking and concluded:
63% of the 400 dogs examined had neck and spinal injuries.
78% of the 400 dogs with aggression had neck and spinal injuries.
91% of 400 dogs were identified to having cervical neck injuries caused by the pulling/jerking of a leash and/or collar
There have been various other studies carried out to help identify just how significant the risks are, including one at the University of Nottingham which found that "even collars that were padded or had a wide fitting could cause injury to the dog".
For me, it came down to my ethical pledge and conscience - was I ok with knowing that the negative implications of grooming loops involved potentially hurting dogs?
For another comparison, there is another brilliant online article about the significance of pressure on the neck and internal organ health written by Dr Peter Dobias DVM. It's honestly eye-opening and can be found here!
Reason #2. Grooming loops can lead to hefty insurance claims and even destroy your business reputation completely.
When I first started dog grooming we were told that we couldn't afford to be without grooming loops due to the risk of injury and potential claims of a dog falling off of a grooming table.
I've came to realise that groomers are more at risk of having to put in a claim when actively using them, not the other way around.
A grooming loop will not necessarily stop a dog from attempting to jump from a grooming table - the industry has even invented the "quick release" tool just incase this should happen. But the bottom line is this: surely the risk alone of hanging is enough to warrant an alternative approach?
This was at least my thought-process. Basically, it would be far better risking a broken leg than it would a broken neck from the impact of weight falling against a grooming loop at a height.
But then it got me thinking, how might we eradicate the risk of neck damage and the risk of falling completely so that we can reduce the risk even more? I have realised that there are better alternatives to achieving safety when we use what we know about how dog's learn and it's all about coming from the dog's perspective.
Ooops, did I give away a significant hint there?
Freebie Time: While I'm giving away hints, I may as well give away a copy of my 'Holistic Grooming Space' E-book where you can see what tools and products I do currently recommend (emphasis on "currently" since I am ever-evolving as I learn).
Click here to download the FREE Low-Stress Grooming Tools E-Book after you've finished reading (it may direct you to another browser if you click now!).
Reason #3. It just didn't feel good using grooming loops!
This one comes down to personal preference and honestly, I barely ever came across a dog that didn't find grooming loops stressful and even in the very few instances that I did there was absolutely no benefit to using them because the dog's were happy to sit for grooming unaided anyway (yes these dogs do exist!).
Sometimes the best reason to look for a new tool or strategy is to make a point in identifying ways to improve the service you provide to your client (as groomers our clients are the animal's in our care, over and above the dog carer).
I felt like I had plateaued with grooming loops big time. Not only that, I was finding that I was dreading going into work each day because I would always feel guilty or a little bit hopeless for the lack of progress I was making with the more nervous and anxious dogs.
I would be faced with various behaviours that my old trainers would refer to as "naughty", "stubborn", and "aggressive" but to me, these dogs looked like dogs that were suffering and something had to change.
Now that I have stepped away from grooming loops, I have been able to make tremendous progress with the dogs in my care. So much so that now I absolutely look forward to each new day, each new challenge and each new step in the right direction.
As I developed my alternative skills in keeping dogs safe in the grooming environment, I could see the dog's entire demeanour shift in a more positive direction - suddenly, they were running through my door and stepping onto the grooming table without the need for encouragement or reward.
All it took was a different perspective, an alternative approach and some time putting it all together.
Reason #4: I lost the ambition to be the next best grooming stylist - my priorities changed.
That's a hard reason to admit because for much of my training all I wanted was to harness my skills as a stylist and compete in local, even national competitions.
In fact, I was SO committed to this dream that I even had my husband collect a beautiful black miniature poodle with the intention of using her to practice on and eventually compete with! I'm actually ashamed to say this out loud now since everything about my ambitions have changed so much and that little miniature poodle (whose name is Lola, by the way) is now a happy family dog with barely any "styling" experience whatsoever!
My ambition to learning more about the emotional sentiency and behavioural advancements of dogs had a lot to do with me finding the courage to walk away from a more conventional approach, and I definitely have various entities to thank for that as well.
Reason #5: Alternative Methods Actually Work Better
Okay, here's why we're all here.
The new method I’m using is nothing more than 'Cooperative Training Exercises'.
The reason? It just works better for dogs, especially when it comes to trying to achieve a low-stress grooming environment.
There's so much to be said about the benefits of integrating training and behaviour concepts into a grooming environment that I would be here all day, but I want to focus on some of the perks that I personally love the most:
Perk #1 - It Empowers The Dog To Make Choices
Hear me out! What happens when you give a sentient animal the opportunity to make their own choices? They feel listened to, they feel respected and ultimately, they feel safe.
On the flip side, removing choice and replacing it with force only leads to - you guessed it! - fear, suppression and a need to escape!
Perk #2 – It Opens The Door To Learning
Instantly, when you have a dog who feels safe in the grooming environment, you also have a dog who is receptive to learning new skills.
All of a sudden, we can teach a dog to give us a paw and hold for a short time while we perform a routine nail clip.
Learning can only take place when a dog is relaxed and confident in a space otherwise, you would be as well talking to a brick wall.
Benefit #3 - It Makes The Canine:Human Bond Flourish
And finally, when you have established safety in an emotional sense and combine this with an environment where the dog feels confident and relaxed enough to be introduced positively to various grooming tasks, you have also simultaneously worked on establishing a beautiful relationship with said dog.
There is no greater feeling than the trust and love of a dog - it makes you all warm and fuzzy on the inside!
What I Do Instead of Using Grooming Loops
As I mentioned, I now integrate cooperative grooming exercises into each grooming session with each and every dog.
This works better for all involved because:
It can instantly reduce the risk of injury - including dog bites!
It doesn't violate my ethical pledge and need to respect and love all animals.
It builds a dog's confidence to otherwise high-stress environments and tasks.
It shows the world that I care more about the experience than I do an award.
It enhances the canine:human bond and makes every grooming session less stressful.
However, I'm not just asking you to trust me on this, so many dog carers and professional groomers have made the same transition and are reaping the benefits every day:
That’s a wrap!
In conclusion, I have replaced grooming loops with an approach that considers and respects a dog's emotional need to feel in control and have choices in the grooming environment (in other words, I work at achieving a sense of emotional safety rather than the false sense of security in physical force). Seems like a no-brainer, right?
If you would also like to make the switch to cooperative care methods in your salon or even at home, I am pleased to be able to teach groomers through my Diploma that focuses more on what sort of things this might involve. Click the image below to learn more.
When I first started my business, I was surrounded by individuals who followed a totally different path to the one I felt was calling me. At that time, there were no individuals that I knew of who could help support me along the way and because of that, I was faced with a lot of adversity by some big "influencers" in the grooming world.
Thankfully, there are resources more commonly known in our sector today, including mine here. Allow me to help guide you through your own path to achieving low-stress grooming results.
Do you have any more questions? My community and I are always available to support you here.
You may also love to read about the other tools commonly used in the grooming environment that could also be risking your dog's safety here.
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